Unashamed Reading Plan
Check out all the previous Unashamed readings here.
Unashamed Reading Plan | Week 7 | Day 1
Prayer
As you come to spend time with Jesus, calm your mind and body until you feel fully present. Ask Him to teach you more about Himself today.
Bible Reading: Romans 7:7-13
Read these verses three times slowly.
What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not!Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me,and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
Reflection & Questions
By Heather Lee
Have you heard someone say, “Some rules are meant to be broken”? You might have experienced this feeling or heard it from someone else. The truth is, deep down, we are all rule-breakers by nature; we all have sin in us, which is in direct opposition to God and His commands.
In Romans 7, Paul explains that sin tricks us by using the law to lead us away from what is right. Sin makes us think that it’s okay to break the rules sometimes. The law is good because it shows us what is wrong, but sin twists this knowledge to create more rebellion in us. This rebellion drives us to justify our actions, ignore the real problem, and act on our feelings out of our sinful nature. This is where Jesus comes in. He offers us forgiveness for our sin and freedom from the cycle of rebellion and deception of sin.
- How have you noticed sin tricking you into thinking it’s okay to break the rules or justify your actions, even when you know better?
- What would it look like to fully surrender your life to follow God’s commands and resist the deceit of sin?
Prayer
Pray in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Bible Reading: Romans 7:11-13
Read these verses three times slowly.
For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
Reflection & Questions
Sin can be really sneaky, trying hard to convince us that some rules are meant to be broken. Deep down inside, we are all rule-breakers by nature. We all have sin inside us which is completely the opposite of God and His commands.
In Romans 7, Paul explains that sin tricks us by using the law to lead us away from what is right. Sin makes us think that it’s okay to break the rules sometimes. The law – God’s commandments, are good because it shows us what is wrong and sinful. Then sin comes along and twists our understanding of the law, making us think: “Is it really so bad if I do it this way?” Then we start to make excuses as to why we broke the rules, we end up ignoring the real problem, and then act on our feelings – the things that make us happy (which is really our sinful nature inside of us).
This is where Jesus comes in. He offers us forgiveness for our sins and opens up our eyes to where we have allowed sin to trick us so we can watch out for it in the future!
- Can you think of a rule that you would consider breaking because, “it’s really not that big of a deal?” What do you think you should ACTUALLY do with that rule?
Pray
Ask Jesus if there is a rule that you have been ignoring and ask Him to show it to you so that you can ask for forgiveness. Then ask the Holy Spirit to help you follow the rules as you are supposed to.
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
