“I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.” (Romans 7:18)
But through Jesus we crucify the flesh and walk in the Spirit!
Paul does not have much to say about himself. If it is up to him, not much will come off it. He does not have the strength to live a good life. He doesn’t mean that as a private confession, but as a description of our human situation. If it is up to us, our good intentions are overwhelmed by the tendency to sin, which every time raises again.
The good news is: it is not up to us! We receive what we need from God. After describing his shortcomings, Paulus asks himself the following question: how should it continue? And then he breaks out in praise. Thank you, God! Through Jesus we receive the Holy Spirit. And through the Spirit we live according to God’s will and not according to our own.
At times we tend to see the Holy Spirit as the cherry on the cake of our life. But God says: the cake is rotten. You will receive a new one. Only then the celebration starts.
How did the Holy Spirit renewed your life?