Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

I Desire to do Good?

Rom.7:20 But if what I don't desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. 7:21 I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present.

What can be more disappointing then when we fail at something and don't measure up to our own standards? We can really be hard on ourselves because we don't tolerate it in others, why would we tolerated in ourselves? Sometimes it just happens and it can be really devastating for us, it take us aback, where we doubt ourselves!

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

We all have a conscience developed by many experiences throughout our lives, we learn to be a good employee, and honest person, where our word means something to family and friends, and so on. . . We don't need someone to tells us to do the right thing that is something we must do because that is what we are; our standards dictate us to do what is correct.

Romans 2:15 in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them.

But my friend this is not what the apostles Paul was speaking to here in Roman's Chapter Seven, he was not speaking to a personal court of law in us, where we hold our feet to the fire and become offend when someone question are commitment to doing what is right. No! Such standards of right and wrong are highly personal to us and we can easily take offense when people assume they know us?

James 1:16 Don't be deceived, my beloved brothers.
1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow. 1:18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 1:19 So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; 1:20 for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God.

Paul speaks to a much higher court of law, which we may assume we want to keep because we are a good person one that does not let ourselves off the hook when failing short of our standards. Paul instead speaks to a perfect law, a law so perfect that only a perfect man could keep it. A perfect man like Adam was before sinning, a perfect man like Christ who was without sin. Yes, a perfect standard written on paper of do's and don't that we human that have our own standards of right and wrong can measure ourselves against.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, "There is no one righteous; no, not one.

We may become highly offended when we will not steal, and some one suggest we could steal because they don't know anything about us? But we cannot become highly offended when God's law tells us as sinner we cannot keep his law!

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.

Romans 2:13 For it isn't the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified

We cannot have two incompatible things measure against one another by the same standards, it is impossible. We cannot measure a fish against a cat, and than become offended because we love our fish! But such should not be the case when it comes to God's law. God's own people Israel became highly offended over Christ telling them they could not measure up to perfect law of God, that is, having no sin while being a sinner. But why all the offense inciting them to kill the Son of God?

Romans 10:19 But I ask, didn't Israel know? First Moses says, "I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation, with a nation void of understanding I will make you angry."{Deuteronomy 32:31}

Romans 11:11 I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.

It is the same reason Christian's become highly offended over someone telling them they cannot keep the law of God because they to our sinners. It is because they hold court in themselves for not stealing, committing adultery, being a honest person, they honestly believe because they feel so strongly about what God says is righteous they are keeping the law, and are justified by their own actions, that is, lets be clear about this terminology, their own righteousness against such unclean acts. Yes, they have become self-righteous by their own good action towards God's laws. They mix their strong feelings of righteousness into a perfect law for non-sinners which they cannot keep as a sinner!

Matthew 7:1 "Don't judge, so that you won't be judged. 7:2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.

James 4:11 Don't speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Moreover, because they have a love for righteousness they assume their desires complete the law for them. But not the apostle Paul, he measure himself against Christ whom completed the law and Paul came up far short of God's glory from that of a sinless man, Christ Jesus. The truth was stunning, how could nothing good dwell in Paul who's desires at one point to keep and obey God's righteous laws so much that he murder Christ followers as unclean apostates from the law?

Acts 8:3 But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison.

Acts 9:1 But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,

Acts 9:4 He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

How could Paul lay down his power of self to be told by weak and beggarly Christian's teachers that he was not a righteous man by his own actions in obeying the commandments? Paul although a brilliant teacher in all Israel had forgotten the very purpose of the altar of God, and the blood of lamb. Paul could not be justified by his own actions under the law, the blood was the justification proving Paul like all other were, sinner law breakers.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way.

1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.

Now how on God's earth had he assumed he was Christ, a perfect man without sin giving him the right to judge sinners? He felt his offense towards unrighteousness thinking he had greater privilege under the blood upon the altar. But he was sadly mistaken God is not partial having better and worst sins as human do and practice.

John 8:15 You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one.

John 8:16 Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me.

John 12:47 If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn't believe, I don't judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

God did not ask Paul to be his own king, his own judge under the law. God was the King and lawgiver, and he made no bones that none could keep his righteous law for non-sinner without blood, his own mercy in offering innocent life for payment of sin. How could a haughty man accept the blood upon the altar? It was impossible! Who deserves the life of another, who could demand such a thing for personal righteousness when the law declared all of us sinner as unrighteous?

James 4:12 Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another?

Paul had been badly deceived, he had done much evil in the name of God's righteousness, he had measure himself against his own standards he thought he had earned by his own works. He was not God or equal too God, he was not privileged by his great education, he was not anything before God's righteousness but filthy rags, bloody by his own sin against the Son of God!

1 Peter 3:21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you--not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 64:6 For we have all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is as a polluted garment: and we all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Isaiah 35:8 A highway will be there, a road, and it will be called The Holy Way. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it will be for those who walk in the Way. Wicked fools will not go there.

Proverbs 14:16 A wise man fears, and shuns evil, but the fool is hotheaded and reckless.

1 Corinthians 3:18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.

Matthew 5:22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause{NU omits "without a cause".} shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca{"Raca" is an Aramaic insult, related to the word for "empty" and conveying the idea of empty-headedness.}!' shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.{or, Hell}

See also: www.nu-truth.com