July 5, 2026
Have you ever been in a situation in which you knew you had two choices, and one was the right choice, and the other was the wrong choice? Which did you choose? What about when we’re dealing with our parents and they tell us to do something or not to do something? Anyone ever had their parents tell them, “Don’t even think about doing that”?
What about this: Have you ever been in that situation in which you knew what you were supposed to do, but you just decided not to do it? You decided to make the wrong choice instead? What happened? Did you get in trouble for it? Were people mad at you? Would you make a different choice today?
In our Second Reading today from Romans, the apostle Paul talks about exactly that. He knows what’s right and what’s wrong, but he finds that he keeps choosing to do the wrong things, and he’s very frustrated with himself because he wants to do better. Have you ever felt like that?
See, there are two people inside you. You all know that God loves you very much. You believe that God has given you eternal life because Jesus died and rose again for you. So you really don’t want to do the things our loving God tells us not to do. That’s you. But there’s another person in you who still would rather sin and do selfish things. That other person inside you sins all the time, and that’s frustrating. It was very frustrating to Paul.
But notice all the way at the very end of our Bible reading. Paul has been struggling, and he’s frustrated, and he really wants to change. What does he say about that? “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (v 25). Why do you think he says that? Right! All of Paul’s sins are forgiven because Jesus died and rose for Paul! And even though we all mess up sometimes and do the things we know we shouldn’t do, Jesus died for us as well.
Is sinning okay? Not at all. Sin is always bad. But when we’re frustrated that we sin, we can say, “Thanks, God, for still being patient with us because of Jesus.”
Dear God, I am sorry for all the bad things I continue to do. I simply cannot stop sinning – even though I try! Yet I know that because of Your only Son, Jesus Christ my Lord, all my sins are forgiven! Amen.