Pastoral Devotion for February – Who Will Deliver Me?

Read Romans 7:7-25

Everyone has bad habits. Those things we do subconsciously and don’t realize it until it’s done. Then there are those bad habits that, as we strive to refrain from doing them, the temptation becomes too great, and we surrender. We all suffer from such inclinations. Everyone falls into the pit of their own personal bad habits because we are all sinners in need of redemption.

In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul puts it plainly for everyone to see. Because of sin, we continue to fall short of God’s expectation for us. We want to follow God’s commandments, but our sinful flesh is weak and so the evil deeds we do not want to do are all too often the exact thing we do. The desires of our flesh wage war against our desire to please God. So often is the case, the flesh wins, wretched people that we are.

Paul also makes it clear that, even as we are captive to sin, we have a champion. Christ has put sin to death once and for all.

Because Christ prevailed over sin, death, and the power of the devil, those who repent and turn to God for forgiveness will be saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: O God, give me strength to withstand temptation, forgive my sin, and keep me in your grace.
Amen.