Struggling Under Sin’s Power

July 10, 2016 Background Scripture: Romans 3:1 – 20 Lesson Passage: Romans 3:9 – 20 It has been said that when it comes to an addiction, the most difficult step is to admit that one has a problem. I believe this same attitude applies to sin as well. It seems that few Christians, that I know, are willing to admit that sin has a power that an individual cannot overcome by one’s own might. The more we struggle against sin the more powerful it seemingly becomes. If we continue to live in a state of denial about the struggle, the more intense and difficult it becomes. There are times when it appears that being saved brings all of the spiritual forces of darkness against us. The resultant sin does not come without repercussions. Sin is against God and it will be judged and condemned. In the previous lesson, the Apostle Paul proved that all will be judged by God. Those with the law are not exempt because they have the law and yet continue to sin. Those without the law have the spirit of the law written in their hearts and therefore are also judged if they sin. The struggle against sin is universal and no one is exempt from the struggle or the consequences. The bottom line to this is that no one is seen as being in right standing with God on their own merit. There is only one solution to the dilemma but it is often overlooked because of a lack of understanding on the part of sinners. The basis of so many religious faiths stems out of this struggle to overcome sin and to be in right standing with the creator. In the depths of the most remote jungles where people have been found, religion is often a central part of their community. The religious rituals are interwoven within the fabric of those tribes. Over the years, some have practiced animal (and human) sacrifice as an act to appease God while others practiced dance and/or incantations as acts of worship. As far back as archeologists can determine, the remains of past civilizations have been unearthed and one of the common finds involves some form of religious order within the group. So we do understand that the struggle against sin is nothing new for humanity. Across the span of time we can observe the ongoing human struggle. Some sought group solutions through worship and others sought individual answers through self-denial and even self-mutilation. There are thousands of religious faiths today and even more have become extinct and yet man continues to seek his own solution to a universal problem that only God can solve. It appears that the more religious man seeks to become the more violent we become towards each other. History reflects how man has enslaved, tortured, mocked, and even killed others in a futile attempt to prove that one manmade religion is superior to another and ought to be accepted without question. One century’s terrorist group will become another century’s religiously oppressed. Over time, people pursue terrorist activity as an expression of their religious faith while proving through their actions that they have no knowledge or fear of God for whom their faith should be the object. We attempt to satisfy a law that cannot justify but only condemn. Such is the case when we struggle under sin’s power. Robert C. Hudson June 28, 2016