Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and He declared, “It is finished.” However the work He wanted us to do is unfinished. The work of sharing the gospel to the unheard. We love God without a doubt, but our desire to love others and lead them to the Lord is rather bleak. The reasons are many and I am going to highlight the issues from the words of Paul. There are two spirits at work – the human spirit and the Holy Spirit. I recall the words of the song Jekyll and Hyde by Petra. It goes like this –
I have this secret that I let nobody see
It's like a split personality
And the one I feed is the one who lives
The one I starve will be the one who gives
Sometimes I feel like Jekyll and Hyde
Two men are fighting a war inside
I am sure we too share the similar frustration like Paul as portrayed in the words of the song that was based on Romans 7:15. In that context, let us examine the passage in Romans 7:14-25:
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[d] a slave to the law of sin.
There are various problems that prevent us from sharing the gospel. I have enlisted four from the perspective of Paul.
1. I know what I am doing is wrong (v.16). This is a very bold confession; the reason for such boldness is he was aware that it was the sin that is in him that forces him to end up doing the wrong things. All of us are aware of the difference between that which is right and that which is wrong. So when we examine ourselves we can be sure that we only do what is wrong and the right is not in us. For example we love to get up early in the morning and pray, we set the alarm for 5 in the morning and the alarm promptly rings but we press the snooze button and feel within ourselves – God! You know me and my heart’s desire, pardon me let me sleep a little more. We know what we did is wrong, no one asked us to pray so early, we decided and we failed.
2. I know nothing good lives in me (v.18). Paul was point blank with this statement. You remember the young man who came to Jesus wanting follow Him, said, “Good Lord,” Jesus answered him saying there is no one good except the Father God. Paul was calling himself wretched and wicked man since there was nothing good living in him. If we look at our lives we can be true in saying nothing good lives in us because we are all the time under the influence of the world around us.
3. I inevitably do what is wrong (v.21). I unavoidably do things that are wrong. We sometimes become desensitized to things around us that we don’t even know what we are doing is wrong. We are no less than Paul, if a man who encountered God in such powerful manner be wailing with his heart for his inevitability then how much more we need to be struggling. This leads to the next strange problem.
4. I love God’s law with all my heart (v.22). A very positive aspect becoming a problem. The reason being simple we have the struggle to follow God’s law. We fail and feel bad when we are unable to practice what is read from the scripture. The disciples of Jesus once came to Him and said your principles are difficult to follow. A good one is – Jesus said if someone strikes you on one cheek, show the other too. A very strange teaching – isn’t it? The rule of Jesus was Love!
Well! With all these problems how can one overcome the situation? There is hope for us and we read that in Romans 7:25 – it says thanks be to God who delivers us through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are delivered from all the problems through Jesus’ finished work on the cross. This freedom does not stop here it continues that there is no condemnation in Jesus (Romans 8:1). If anyone is in Jesus he/she is never condemned because God protects them and provides them grace to move on. If this is the case then why do I have excuses? Let me give a checklist to see if we really follow Jesus or not…
Here it is!
Sinful Heart (Romans 8:7-8) Spirit-filled Heart (Romans 8:10-13)
1. Hostile to God – anything that is related to God does not make them excited and finds faults and excuses to avoid Godly perspective. Following God only during crisis. Convenience driven Christians.
2. Does not submit to God’s law – finds it hard to follow the Biblical principles and consider harder to live by. Jesus said – love your enemies, difficult to follow, isn’t it?
3. Cannot please God – not interested in anything pertaining to ministry or church. 1. Fond of God – keen to get involved in anything that pertains to ministry. This is the deepest concern to rescue people from hell and bring them to God than look for reward for the work done. Conviction driven Christians.
2. Obey God’s law – earnestly tries the best to live by the principles of scripture. The Spirit that raised Jesus from dead is the same Spirit that is at work within us. What a blessing!
3. Pleases God – is afraid not to displease God and so finds the best to see if they follow what the will of God is for their life. Live by pleasing Jesus!
This checklist must have given us the idea whether we have a sinful heart or a Spirit-filled heart, if we have a Spirit-filled heart then what does God expect us to do? He expects us to carry on with the unfinished task of proclaiming Jesus to the lost world.
We are compelled to Finish the Work:
Why are we compelled to finish the work? Are there any reasons? There are two powerful reasons that we are compelled (mind you! we are not requested to) do what God expects us to.
It took 6 days for God to create this magnificent universe and He found all of them to be good and on the 7th day He promptly took rest. Common sense tells me if He can say a word, the entire human race can be saved but why hasn’t He done that? The reasons are:
1. We are God’s children (Romans 8:15-16) – He has given us the Spirit of adoption to sonship and has given us the privilege to call Him, “Abba Father.” It is a basic ethic for the son/daughter to do what their father expects to do. I am reminded of my friend who has a varied interest in life than the work he holds. He qualified in zoology with me, then studied geography, geology, psychology and presently completed a degree in law and pursuing his masters in the field. Poor fellow never is he able to pursue his passion but is doing the passionate work of his father. His dad left him a printing press and he holds to it and follows his passion part time. The father is no more, he could have wound up the work but does not want to do it since he wants to be grateful to his dad for what he has made him to be today. Then as children of God how much more should we serve Him?
2. We are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17) – co-heirs is a fascinating aspect since we have in common legal heirs, who are legal heirs, people who have the right to take the property after the death of the one who holds it. Nevertheless, co-heirs are very different, they enjoy the privilege of the property or possession while the possessor of the property still holds it under his/her custody. They share it equally. I think this is a blessed privilege for us to be co-heirs with Christ enjoying that which we have not earned.
With the authority as children of God and the advantage of being co-heirs with Christ, it will be easy and we must accomplish the unfinished task. Therefore, let us decide deep in our hearts to serve God and finish the unfished work without any excuses. God bless you. Amen!
