No Good Thing

Do you know anybody who is really positive? No matter how terrible something may be, they can find the good in anything. My wife is very positive about things. She can pick something good out of a dreadful mess. It’s good to be positive about things and not write anything or anybody off as completely worthless.
However, we also tend to be very positive when we look at ourselves. We think, “I’m not that bad!” or “Sure, I have some things to work on, but who’s perfect? Overall, I’m a pretty good person.” The Bible is not nearly so optimistic about how good we are. In Romans 7:18, Paul says, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.” How could Paul say something so negative about himself? Paul isn’t just talking about himself, but he is describing the plight of all Christians.
Notice that the verse says that nothing good dwells in my flesh. When Paul speaks of his flesh here, he isn’t talking about his body, the flesh and blood thing that walks and talks and eats. There is nothing inherently evil about our bodies. The word flesh here refers to our sinful nature that we received as children of Adam. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, every human being born in this earth has had a sinful nature— except one. Because Jesus was born of a virgin and was the Son of God, he did not have a sinful nature (Heb 4:15). Ever have one of those shopping carts that always “drifts” to one side or the other? Our sinful nature, our flesh, is always heading for sinfulness. Even after we are saved, there is nothing good or commendable about our sinful nature. We have a sinful nature that makes us capable of any sin.
When we see someone who is entrapped in sin, we often think, “I would never do that!” or “I could never imagine myself in that position.” This is dangerous thinking! Along these lines, 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Just when we lose sight of the fact that we are sinful and nothing good dwells in our flesh, we are most susceptible to sin. Many good teens, godly men and women, pastors, and church leaders have fallen into terrible sin because they failed to recognize the danger of their own sinful nature. They thought, “I can get away with this” or “This isn’t too bad; I can handle it.”
We need to be scared of the dangerous potential of our sinful nature— nothing good dwells in our flesh! Do not allow sin and the devil to gain any foothold in your life (Eph 4:27) and do not make any opportunity for your sinful nature to be tempted to sin (Rom 13:14). See yourself as God sees you: a sinful person who needs God’s gift of eternal life and daily grace if we are to do anything pleasing to God.