“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15)
Beloved, Last time we looked at what genuine repentance is. We saw that repentance, as illustrated Biblically, is not about choosing God but rather realizing that we are completely dependent upon God’s mercy in not squashing us like a bug as a result of our rebellion before Him. This week we need to see that once we have experience real repentance, we cannot look at ourselves the same ever again. In Romans chapter 7 Paul is describing the warfare that rages inside each genuine child of God. He is describing not so much the tangible actions of the Christian but rather the hatred of sin that the Christian begins to feel toward his acts of rebellion before God. It does not matter how great or small the sin may be, the Christian hates it all and strives to minimize sin as much as possible. For a long time I really did not understand what this meant. Oh, I understood it intellectually but it had not quite sunk down into my heart where my sin before God began to cause me very real pain. Praise God that He has revealed to me what is really at stake. That is, God has granted an awareness that my disobedience brings shame to Him and while I am forgiven through the blood of Christ, this is not a license to live as I please. Every time I rebel against God it is His name that is demeaned. Every time I do what is comfortable, convenient or pleasing to me in a way that violates God’s commands in my life, it is God who is looked at like a bad parent with a hellion for a son. It is by God’s grace that I understand this and it makes me sick that I dishonor my Father with my behavior. This is the fruit of genuine repentance. This brings me to the question of why so many people who claim a relationship with God still persist in living in open and unrepentant rebellion before God. The obvious answer is unrepentance but how can anyone who rightly sees the seriousness of their sin continue to live in it? Maybe it is that no one has ever shown them just how serious this issue is but once they understand why are they not sickened by what they see? Sadly, there is really only one answer to these troubling questions; many are not troubled by their sin because they are not concerned about the honor of God and this ultimately stems from the fact that they really don’t know who God is.
Word for the weak
Actions, (2716) κατεργάζομαι [katergazomai /kat•er•gad•zom•ahee/] v; to perform, accomplish, achieve; to work out i.e. to do that from which something results; of things: bring about, result in; to fashion i.e. render one fit for a thing; of that which is accomplished by one’s activity: Rom 7:8, 13: sin brings about desires and has brought about death; committing shamelessness / promoting shame.
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