Playing the Best

For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.

Romans 7:11

On a internet reality show I watched recently the main characters challenged two of the Harlem Globetrotters to a 2 on 2 game.  They were slaughtered.  Each time a point was scored they got up and tried again until the game eventually ended.  Had that game gone on for all of eternity the characters in the show would never have had a chance.  In Romans 7 Paul describes a similar situation.  His sin nature is the player that he could never beat, the Law is the game that he never could win.  In Romans 6 he realized that Christ had won this game for him, in Romans 7 the sin nature temps him back on the court.  And he loses, every time.  It isn't a flaw in the game (the Law) it is a flaw in the player.  The minute we step on "the court" (the Law) with our sin nature we lose.  No matter how good our intentions, no matter how strong our resolve.  Our only hope for salvation was to look to Jesus, our only hope to be saved from our Sinful Nature now is to keep our eyes firmly fixed on Him and the reality that He already won this game at the cross.