Dilemma Resolved
Transitioning from the spiritual high of Easter Sunday back into the reality of life is weirdly difficult for me. I often find myself thinking “now what?”. The obvious answer is to continue pursuing Jesus and the life He has called each of us into! But for many folks, that may be jumping right back into the monotonous, ruts of life.
For me, this can prove difficult. I am a planner and a schedule maker. I don’t really write out a daily schedule or map out my every move on a calendar. But I do have one in my mind, sort of a daily mental checklist. I also have a pretty good idea of how much time each “task” should take me. So, if I am not careful I can let myself get so bogged down in “doing things” that I forget where my focus should be - on Jesus!
I have wondered if Paul didn’t struggle with something similar. What was he talking about at the end of Romans 7? What continual sin-fight was Paul waging? I have no idea what Paul battled daily. But it is comforting to know, I am not the only one that struggles.
A thought from Brennan Manning’s “The Ragamuffin Gospel” has been rattling around in my head for several days now. “The saved sinner is prostrate in adoration, lost in wonder and praise. He knows repentance is not what we do in order to earn forgiveness; it is what we do because we have been forgiven. It serves as an expression of gratitude rather than an effort to earn forgiveness.”
Fortunately, Paul did not stop writing his letter to the christians in Rome with chapter 7. His transition into chapter 8 is brimming with hope and life! “With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of tyranny at the hands of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2 MSG)
Because the fateful dilemma is resolved I have been set free. Because I have been set free, forgiven, I will continually thank God! Not because I have to check something off of a list, but because I am full of wonder and praise! The tomb IS empty so we, you and I, can live life to the fullest in Jesus! I choose to chase after Jesus, because I have been forgiven!