Humbled and it Hurt!

Rom 7:15 I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate.


Rom 7:16 I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good.


Rom 7:17 But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.


Rom 7:18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't.


Rom 7:19 When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway.


Rom 7:20 But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.


Rom 7:21 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.


Rom 7:22 I love God's law with all my heart.


Rom 7:23 But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.


Rom 7:24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? [fn]


Rom 7:25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.


Rom 8:2 For the power [fn] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you [fn] through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.


Rom 8:3 The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.


Rom 8:4 He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us [fn] who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.


Rom 8:5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.


Rom 8:6 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace.


Rom 8:7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will.


Rom 8:8 That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.


Rom 8:9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)


Rom 8:10 Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive [fn] because you have been made right with God.


Rom 8:11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you.


Rom 8:12 So, dear brothers and sisters, [fn] you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. NLT

This past week I was reminded of the truth of these verses. No matter how long you or I have been saved we still have our sin nature and unless we are allowing the Holy Spirit to fill and control us....it will rear its ugly head. I'm just going to be vunerable and transparent with you girls because I want to help you...I want you to be warned and realize how important it is to allow the Holy Spirit to control you and your actions.

Before I was saved at age 25 I had a horrible temper. I had a lot of rage built up in me because of some things in my childhood and unfortunately my dear, sweet husband Doug had to catch the brunt of it. I could be very volatile and definitely knew how to use my words so that they were as sharp as a butcher's knife. But after I was saved...I became that new creature and God really began molding and making this old clay to be reshaped into gentleness..instead of brassiness, compassion instead of judgement, and love instead of hate. I have been saved now for 15 years and I really thought that was an issue that was settled. I was wrong. I was reminded that unless I am allowing the Holy Spirit to control me....I will be that man that Paul is speaking of that does the things he KNOWS he should not do. I lost my temper this last week and it was ugly, hurtful and scary. It really shook me to my core that I was capable of such rage after all these years. All I knew to do was fall on my knees and ask God and the person involved to forgive me and pray that healing could begin. The guilt and shame I felt and remorse was almost overwhelming. I could almost hear the person of the Holy Spirit calling to me to let Him take charge but the flesh was feeling to good at the time....you know their is pleasure in sin for a season....but those seasons can be very short lived. I do want to say that there is good news in all this....God is a forgiving God and his mercies are new every morning. His compassions fail not. He is faith and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and he can piece situations back together that seem impossible.

Dear Sisters..I don't know what your struggles with your flesh are but I do know that they will overpower you as well if you are not allowing the person of the Holy Spirit to control you. I do know there is no peace or joy when that happens and I do know that whatever situation you are in...it will not be helped...only bring more hurt. So please, read these verses I posted, meditate on them, and pray for God to give you a heart that desires to yield to His power. The enemy is ALWAYS on the battlefield and pressing toward us. Help us stand in Christ and Christ alone!