Not much to say about the following. It is from the Word, and I hope you read it. There’s a test afterward. No fair looking ahead!
This was written by Paul, the Apostle, to illustrate how anyone might feel. He, of course, had moved past this point he describes, by the time he actually wrote it, but his candor amazes and comforts me so!
Romans 7:14-25
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do, no the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? THANKS BE TO GOD–THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD! –Romans 7:14-25
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It is hard for me to believe something so relevant was written about 2000 years ago. This writer did an about-face from being a murdering, self-righteous prig, to someone who would die for others, slave over a parchment with a sputtering candle and a scritching plume/pen in a cold jail cell, just to bring such truths to us. I love ancient writings, especially when they point to the Truth. I introduce this section to illustrate what we mean by the word soul and to show, in case you’ve been feeling weak, lately, how totally insufficient we are, in our own strength, and Who can help.
Paul knew.
Okay, you will find the test in the comments section, as the first comment. No peeking.
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Home's Cool! 
HERE’S THE TEST: GUESS HOW MANY TIMES THE WORDS ME, MYSELF, AND I, APPEAR IN THE PASSAGE ABOVE.
Once?
😉 Better study it a bit more!
Guess who just read this …. erm … 5,000?
LOL
You are having too much fun! 😀
15?
Much closer than the last one! 🙂
20?
Ooooh! Closer, yet!
OK – 12 verses – let’s go with 3 per verse?
(by the way – great passage, and great way to make your point!!) 😉
And the winner is–(drum roll, please!)–Debbie!
From somewhere, stranded in the middle of the Mesopotexan Outback, comes a weak signal saying, um, maybe 36? Yeh, maybe. Actually, 37 times does Paul make this point:
Do-by-self is done for.
Thanks for your kind words, Debbie!
I so love Paul’s writing. Romans is SO rich. Of course ALL his writing is…But so much of Romans (and Isaiah) have especially resonated with me.
Oh, me too, but it’s all good! 🙂