WRETCHED MAN
CHRISTIANITY OASIS HAS PROVIDED YOU WITH THIS WRETCHED MAN STUDY. MANY HAVE HEARD OF THE PHRASE WRETCHED MAN BUT MOST ARE NOT AWARE OF WHAT THE PHRASE WRETCHED MAN MEANS. LET US SEEK AND FIND THE TRUTH OF THE WRETCHED MAN WITHIN US ALL, SHALL WE?

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER 7
 

          Glad you’re back to share some more Daily Bread. You’re gonna find that the more you read Paul’s writings, and the more you get to know his character, you’ll relate to him so clearly that you can actually feel his soul talk with you.

          Now, in this chapter, Paul starts out by talking about the law, and using an example of marriage.

Don’t you know, brethren,

(for I speak to them that know the law,)

how the law is in force over a man as long as he lives?

For the woman which has an husband

is bound by the law to her husband so long as he lives;

but if the husband be dead,

she is loosed from the law concerning her husband.

So then if, while her husband lives,

she be married to another man,

she shall be called an adulteress:

but if her husband be dead,

she is free from that law;

so that she is no adulteress,

though she be married to another man.
 

Relax now, all of you who are divorced.

LET'S SEEK THE TRUTH TOGETHER
 

          Let's go back in time a bit shall we? Back when the Pharisees brought up the marriage topic to Jesus. They came to tempt Jesus and asked, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?  Jesus answered, Haven't you read, in the beginning, God made male and female, and said, For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife:  and they two shall be one flesh?  Then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  What God has joined together, let not man separate. 

            The Pharisees debated with Jesus and said "Then why did Moses command to give a writing of divorcement and send her away?"  Jesus said, Because of the callous nature of your heart, Moses wrote this ruling. (Because the people changed the natural order of marriage) But from the beginning it was not so.  And I say to you, whoever sends his wife away, unless it was for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman who has been sent away commits adultery.

JESUS ALSO SAID ...
 
MT 19:11 All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
           

 JESUS IS SAYING ALL LAWS DO NOT APPLY
TO ALL SITUATIONS

         Let's seek the TRUTH in scripture. In fact, Paul wrote this as well. It reveals in (1 Corinthians Chapter 7 versus 12-17) ... That if a woman has a husband who is not a believer, and the man wants her to stay, let her not leave him because the husband is sanctified by the wife's belief. This is because when two marry (In God's eyes) they become ONE. This sanctification includes your children. This statement was made by Paul. In verse 12 he shares that this is his opinion, NOT the Lord's command. Many Religious leaders like to use this "ruling" to keep women in abusive relationships only to have the relationship end in bitterness and even death ... The Word also says that what God brought together, let no man put asunder. However, that brings up the question of God honoring every marriage license the local leaders are willing to make a lil money on.

          In particular in today's society where most go from hello to I do before establishing a foundation in friendship. Some marry out of CON-venience, lust, trying to get away from home, etc. ... The obvious result is division by divorce as it was not to be in the first place. Is it not God's will to have them apart as they were not meant to be married and made a poor choice? Is God then divided against Himself because He wants Love to be FOREVER? God forbid. It is mankind's use of marriage that has brought on the divisions and variations of judgment. TRUE marriage is the union of two minds, hearts and souls and they become ONE in LOVE. Whether God deems a specific marriage REAL becomes THE question to ponder. 

           I want to take this opportunity to say that this is NOT a passport to get out of a marriage so you can get a new man or woman. God Forbid ... But rather the TRUTH for those who it applies to. If you WERE married in LOVE and in God's eyes and you have become worldly and just want a way out so you can go an follow the trends of today like cattle to the slaughter, this is not applicable. If the shoe fits ... Slap that rascal on Cinderella. If it does not, it is not wise to try to apply it as the results will not be the same. He who hath wisdom, hear this TRUTH. MT 19:11 All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given ...  ALL LAWS DO NOT APPLY TO ALL SITUATIONS.

       The TRUTH my friend is that ONLY the Lord knows the TRUTH of your situation. Obviously, He wants what is best for you, so you must find out from HIM what it is that you are to do. Religious leaders, Friends, Family, Paul and I can share our opinions but ONLY GOD can discern the TRUTH of this particular matter and guide you down the right path. Ask HIM to reveal the TRUTH to you. Ask Him to show you HIS Will. Ask in Jesus' name ... Pray without ceasing. TRUST in HIM. 

          If you have already divorced, do not sit around and judge yourself or let others judge ya ... That is God's job and He believes in Mercy, forgiveness and Grace. What can your worry and doubt do but cause problems for you? Let go and let God.

          Take a look at Paul, himself. This is a man who used to beat Christians and drag them to prison for believing in Jesus, and this same man became the Lord’s Apostle to the Gentiles. Do you think that if someone gets a divorce, that the Lord will not use them, and they’re doomed? Don’t get me wrong, God doesn’t like divorce, but he doesn’t like covetousness either and each of us do that every day of our lives. It’s even in the big 10 (commandments) yet you don’t worry about your salvation each day when you do that. Why is it easier to accept God’s Grace for one sin over another? Just something to ponder about.

 Now, let’s get back to what Paul was saying.

For this reason, my brethren,

you also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ;

that you should be married to another (Jesus),

That is, Him who is raised from the dead,

that we should bring forth fruit to serve God.

For when we were in the flesh (before you were spiritually reborn),

the desires of sins, which were by the law,

worked in our bodies to bring forth fruit to serve death.

But now we’re released from the law,

that being dead in which we were held;

that we should serve in newness of spirit,

and not in the oldness of the letter.

          Have you ever looked at things that way before? Whether you’re a man or a woman, married or not, you have become dead to the law so that you can be married to Jesus and serve God. Pretty cool, huh?

           Be careful now. Nobody said anything about carousing around or that you’re released from a righteous living by saying this. It doesn’t give anyone excuse or reason to divorce, or to condemn themselves or anyone else for divorce. The newness of spirit is the cool part, that’s all. I’m going to repeat the last verse, because I think after reading it again, you’ll be a little more understanding of it now, and then we’ll move right along with Paul’s letter.

But now we’re released from the law,

that being dead in which we were held;

that we should serve in newness of spirit,

and not in the oldness of the letter.

What shall we say then? Is the law sin?

By no means.

No, I wouldn’t have known sin, if it wasn’t for the law:

for I wouldn’t have known covetousness, if the law hadn’t said,

Thou shalt not covet.

But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment,

brought about in me all manner of desire.

For without the law sin was dead.

For I was alive without the law once:

but when the commandment (law) came,

sin revived, and I died.

And the commandment (law),

which was appointed to life,

I found to be unto (serving) death.

For sin, taking opportunity by the law,

deceived me, and slew me.

Therefore, the law is holy,

and the commandment is holy, and just, and good.

          Sooooo, let’s see if we’ve got this straight. The law is holy and the commandment is holy and just and good, but sin uses the law to deceive people. Don’t get this confused by thinking that Paul is saying that the law is to blame, but rather, sin is to blame, for abusing the law to deceive and bring death.

Was the law then, which is good, made death unto me?

By not means.

But sin, that it might appear sin,

was producing death in me by that which is good;

so that sin by the law might become exceeding sinful.

          Okay, this gets kind of complicated but let’s look at this closely. How could satan make sin even more sinful? By using something holy to deceivingly bring evil to people.

For we know that the law is spiritual:

but I am carnal (human, fleshly), sold under sin.

          This is an interesting phrase that Paul uses “sold under sin”. It means that we as humans, inherited sin, because Adam and Eve sold their purity for it. We inherently do it. Now, I encourage you to read the next part ever so slowly, because Paul explains this so well, that you may just be speechless when you’re through reading it. I’m gonna add some commas here and there to make it easier to understand and use some more modern language, but some of the wording, you’ll find that if you read it word for word from your Bible, if you know how to interpret some of the words, is just brilliant. Here goes.

The things which I do,

I allow not (I don’t approve of):

but what I want to do,

that, I do not do;

but what I hate,

that is what I do.

If then, I do that which I don’t want to do,

I agree with the law that it is good.

Now then, it is not really I that do it,

but sin that lives within me.

For I know that in me

(that is, in my flesh,)

lives no good thing:

Genesis 6:5

for to want to do good, is within me;

but how to perform that which is good,

I cannot figure out.

For the good that I want to do,

I do not do:

but the evil which I don’t want to do,

that is what I do.

Now if I do what I don’t want to do,

it is not really I that do it,

but sin that lives within me.

So then, I find a law (in my body),

that, when I want to do good, evil comes calling.

For I delight in the law of God in my mind,

but I see another law in my body,

warring against the law of my mind,

and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my body.

O wretched (miserable) man that I am!

Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So then with the mind,

I myself serve the law of God;

but with the flesh, the law of sin.

          Friends, you’ve just got to suppose that Paul went through a whole lot of papyrus (what they used to write on) trying to word that stuff just right, because it’s something that we all feel, often, and yet we think that nobody understands us because we’re that way. When really, everyone is that way, they just don’t know how to explain it either.

          Next time you’re beating yourself up and saying in your mind, Why did I do that!? You can recall what Paul said, O wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this misery? And then, remember the answer that he answered himself with. I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

          Remember at the beginning of today’s study I said you would feel like Paul's Soul was talking to ya? Do you believe me now? Come on back soon, and we’ll get even more acquainted with Paul as we continue through his letter to the Romans, right here at Daily Bread.