Maybe it's just my experience or view of the world, but I find that whenever anyone starts a post or statement by quoting the scriptures attributed to Paul, I feel a lecture coming on. More than any other contributor to the canon, Paul's writings seem to be used to justify self-righteous pontificating about how one ought to think, believe or act.
I admit that I could be over-generalizing and perhaps am super-sensitive regarding remarks that are not intended to be directive.
Has anyone else had this experience?
I have never felt that way, but I find the writings very fascinating, because of what he says, and the way he says it.For instance when Paul speaks of
The Law and Sin.
The underlined is the best part to me.It explains exactly how I feel when I committed sins.
Only Gods word can tell you what is really in a man's heart.
Romans 7:7-25New International Version (NIV)
The Law and Sin
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[
a] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[b] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.20 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.
21
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23
but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[c] a slave to the law of sin.
This explanation of our slavery to sin is perfect.I can see how one might see it as a lecture, but the information is deep.
