Overcoming the Natural Man

Today I read Romans 7. It's rare that this happens but I actually did not have any impressions at all while reading this chapter. I actually found it quite confusing. I was reading the JST version, which I thought was kind of funny because Joseph Smith was restoring that which was lost over the centuries to restore it back to the way it read when Paul first penned it and thus make it easier to understand. He may have restored it, but Paul had a funny way of getting his point across to the Romans in this chapter.

Here's what I took away from the chapter, and I honestly have no idea if I am right or not. I even went as far as to read it twice! Paul is talking about the natural man here and how his nature is an enemy to God. At least, that is what I am taking away from it. He is talking about the law and the law of the dead, or sin, verses the law of Christ. That is how I read this chapter. Paul talks quite a bit about certain sins and how he needs to be dead to them. And he is right, when we make the decision to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized, like he said in the last chapter, we need to consider our old self and our old ways, dead and walk in a newness of life. We need to forsake our old sins and become a new person.

I believe that is what Paul is trying to say here in this chapter. As we overcome the natural man in each of us, we will become a better person and can better serve God. It got me thinking however, how do we overcome the natural man? Well the obvious answer is one day at a time. We will not wake up tomorrow completely free of any desire to sin. It just won't happen that way. But as we are tempted with sin and choose to resist it and not give in, we will slowly but surely change our very nature so that we no longer desire to do that which is wrong. In his own round about way that is what Paul is talking about here. As we live the law of Christ, we find that we truly are a different person. He states that what he found to be good before the law he now no longer finds to be good and so he doesn't do it. That to me sounds like someone who is changing their nature and no longer finds the things of the world appealing.

I have seen this in my own life. The more I live the Gospel the more I find the things of the world repulsive. Television for the most part is unwatchable to me. I can't stand the shows about police that investigate murders and I can't understand why anyone would. The comedy shows are full of vulgarity and lewdness. About the only thing worth watching are nature shows and animal shows because even cartoons can be pointless and vulgar. The popular music of the day is all about sex and highly offensive if you listen to the lyrics. So I have seen where I am becoming a better person by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Hopefully you too find that you are overcoming the natural man and finding living the Gospel a little more enjoyable each day. Until tomorrow.