ESV Rom 7:7-25 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.” (8) But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. (9) I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. (10) The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. (11) For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. (12) So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. (13) Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. (14) For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. (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. (16) Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. (17) So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (18) For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. (19) For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. (20) Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (21) So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. (22) For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, (23) but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. (24) Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (25) Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate…. I know that my selfish desires won't let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot. Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong... With my whole heart I agree with the Law of God. But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me. So with my mind I serve the Law of God, although my selfish desires make me serve the law of sin. Rom.7:17-25 (CEV selctns)

The Good and bad news!

-   “You can be never good enough!” 

“Good teacher….

          “Why do you call me good, no one is good, but God alone”

Trying to be good!

What do you do when you can't?

      “Oh wretched one that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?” v24

In most areas of life - Perfection is neither expected nor required

But not when it comes to God!

“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” – Isaiah 59:2

“For the wages of sin is death” Rom.3:23

‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels...  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Mat 25:41, 46           PAUSE

When it comes to God - We have a problem!

And yet…

Paul responds “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”   

While God requires perfection - he knows we can't reach it and so sends Jesus!

Rom.3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. (Rom 3:24)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Rom 8:1-2)

We can never, ever, be good enough!, but because of Jesus – God looks at us, loves us and acts to restore us into right relationship with Himself.

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” – Isaiah 1:18

Incomplete, unforgiven and imperfect

But through Jesus this all changes!

Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, no idolaters, or thieves, or the greedy, No drunkards, verbally abusive, or swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

(1Co 6:9-11)

Not being “good enough” matters. 

But with God - he acts to make it right.

Make us his much loved and cherished child

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.(Zep 3:17)

Luke 15

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love… He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. (Psa 103:8-13

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION

1.    When do you struggle with not being good enough? How do you respond to this pressure?

2.    What expectations are there in our society to be good enough? 

3.    Do you feel good enough for God? Why or Why not? Why is it important for you?

4.    The Bible makes it clear we are not and never can be good enough. Is this good news or bad news? Why?

Jesus came because God knew we could never be good enough, but He still wanted to restore our relationship with Himself? So what does it mean for you that God now looks at you through Jesus? One imperfect but now perfect?