Paul's Conundrum

 

Thursday, June 30, 2022

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.  I love God’s law with all my heart.  But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind.  This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.  Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?  Thank God!  The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.  So you see how it is:  In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.  Romans 7:21-25

One of the dictionary definitions for the word conundrum is a riddle, or a question asked for amusement, typically one with a pun in its answer.  A second definition is:  a confusing and difficult problem or question.  Paul’s conundrum has none of the first definition; there’s little humor in struggling with sin, doing the one thing you hate most, and not doing what you really want to do, because it is the nature of darkness drawing you to it, with all the power of Hell behind it.  Paul’s conundrum is the second type, a confusing and difficult problem, and the question behind it…why can’t I do better than this?  In short, it’s a living Hell.

Paul’s conundrum is ours.  Somewhere between the cradle and adulthood, most everyone with a reasonable grip on reality begins to understand this most awkward of life’s realities:  you know you were created for better than what you do…and you also know you can’t help yourself.  It’s like that with the chocolate-covered Payday bar that has been sitting on my desk since my birthday three days ago, that I do not want to eat, yet I want to eat it more than take my next breath. 

If I had any sense (about my weight and health) I might be able to take one bite and put the balance in the fridge for next week’s bite.  It would last a month or six weeks, and I’d need that long to burn off the extra sugar thinking about doing some exercise…which is another thing tied to Paul’s conundrum.  (But I digress)

Paul’s condition (that which led him to label himself the worst of all sinners[1]) is, an unanswerable riddle, a plague in the life of everyone in Adam’s lineage.  Paul agonized over his desire to do good, and the eventual result of messing up…again, and again!  And, if you can say with a straight face that you’ve never encountered that in your personal experience, you haven’t lived long enough, sinned big enough, or honestly come face to face with reality of the human condition.  Hang around a little longer, think a little deeper, and keep your eyes open.  You will see the DNA of your personal goodness come untangled at some point.

The good news of Paul’s (and our) condition is, when you ask the same question, Who will deliver me from this hell…there is, and always has been (in the heart and lovingkindness of God’s plan) an answer for any who are willing to bend a knee.  The answer is Jesus Christ; he will BE the power that overcomes sin for you, because He knows you cannot do it by yourself.

For You Today

If you haven’t bumped into this question/conundrum, you either haven’t been honest, or you’ve not been listening.  It’s there, and it is related to whatever troubling behavior, and nagging guilt exists in the back of your mind.  And God has provided the only remedy for what ails you:

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.               1 John 1:9

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

For other posts on this topic:  Impossible and Free Will

[1] Images:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

---

[1] This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.  1 Timothy 1:15

Now, But Not Yet

[1]

Monday, December 17, 2018

In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.

The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all.

The cow will graze near the bear.  The cub and the calf will lie down together.

The lion will eat hay like a cow.  The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.
Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.

Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea,
so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.  Isaiah 11:6-9(NLT)

One of the most difficult concepts to wrap my mind around has always been the calling upon the Christian’s life to accept the Now, but Not Yet reality of Kingdom peace.  Peace is a reality now, but will not be accomplished (in the sense that God banishes everything which is not peace), until the not yet part is over; but we are to work towards it, even now. 

That’s like telling me to enjoy my ice cream even though I can’t have it until tomorrow!  While that goes against the typical instant gratification instinct of babies, mature believers have worked through that paradoxical impasse and live in the mystery of now, but not yet.  Though we may not see genuine, lasting, and total peace in this lifetime, we can live-into that quality of peace in Jesus Christ, because the Holy Spirit gives us Jesus’ promise:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7(NLT)

One thing I have learned about this promise of God’s peace is that it is true, and doesn’t depend upon the circumstances, even if the circumstances scream the total opposite!

My bride is a highly competent administrator.  She has worked with many pastors and denominational leaders assisting ministry in a number of settings.  Once she worked with a most difficult denominational assistant director whose personality bordered on Atilla the Hun.  He was Napoleon and General Patton rolled-up in one nifty, order-spewing package.  He called her from his car one day to read Elizabeth the riot act for the way she had handled some task.  In the middle of his tirade my sweet wife spoke up; she said:  I’m sorry; how can I make it right?  The phone went silent for longer than a few seconds, and when the boss next spoke his whole demeanor had transformed into a calm and rational co-laborer.  He never barked at her again.

Now that kind of makes you believe what Scripture declares:

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.  Proverbs 15:1(NLT)

For You Today

When believers are willing to overlook the world’s lack of peace, and live-into their Master’s promises, wonderful things can happen in the Now, but Not Yet department!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

Go to VIDEO

---

[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com