15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

17 In that case, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law.

23 But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.

24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

— Romans 7:15, 17-18, 22-24

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

2 For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.

— Romans 8:1-2

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

When we recognize our brokenness, it’s not about feeling hopeless according to Paul’s understanding. It’s about opening our hearts to the One who can restore us. When we acknowledge our need for God, we create space for His grace to enter our lives just as a doctor must diagnose an illness before prescribing a cure. Paul’s message about sin isn’t meant to condemn. It’s meant to prepare us for the remedy of God‘s love and grace.

Have you ever tried to fix yourself only to find that something was still missing? Paul’s messages to Romans tells us that real healing comes from God‘s grace, not from our own efforts. Paul’s own frustrated exclamation — “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate”— also testifies man’s efforts does not save man at all. After diagnosing the universal problem of sin, Paul brings us to the heart of the gospel and justification by faith.