His disciples said to him,
"If that is the case of a man with his wife,
it is better not to marry."
God is calling us to a life which is humanly speaking impossible. We should remember that without grace it is impossible to live up to the calling of God, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (see Romans 3:23).
Facing such a challenge we have no alternative but to reach out to God for help.
Because they cried out to the LORD
he put darkness between your people and the Egyptians,
upon whom he brought the sea so that it engulfed them.
This is what the law teaches. Apart from grace it points toward the need for grace. It condemns, but so that we might seek life.
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (see Romans 7:24-25).
It is good to remember our dependence on the LORD. We are meant to live victoriously, but our victory is never from our own strength or abilities, "not your sword or your bow." Rather, "God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do" (see Romans 8:3). We need to remember this. The reason is not so that we feel bad about our condition but so that we feel thankful for God's great gift of mercy and so that we remember to continue to depend on him rather than reverting to doing things on our own. We are meant not only to enter this land of victory by God's help, but to continue to live by his gifts even after we arrive.
"I gave you a land that you had not tilled
and cities that you had not built, to dwell in;
you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves
which you did not plant."
The fruit of the Spirit is available to us. We don't need to plant anything else. Let us receive the gifts the LORD gives us with thankful hearts. Let us live as the new creations we are intended to be.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever;
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his mercy endures forever;
Give thanks to the LORD of lords,
for his mercy endures forever.
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