Knowing Right but Doing Wrong
November 11, 2025
Pastor Mike
We've all been there—knowing exactly what we should do, yet finding ourselves doing the opposite. Romans 7 takes us into the raw, vulnerable confession of Paul as he wrestles with this very struggle. This passage isn't just ancient theology; it's a mirror reflecting our daily battles. Paul uses the powerful analogy of marriage vows—'till death do us part'—to show how Christ's death freed us from the law's binding grip. We're no longer slaves to sin's rulebook, yet the tension remains real. The law itself isn't the problem; it's holy and good, revealing sin for what it truly is. Paul zeroes in on coveting—that internal sin that exposes our deepest desires—showing how prohibition often fuels desire. Here's the profound truth: knowledge alone doesn't change us. Self-determination fails. Even becoming a Christian doesn't make us immune to temptation. But here's the hope—Christ is our only source of victory. Like a swimmer fighting upstream, we face a constant current, but the power within us through the Holy Spirit is greater than any force against us. This passage reminds us we're not alone in this struggle, and our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
Episode Notes
5-Day Bible Reading Plan
Day 1: Released from the Law
Reading: Romans 7:1-6
Devotional:
Marriage vows bind two people together until death separates them. Paul uses this powerful image to help us understand our relationship with God's law. Before Christ, we were married to the law—bound to its demands yet unable to fulfill them.
Through Christ's death and resurrection, we died to that old relationship and were freed to belong to Him. This isn't just theological theory; it's personal liberation. Today, reflect on what it means that you no longer serve a list of rules but serve in the newness of the Spirit.
Where in your life are you still trying to earn God's favor through rule-keeping rather than resting in the freedom Christ purchased? Let His grace transform your service from obligation to joyful devotion.
Through Christ's death and resurrection, we died to that old relationship and were freed to belong to Him. This isn't just theological theory; it's personal liberation. Today, reflect on what it means that you no longer serve a list of rules but serve in the newness of the Spirit.
Where in your life are you still trying to earn God's favor through rule-keeping rather than resting in the freedom Christ purchased? Let His grace transform your service from obligation to joyful devotion.
Day 2: The Purpose of God's Law
Reading: Romans 7:7-13; Exodus 20:1-17
Devotional:
The law wasn't given to save us—it was given to show us we need saving. Paul focuses on the tenth commandment about coveting because it exposes our inner nature. We can refrain from outward sins while our hearts rage with desire for what we shouldn't have.
The law is like a mirror, reflecting our true condition. It's holy, righteous, and good, yet it reveals how unholy, unrighteous, and flawed we are. This isn't the law's failure; it's its purpose.
Today, don't run from the mirror. Let God's standards expose where you fall short, not to condemn you, but to drive you deeper into dependence on Christ. Confession isn't defeat—it's the pathway to experiencing His sufficient grace.
The law is like a mirror, reflecting our true condition. It's holy, righteous, and good, yet it reveals how unholy, unrighteous, and flawed we are. This isn't the law's failure; it's its purpose.
Today, don't run from the mirror. Let God's standards expose where you fall short, not to condemn you, but to drive you deeper into dependence on Christ. Confession isn't defeat—it's the pathway to experiencing His sufficient grace.
Day 3: The Inner Struggle
Reading: Romans 7:14-20; Galatians 5:16-26
Devotional:
"I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing that I hate." If the great Apostle Paul experienced this frustration, we shouldn't be surprised when we do too. There's a war raging inside every believer—the old nature pulling toward sin, the new nature desiring righteousness.
Knowledge alone won't win this battle. Good intentions aren't enough. Self-determination will fail. This honest confession isn't meant to discourage us but to point us toward the only solution: the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, identify one area where you repeatedly fall short despite good intentions.
Stop trying to defeat it through willpower alone. Invite the Holy Spirit to fight this battle with you, through you, and for you.
Knowledge alone won't win this battle. Good intentions aren't enough. Self-determination will fail. This honest confession isn't meant to discourage us but to point us toward the only solution: the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, identify one area where you repeatedly fall short despite good intentions.
Stop trying to defeat it through willpower alone. Invite the Holy Spirit to fight this battle with you, through you, and for you.
Day 4: Wretched Man That I Am
Reading: Romans 7:21-25; Psalm 1
Devotional:
"Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Paul's anguished cry echoes through the centuries, resonating in every honest heart. Evil lies close at hand, even when we want to do right.
The current of sin is always against us. But Paul doesn't end in despair—he erupts in thanksgiving: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Victory isn't found in trying harder but in trusting deeper.
The swimmer doesn't defeat the river's current through strength alone but by relying on something greater than the current itself. Today, stop exhausting yourself swimming upstream in your own power.
Cry out like Paul did, then rest in the same answer he received: Jesus Christ is your deliverer.
The current of sin is always against us. But Paul doesn't end in despair—he erupts in thanksgiving: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Victory isn't found in trying harder but in trusting deeper.
The swimmer doesn't defeat the river's current through strength alone but by relying on something greater than the current itself. Today, stop exhausting yourself swimming upstream in your own power.
Cry out like Paul did, then rest in the same answer he received: Jesus Christ is your deliverer.
Day 5: Standing on the Solid Rock
Reading: 1 John 4:1-6; Matthew 7:24-27
Devotional:
"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." Every other foundation will eventually crumble. Our good works, our religious activities, our moral efforts—all are shifting sand.
But Christ is the solid rock that cannot be moved. The battle is real, the tension continues, but the victory is secure because "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
When the final trumpet sounds, we won't stand before God dressed in our own righteousness—we'll be clothed in His. Today, examine where you're building your hope. Is it on your performance or His perfection? Transfer your trust fully to Christ alone, and stand confident that His grace is sufficient for every weakness you face.
But Christ is the solid rock that cannot be moved. The battle is real, the tension continues, but the victory is secure because "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
When the final trumpet sounds, we won't stand before God dressed in our own righteousness—we'll be clothed in His. Today, examine where you're building your hope. Is it on your performance or His perfection? Transfer your trust fully to Christ alone, and stand confident that His grace is sufficient for every weakness you face.
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