05/26/2026
Before someone comes close to God, sin can almost feel โnormal.โ A person can live comfortably in patterns, desires, pride, lust, anger, selfishness, or worldly thinking without deeply recognizing it. But when someone begins walking closely with Christ, the light gets brighter. And light exposes things.
Thatโs what Romans 7 is talking about.
When Paul says,
โApart from the law, sin was deadโฆโ
he doesnโt mean sin literally didnโt exist. He means it was inactive, hidden, unnoticed, or not fully realized within him. But when Godโs commandment confronted him, sin became visible and alive in his awareness. The holiness of God exposed the corruption of the flesh.
So the deeper intimacy becomes, the more conflict you may feel because:
โข your spirit desires God,
โข but your flesh still resists Him.
That internal war becomes more intense, not because you are farther from God, but often because you are closer to Him.
When Paul says,
โIt is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.โ (Romans 7:17)
he means that the believer has a new identity in Christ, yet still carries the flesh. The regenerated heart desires God while the old sinful nature still fights against transformation.
But Christ does not reveal these things to condemn you.
He reveals them to cleanse you.
To break you.
To refine you.
To purify you.
And to transform you over time.
So the conflict itself can actually become evidence of spiritual sensitivity.
Dead things donโt fight.
A heart pursuing Christ does.