An Interesting “I” Condition - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.

According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
Romans 7:15 NKJV; Philippians 1:20 NKJV

An Interesting “I” Condition
Romans 7 records Paul’s distressing experience, one which probably all believers have gone through—namely, the realization that we want to honor the Lord, yet we cannot seem to break free from the power of sin. Bible students have rightly observed that the personal pronouns “I,” “me,” and “my” appear several dozen times in that passage. When we focus on ourselves, we spiral downward into despair. Deliverance only comes when the work of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit are understood and applied (Rom. 7:24–8:2).

As a result, though, it is sometimes said that Christians should never think about themselves at all. In the context of Romans 7, that is important; but we must be careful not to give the wrong impression. It is not true that Christians should never have any personal thoughts, emotions, desires, or plans. In the little book of Philippians, for example, those same personal pronouns appear more than 100 times!

Why is Paul’s use of the word “I” different in Philippians as compared to Romans 7? The difference is Christ. In Philippians, Paul’s hopes and plans were bound up in his identity as a Christian. This kept him moving forward for the Lord as he expressed his desires for service, his plans to visit Philippi, and his deeply-felt concerns for the spiritual and physical health of others.

If we can say, “To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21), resting in Christ rather than in our achievements, then the personal pronoun “I” can be sanctified as we seek to serve the Lord.

-- Stephen Campbell