Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Mediation on Romans 7:13-25

The Conflict of Two Natures

Do you recall the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? If not, let me recap the story for you. Story tells of a respectable doctor who transforms himself into a savage murderer. Dr. Jekyll seeks to separate his good side from his darker impulses so that he discovers a way to transform himself periodically into a deformed monster free of conscience--Mr. Hyde. Jekyll later reveals that his metamorphosis into Mr. Hyde was beginning to happen without taking the potion. With the notion of a single body containing both the erudite Dr. Jekyll and the depraved Mr. Hyde, the story portrays the struggle between good and evil.

Christians have the same struggle: the desire to do what is right and to do what is wrong. The apostle Paul, himself, had this very struggle and writes about it in Romans.

Read Romans 7:13-25:

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin (ESV).

Despite the fact Christians are redeemed and forgiven, believers struggle with temptation and with sin. The battle over the struggle of sin is going to continue until the Lord completes the our sanctification. Charles Spurgeon put it this way, "sin is sovereign till sovereign grace dethrones it."

We are responsible for our actions. We are not to claim: "the devil made me do it," or "I did not do it." Christians should not ever use the power of sin or Satan as excuses for their given into sin and temptation because they are defeated foes. We must rely of Christ's strength and power, sin is stronger than we are, and we are incapable of defending ourselves against its attacks.

"Our attitude towards sin is more self-centered than God-centered. We are more concerned about our own 'victory' over sin than we are about the fact that our sin grieve the heart of God."--Jerry Bridges

Whose strength are you going to rely on? Are you going to rely on your own strength? Or are you going to rely on Christ's strength?

How are you going to view sin, itself? Is your attitude toward sin going to be self-centered? Or is it going to be God-centered?