“O wretched man that I am!

Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God (for doing so) 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.”

“For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind,

and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

“For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

In verse 20, we read: “Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” It speaks about original sin, or the “old self”, which is in every one of us. The old self manipulates us and causes us to become slaves. It is a sad inheritance from our first parents. This spiritual poison, the devil’s seed, is programmed to keep us independent of God. From God’s Word we learn that its strength lies in the law of sin. Verse 23 says: “But I see another law in my members … bringing me into captivity to the law of sin…”

The verses also speak about the law of our mind, i.e. about conscience – God’s voice in us. This law is at war with the law of sin. When a certain phenomenon occurs repeatedly, we can speak about a law. Thus, sin becomes an enslaving force. This is the objective reality in all people whether they are aware of it or not, or do not want to be aware of it. The verses reveal an inward fight between the higher and the lower – the spiritual and the natural.

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practise. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

The Word of God indicates that evil dwells in me. This evil overcomes the good that I will to do and manipulates me into doing the evil that I will not to do. Evil is the fruit of original sin, spiritual poison, which caused disharmony and death. It works in us, and if we yield to evil it will prepare the worst for us – eternal death. It is a kind of injustice, violence, manipulation and slavery, although we refuse to admit it. We can see that the fruits of this evil are all crimes, murders, perversions, wars and genocides of nations. Evil and sin in us is really a mystery which we cannot fully understand by reason and only the light of God can reveal to us this mystery of iniquity. Our task, however, is not to meddle with sin but rather to avoid it! The most important thing is to know what to do with it – this is true wisdom. We need to bring our sins into God’s light to the foot of the cross. And concerning the root of evil, or the old self, it was crucified with Christ. This truth must be actualized by faith ever anew. Verse 24 says: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Deliverance is in Christ Jesus! It only remains for us to give thanks to God.

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells;

for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.

For the good that I will to do, I do not do;

but the evil I will not to do, that I practise.

Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it,

but sin that dwells in me.”

Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

In chapter three of the Epistle to the Romans, the Apostle says that all are guilty before God. The Apostle asks: “What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because they have been entrusted with the very words of God.” In verse 9, he asks: “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practised deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips.’” And these verses are followed by verses 14-19, which we are going to remember during the following two weeks. “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

“Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

Their feet are swift to shed blood;destruction and misery are in their ways;

and the way of peace they have not known.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law,

that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

«Now he who keeps His commandments

This Word of life also emphasizes the keeping of God’s commandments. He who keeps them abides in God, and God in him. Jesus emphasized this truth when He said: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” On the evening before His death, Jesus said: “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (Jn 14:20-21)

“Now he who keeps His commandments abides in God, and God in him.

And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”

“And whatever we ask we receive from Him,

because we keep His commandments

and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”

It is said that whatever we ask we receive. And the reason: because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

In the previous verses, starting from verse 18, the Apostle John points out the importance of a sincere heart before God. He writes: “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.”

This word of life emphasizes that we receive whatever we ask. The condition for our prayers to be heard is to keep His commandments and to do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

The Apostle Paul speaks about freedom. However, liberal theologians and various spiritual know-alls or religious frauds abuse freedom for iniquity. The Apostle warns us not to use our freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, for our egoism, but to serve one another through love.

Then the Apostle says that the whole law is fulfilled in one word: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. Let us bear it in mind and put it into practice. To love my neighbour means to sacrifice myself for him, to desire his salvation, to try to communicate to him the divine truth of salvation, and to lead him to conversion and to the receiving of the Holy Spirit, so that he may live and walk in the Holy Spirit just as I try to do so – this is true love.

“For you were called to freedom, brothers.

Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh,

but through love serve one another.

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word:

‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

The previous Word of life, which we repeated for two weeks and let it work on us, was quite clear to us: The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. We can see it in our everyday life, and therefore we understand this word of God. The last sentence, however, is a little unclear: But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Everyone can understand it differently. To be led by the Spirit means to walk in the obedience of faith like the Blessed Virgin or like Abraham our father who is set as an example to us. Those who are led by the Spirit of God will not act against the law; on the contrary, they will keep the law.

In the Epistle to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul explains one more question concerning the law which is a bit unfamiliar to us. It is the question of circumcision and observance of the laws of Moses on various forms of purification with emphasis on ritualism, which eventually de facto quenched the Spirit. That was why the Apostle Paul had a perfectly free attitude towards this sphere of the law.

“Was not Abraham our father justified by works

when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith

was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?”

In chapter seven of the Epistle to the Romans, which we reflected on in the previous weeks, it is emphasized several times that we want to do good but we automatically do evil. It is said here that it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. The Epistle to the Galatians develops this truth in depth. It clearly points out that sin works especially through the lusts of the flesh to enslave man. It is impurity, alcoholism, drug addiction, gluttony…

The lusts of the flesh are aroused, literally whipped up, by the system of the world through mass media, decadent music, impure images, advertisements and the culture of consumerism. Resistance to it is an act of extraordinary heroism and requires extraordinary strength. That is why we pray, receive the sacraments, humble ourselves, repent and admit our sins daily. We thus obtain not only the strength but also the grace to overcome our weakness as well as the system of the world and the spirit of evil which influence us.