Devotion #5: Not Knowing What We Don’t Know

“What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.” Romans 7:7-8 

We all have things we need to work on, right? We need to eat better, we need to spend less time on our phones, we need to be more present in our lives, we need to make more time for what is important, and we need to do so much more. 

So, what is the answer to all that “we need to-ing”? It is like a New Year’s resolution! Maybe it is just a resolution in general. We make decisions all of the time to “do better” or “be better” in a specific area. We are so very sincere in our desire, right? 

However, something happens to those decisions. They get harder to do! It is like as soon as we make a decision or a resolution, the decision to do it makes it even harder to accomplish. You are around more candy than you have been in months, your favorite sports team is vying for a championship and you have to know the score on your phone, your schedule is getting busier so you see less of your family, and on and on it goes. 

Paul talks about something like this in our passage for today. Before the Law was given by God, people did not know that sin was, well, sinful. People would go around and do whatever they wanted and think all was well. Once God gave the Law in the Old Testament, sin was given a definition by the only One that can give that definition. 

We didn’t know what we didn’t know. 

This is the same Paul that has been talking about the glorious salvation of Jesus in his letter to the Romans. He has spoken about how sin’s power had been broken by Jesus at the cross and that the free gift of God was eternal life through Jesus alone (Romans 6:23).  

We did not know that what we were doing was sinful until God told us. Once the Law was given, every single one of us was presented with a choice: follow God or follow what we wanted. The reality of the situation is that apart from Jesus, our nature is perpetually given over to disobedience and living for self. We would always choose sin. 

Where do you find yourself today? Where do you find it hard to overcome sin in your life? You must know that you cannot overcome on your own. You need a Savior. Knowing that what you are doing is wrong does not change you. It may bring guilt and shame, and you may feel bad, but it will not help you overcome.  

Jesus overcame. Jesus overcomes. Ask Him for strength. Lay down your sin before Him. Ask Him for forgiveness today. He will lead you to overcome.