Sometimes I am haunted by my “good” deeds. It’s because I feel really good about them and realize that often I am doing them because I enjoy the warm feeling I get that tells me God must be very happy with me and probably added another room on my mansion mentioned in John 14. My unease grows when I read Paul’s book of Romans and am confronted with his premise that all deeds done for the wrong reason are works of the flesh. My offerings, my Sabbath keeping, my helping little old ladies across the street are in the same category as stealing, murdering and lying. Paul reinforces the idea in I Corinthians 13 when he tells us even if we give our bodies to be burned it is worthless when done for the wrong reason.
My problem is I am so tainted with self I never do anything for selfless reasons. Paul understood. He didn’t want to be that way but was honest enough to recognize the truth about himself. That’s why he cries out at the end of Romans 7, “Who will deliver me from this body of death.” If he had concluded his letter at that point I would just give up and join him in despair. But, he didn’t stop. It wasn’t Paul who put in the chapter break at this point. That was done over a thousand years later. Chapter eight verse one rescues us from the pit of self. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
My hope, your hope, my assurance, your assurance is found in Jesus. He started our saving and He finishes our saving.
Ephesians 2. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”
Written by Roger Bothwell on February 3, 2011
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org