Paul’s Struggle

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The Bible is filled with stories of God’s greatest servants battling to overcome sin. In nearly every case, they had to learn difficult and sometimes very painful lessons. When examined collectively, Moses, Noah, David, Samuel, Peter, and many others are seen to have fought every kind of problem known to man.

Paul represents a classic example of how one of God’s greatest servants fought to overcome sin. At the end of his life, he was able to say that he had “fought the good fight,” and that he had “run his course” knowing that a “crown” awaited him. But this did not happen without much wrestling, pressing, running, fighting, and warring against his human nature.

Carefully read Romans 7:14-23. It will educate and encourage you that you are not alone on your path to overcoming Satan, society, and self—all of which lead to SIN!

Paul said, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal [physical, made of flesh], sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I” (Rom. 7:14-15). He continued, “for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would [do] I do not: but the evil which I would not [do], that I do” (Rom. 7:18-19).

It was as though whatever Paul did or did not want to do, his human nature, his flesh, caused him to do exactly the opposite!

Why?

God inspired him to record the answer for us: “I find then a law, that, when I would [try to] do good, evil is present with me.… But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin” (Rom. 7:21, 23). Paul went on to add that only through the power of Christ’s Mind in him was he able to overcome and obtain final victory in keeping the Law of God, instead of obeying the very real “law” of sin. Only in this way could Paul later say that he had “fought the good fight” and had “run his course” to victory.

Make no mistake. Christianity is all-out war! But it is a war that the Christian should expect to WIN!—as long as he continues to draw close to God to obtain strength for overcoming.

God looks on the intent of your heart. It is your overall desire and motivation that is important to Him. He wants to know if, after you sin, you are sorry for it and are always determined to strive to do better. He understands the temptations that beset us even better than we do. He watches to see if we will be sober and vigilant as we root sin out of our lives—and whether we will continually press on!

Setting the Goal

If the truth is becoming clear—really PLAIN—to you, set the goal of repentance, baptism, and the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit—the beginning of TRUE CONVERSION!

While you are preparing for conversion, focus on examining all the wrong habits and attitudes that you can. There are certain physical changes you can make before baptism. Understand. Conversion is entirely about changing, growing, overcoming—and developing the character of God.

Take each step carefully. Follow the timing that is right for you. Yet, do not unnecessarily delay, merely because you have not asked fervently or often enough for the “gift” of repentance (2 Tim. 2:25; Acts 11:18). Be careful that you do not follow the pattern of the world, falling into waiting for a magical feeling that “now is the time.”

During this period, take time to study all of my materials dealing with faith, conversion, baptism, your human potential, and the proofs of God’s existence, of His Word and of His Church.

Much—actually everything—is at stake for you if God is calling you now!

God’s Perfect Character

The all-powerful, great God, who made the heavens and the earth, also made you. The physical universe was merely created to reflect the glory of God, and to be a beautiful gift for mankind to see and enjoy.

You were created for an infinitely greater purpose. You were created to become like God in every aspect of your life. Remember, God is reproducing Himself in people—BUILDING SPIRITUAL CHARACTER in them!

Rarely anymore do people even talk about, or concern themselves with, the development of character—once called “virtue.” It seems that so few today understand much about it. Only through God’s revealed Word is the right definition of character described and understood. You saw that character is understanding—knowing—right from wrong and doing what is right instead of what is wrong! Remember, God reveals what is right—HOW TO LIVE. But righteous character is built through the power of free moral agency—deciding to DO what is right. Character chooses to do what is right instead of choosing to do what is wrong. It does not concern itself with what OTHERS say or do. It only concerns itself with what GOD says to do!

God is love. Love is the fulfilling of the law. It is outgoing, out flowing concern for others, putting them first—ahead of the interests of self.

Constantly remind yourself that to build the very character of God is the reason you were born!

Paul said that God’s Spirit reflects a “sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). Even on the human level, few people today any longer have much “common sense.” It seems harder than ever to remain balanced and stable, as pressures and stresses surrounding people cause them to do more things that are unsound, strange, and increasingly bizarre. God’s Spirit will lead you into stable, steady, sound ways of thinking (Phil. 4:8). It will help you see the things going on around you, and react to them in a godly manner. It will settle your understanding and lead you to make wise, right, and sound decisions in your everyday life.

Apply yourself! Push yourself to grow and overcome. Do not expect it to be easy, like “falling off a log.” Grow in knowledge. Once converted, recognize that you have been “chosen to be a soldier” and must sometimes “endure hardness,” as Paul wrote Timothy (2 Tim. 2:3-4). Breaking all your old habits will take time. After all, you have practiced—and, in a sense, even refined—them over a lifetime. Your habits have become part of you. They are “second nature.” However, remember that they are not the “divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4)—and far from it—that enters with the receiving of God’s Spirit at baptism and conversion.

If you are an adult, it took you fifteen to twenty years just to grow to a certain height. Christianity is no different! That is a long time. And it probably included many “growing pains.” You probably fell and skinned your knee or bloodied your nose many times before you reached adulthood. Christianity is no different! Do not become discouraged and quit growing, any more than a child should become discouraged and “quit life” simply because he may have fallen down or skinned a knee. When your child falls, you tell him to get up, because it is part of life. Christianity is no different!

Little children always want to grow up faster than life’s timetable allows. Though childhood is wonderful in so many ways, it seems that most young people cannot wait for adulthood. Christianity is no different! But full, mature Christian adulthood only comes after a long period of PRACTICING the right way of life.

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