Good intentions aren't enough. Wanting to please God and live a clean life isn't enough. The incessant pressure we face is simply too much to withstand. It's like swimming against the tide. I may be able to hold on for a while, but sooner or later I'll grow weary and be carried along against my will. Unless we understand this and humbly accept our own weakness, we'll never live victorious Christian lives. This is what Paul is trying to show us. He wants us to see it's impossible to live godly lives without constantly receiving real, active help from God. So we'll understand why, he analyzes what happened to the human race when Adam sinned, and then he shows us what changes when we put our faith in Jesus... and what doesn't, that is, not yet. Knowing what does change and what doesn't change yet makes all the difference in the world. It explains why I fail and teaches me what I must do to succeed. Any Christian who has struggled with an addiction or been overwhelmed by compulsive emotions; any pastor or caregiver who has tried to help someone be released from bondage; anyone who's wondered why so many Christians fail to live the Christian life successfully will find the answer in these chapters (Ro 5-8). We and the entire church in the 21st century desperately need to understand them. Frankly, it's life and death. People are trapped and miserable, waiting for someone to teach them how to do what Paul says here.

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