In this episode, we dive deep into Romans 7:14-25 to explore the struggle between self-effort and relying on God's power. If you've ever felt trapped in a cycle of trying harder yet still falling short, this conversation is for you. Host Ross O'Hair and guest Tom Price discuss how even as believers, we will give into fleshly temptations when we rely on our own strength. They share personal insights and practical wisdom on embracing our true identity in Christ, which empowers us to overcome challenges not by our might but through the Holy Spirit. By listening, you'll discover how to shift from self-reliance to God-reliance, unlock the freedom found in trusting God's presence within you, and experience genuine transformation in your walk with God.

Key Verses:

Romans 7:14-25: "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For 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!"

Quotes:

“God has shown me that true strength and success come from His Spirit working through me, not from my own self-effort to follow principles.”

“When we understand that our deepest desire is to walk in holiness because of our new identity in Christ, we can stop focusing on sin and start relying on God’s power within us.”

Key Points:

1. Believers often struggle with sin when trying to live righteously by self-effort rather than through God’s grace.
2. The law of sin affects our physical bodies, but our inner being delights in God’s law, aligning with our identity in Christ.
3. True freedom comes from trusting God’s power to transform us, rather than depending on self-imposed rules or willpower.

Outline:

1. Introduction (00:00)
2. Scripture Reading (01:04)
3. Paul’s Perspective: Is This Pre- or Post-Salvation? (03:14)
4. Unpacking the “Law of Sin” (04:57)
5. Identity Check: Who Are We in Christ? (06:24)
6. Freedom Formula: Spirit-Led vs. Self-Effort (10:18)
7. Life Lesson: Tom Shares a Personal Story on Self-Discipline (11:03)
8. Finding Strength: How God Empowers Us (17:12)
9. Key Takeaway: Growing with Grace, Not Law (18:42)

Theme Music:

Here Forever by Adigold Dramatic by FlowersMusic (all rights and licensing from Envato elements)

Hosted by: Ross O'Hair Participating Staff: Tom Price Edited by: Ross O’Hair and Ben Brezina

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Have a question or comment about this podcast? We want to hear from you. Email us at podcast@cftministry.org

Interested in more? Get the Living IN Jesus study.

In need of individual counseling? Visit our website to schedule an online or in-person appointment.

In this episode, Ross O’Hair and Tom Price dive into Romans 7:7-13 to explore one of the more challenging aspects of faith: the tension between God’s perfect law and our human inability to follow it. Through relatable stories and insightful analogies, Ross and Tom unpack why our best self-efforts inevitably fall short of God’s standard, and why that realization is actually a profound blessing. Listeners will gain a fresh perspective on the purpose of the law—as a mirror that reveals our need for grace—and discover the freedom that comes when we rely on the indwelling Holy Spirit instead of striving on our own. If you've ever felt burdened by trying to be "good enough," this episode will offer you relief, clarity, and a renewed understanding of how God’s grace empowers us to live righteously.

Key Verses:

Romans 7:7-13: "What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.' But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good."

Quotes:

“The law is holy and perfect, but self-effort can never fulfill it. Instead, it often brings out our sin nature.”

“The law is like a mirror: it reveals where we fall short but has no power to make us righteous.”

“Grace always focuses on righteousness, while the law keeps our focus on sin and self-effort.”

Key Points:

1. The law reveals sin but cannot empower us to live righteously.
2. Self-effort in following the law often leads to more sin, not less.
3. True righteousness is achieved by relying on the Holy Spirit, not our self-strength.

Outline:

1. Introduction (00:00)
2. Scripture Reading (01:02)
3. Context of Romans 5:6-11 (02:00)
4. What Does It Mean to Be Saved by Christ's Life? (03:00)
5. Reconciliation Through Christ's Death (04:00)
6. The Two Sides of the Cross (05:00)
7. Practical Example of Living Out Christ’s Life (10:02)
8. How to Apply Reconciliation Daily (12:00)
9. Conclusion and Major Takeaways (15:16)

Theme Music:

Here Forever by Adigold Emotional Piano and Strings by GentleJammers (all rights and licensing from Envato elements)

Hosted by: Ross O'Hair Participating Staff: Tom Price Edited by: Ross O’Hair and Ben Brezina

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Have a question or comment about this podcast? We want to hear from you. Email us at podcast@cftministry.org

Interested in more? Get the Living IN Jesus study.

In need of individual counseling? Visit our website to schedule an online or in-person appointment.

In this episode, Ross O'Hair and Tom Price unpack Romans 7:1-6, offering a powerful and practical understanding of the freedom Christians have in Christ. They explain how striving to meet the law's impossible standards will lead us to frustration and failure while embracing grace allows us to grow in righteousness and live in the freedom God intends. Through a rich analogy comparing marriage to life under the law, they show how Christ's death releases us from the law and enables us to bear fruit for God. Listen today to gain valuable insights into overcoming the pressures of performance-based acceptance and find encouragement to live confidently in God's grace.

Key Verses:

Romans 7:1-6: “Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.”

Quotes:

“Grace is a safe place for us to practice our gift of righteousness that was gifted to us through Christ.”

“The law demands absolute perfection but does nothing to help us achieve that perfection.”

“We've been released from performance-based acceptance and are now joined to God in intimate relationship.”

Key Points:

1. The law cannot produce righteousness; it only exposes our inability to meet its demands.
2. Through Christ’s death, we are released from the law and free to live under grace.
3. Grace provides the freedom to grow in righteousness without fear of condemnation.

Outline:

1. Introduction (00:06)
2. Scripture Reading (01:15)
3. Why Paul repeatedly mentions the law (02:36)
4. The Law’s Purpose (03:55)
5. Marriage Analogy (05:39)
6. How grace provides freedom to bear fruit (06:18)
7. Living out freedom in everyday life (09:27)
8. Working in a grace-based work environment (14:46)
9. Major Takeaway (16:58)
10. Conclusion (17:43)

Theme Music:

Here Forever by Adigold Cinematic Strings by Cleanmindsounds

(all rights and licensing from Envato elements)

Hosted by: Ross O'Hair Participating Staff: Tom Price Edited by: Ross O’Hair and Ben Brezina

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Have a question or comment about this podcast? We want to hear from you. Email us at podcast@cftministry.org

Interested in more? Get the Living IN Jesus study.

In need of individual counseling? Visit our website to schedule an online or in-person appointment.