Thanks be to God...

This semester I have been going to BSF or bible study fellowship which is an international bible study that does not take denomination into account but instead focuses on the study of the bible only. It is sort of like a college course with homework and stuff but not nearly that hard, and, of course, no tests. I encourage everyone to go if they can, it is an excellent study and they have them all over the US and other countries. Anyway, we are studying Romans and so far it has been a really amazing eye opener for me. Some days I don't feel like doing my study, but I have found when I consistantly read God's word, it really does change me. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. But no matter how much I am comforted, the very next day I will no doubt want to choose to do something else besides my bible study!
In Romans 7 Paul writes about his own struggle with sin when he says in verse 15, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but (do) what I hate to do." He then goes on to say in verse 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." This whole section was very encouraging to me, because this is exactly how I feel all the time. And Paul is actually stating that it is a mark of a mature christian that we feel this inward conflict probably more and more as we grow as christians. If Paul, an amazing apostle for Christ, struggled with sin, how encouraging since I do too! Also he points out that as christians, we are dead to sin and alive to Christ, but the law of our minds (God's law) continually struggles against our bodies (Sinful Nature) and though we do have victories over sin, our sinful nature sometimes (or a lot in my case) wins out. But, when I do sin, Paul says it is not really me but sin living in me. Wretched woman that I am, who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!!!