Section 15
so difficult that I cannot stand it. After a few minutes, I lose my temper and again have a big failure. Again I repent, confess, ask for forgive ness, and apply the blood. But now I am ashamed to make up my mind, because I have begun to feel that this does not work very well. Neverthe less, later in the day I make up my mind to try again and ask the Lord to help me once more.
Romans 7:18 says, "To will is present with me, but to do the good is not." Willing to do good and to not lose our temper is always with us. However, to do what we will is not present. In 7:19 Paul says, "The good which I will, I do not." My dealing with the brother in the example mentioned above was half spiritual and half unspiritual; it was half of mercy and grace and half of the law. I made a confession, applied the blood, and asked the Lord for forgiveness. All that was of grace. But then I made up my mind to do good and prayed that I might succeed. This was according to the law. In confessing and applying the blood, I went to Romans 3 and 4. That was correct. But when I made up my mind to will, I went to Romans 7. Every Christian makes this mistake, perhaps hundreds and even thousands of times. When I was young, I re peated this mistake more than fifty times a day.