In my small group studying Romans, we grappled with Chapter 7, where the Apostle Paul describes his struggle with sin.  He switches from past tense to present tense and launches into a confession: “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. …I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.”

Could this amazing, Godly man be talking about his life as a believer? Or is the confession actually describing his past life as a nonbeliever? Commentators disagree on this point. It does seem that as a believer, he should have access to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and be able to handily conquer his sin, not be skewered by it.

Nine women pondered the matter and looked inside themselves. Do we Christians have times when sin leads us?  Yes, we agreed. The struggle is real.

L. described the Christian life as like being in a football game. You make the plays, you lose some of them. You don’t know exactly how the game is going to play out. But one thing you do know: you are going to win. Victory is assured, thanks be to God.