I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Romans 4-7.

    Today’s passage starts with Paul giving evidence to support his claim that salvation comes through faith. He shows how Abraham was declared righteous before he did any of the things to which his faith inspired him. Paul’s example goes further because, as I just said, Paul points out that Abraham was inspired by his faith to do good works. However, it was not those works which made Abraham right with God. Rather, those works resulted from Abraham being made right with God by his faith. The same thing applies to us today. We are made right with God by our faith. Being made right with God results in us doing good works.
    From there Paul goes on to tell us that this saving faith will bring us joy, even in the face of the difficulties of this life and the persecution which our faith will bring us. These trials and tribulations will increase our endurance, our ability to withstand trouble. Learning to endure unpleasant experiences builds our character, makes us better people. As our character grows our hope in Christ is strengthened. While many people will belittle us for this hope, we know that God loves us and will bring that hope to fruition.

    Paul goes on to show us that sin highlights how wonderful God’s grace is. However, that grace does not excuse us to continue living in sin. More importantly, if we truly understand God’s love and grace we will desire to take advantage of the opportunity which God has given us to escape sin. Through God’s grace, we died with Christ. That death freed us from our bondage to sin and we have been raised from the dead with Christ to a new life, free from sin. As Paul points out a little later, being free from sin does not mean that we are without sin. We will continue to struggle with sin as long as we are in this world. However, we should desire NOT to sin. Paul sums up our situation in this world thus:

I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

As we strive to allow the Holy Spirit to control our thoughts and our actions, He will free us from the control by our sinful natures. The necessary step in this process is to want to do what is right and good and to want to not do what what is wrong. From that starting point the Holy Spirit can transform us into new creations.