THERE'S NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SIN

Solomon finishes and dedicates the Temple in today’s OT reading.  He prays for God’s perpetual attention and forgiveness in his prayer of dedication.  And he prays for God’s forgiveness because he understands that he and the people he leads are sinful – “for there is no man who does not sin” (6:36). In this text, God affirms His choice of the Temple as His place of sacrifice and warns Solomon to follow obediently because if he doesn’t and goes after other gods, Jehovah will remove him and the Temple from His sight. 
In today’s NT reading, Paul also laments his struggle as a believer with sin.  He exclaims, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Paul agreed with the Law but saw another law in the members of his body waging war against God’s Law.  This struggle is nothing new.  You and I face the same struggle as believers today.  And we have a choice as to how we are going to respond to this war.  We will either give up in defeat or allow the Spirit of God to strengthen us, control us and cause us to submit to God’s Law ultimately bringing to us life and peace (8:6). 
Sin is nothing new.  Solomon faced it.  The Hebrews faced it.  Paul faced it himself.  And we each must face it.  The issue for us is not whether it is an issue for us but how we deal with it.  There truly is nothing new under the sun as far as sin is concerned.  But for those who are in Christ Jesus, who have been covered by His shed blood, who are children of God as a result of receiving His free gift of forgiveness….Christ has dealt successfully with our sin struggle and now…..there is no condemnation (8:1)!  And that is good news!