How can you feel 'wretched' and good at the same time?
Friday, November 5, 2010 at 12:56PM 
How can the apostle Paul call himself a "wretched man" -- overcome by sin; yet also see himself as a new creation, claiming that he's really not "controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit?" Which is it, Paul?
Doesn't he seem to be forgetting his own God-given goodness, his new and noble nature, when he calls himself "wretched?"
John Lynch, co-author of True Faced and Bo's Cafe, has a fresh and more helpful way of looking at "wretchedness:"
“Wretched”: Miserable, because of the pain in my regenerate heart of wanting to do what’s right but overcome with my [natural] inability to pull it off. Only the regenerate mind can grieve over unrighteousness.
This kind of wretchedness doesn't dismiss the radically-pure nature God has given us:
Rather, it means, “Wretched through the exertion of hard labor.” In other words, "I’m so tired of trying to make this work!”
It's the wretchedness of a man who has exhausted himself by trying to live a super-natural life with grossly inadequate, depleted natural reserves: a man trying to live apart from his new heart and the Spirit's work there.
Paul, john lynch, sin, true-faced in assumptions that shape us, identity, new heart Permalink
Reader Comments (3)
Jim,
From what I am seeing regarding the "wretchedness" that Paul was pointing out, is what invaded humanity through man's choosing knowledge (the knowledge of good and evil) over Life.
He now saw what was right but lacked the Life to follow through on doing it, which in turn amplified his dilemma.
Hey Rich -- Do you think Paul was speaking from the perspective of his in-Christ life, or his pre-Christ life? I lean towards the view that he was describing his 'in-Christ' life, which would mean he did have the Life and inward capacity to live as Christ, but found his struggle with the flesh to be occasionally overwhelming. What do you think?
Jim,
Yes, I agree with you, as I too see this being an in Christ reality that was addressing his soul in its needing to be continually renewed-transformed.
On another note but one that imo equally ties in with this reality of who and whose he was, is this.
Paul was called by God himself the Apostle of Grace, and yet clearly although our brother was walking and living and flourishing within this amazing grace, he was brought to a place in his journey where because of manifold revelations he was given a messenger of Satan to buffet him.
He as we know pleaded with the Lord for its removal! The out come once again as we know was the Lord answering the Apostle of Grace~NO! His grace was sufficient for him, His power was being perfected in his not so agreeable weakness.
It is my understanding that when the Lord spoke to Paul in that moment there was unleashed into his being a further knowing, experiencing a depth and reality of the grace of God he had yet not experienced.