Romans 7

I am always amazed by the obsession of many modern artists to blend things that were never meant to go together. Take French pianist Jacques Loussier and his trio, who have been blending classical music and jazz together for decades... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N-wfsxEhl8 . I find these guys simply incredible. Who would have thought that Bach's Concerto in D Major for Harpsichord could be transformed into a rollicking jazz number? Brilliant!

However, it is not a peaceful co-existence. Listen to the music in the YouTube clip. There is a real tension when classical and jazz come together, as if the musicians are forcing similar poles of two magnets to touch. When I listen to the trio, it always feels like a back-and-forth battle. Sometimes, the classical composition is winning. Other times, the jazz composition is winning. Maybe someday an ultimate winner will be declared...but I doubt it.

We are just as complicated.

Paul is equally amazed by the on-going struggle between the eternal spirit within him that has "the desire to do what is right" and his mortal flesh that has "not the ability to carry it out." He wonders how it is possible for a holy and righteous spirit to live within a person whose imperfect behavior is shaped by years of living in a broken world. The blend of the Holy Spirit and our imperfect bodies is the work of a supernaturally gifted artist...Jesus Christ.

However, it is not a peaceful co-existence. Paul notes that, while we "delight in the law of God" in our eternal spirit, we are "waging war" against our mortal flesh, which is "captive to the law of sin." This is a tension that we will feel for the duration of our lives, much like the tension between classical and jazz...with one exception.

The spirit is eternal...the flesh is mortal.

We are God's workmanship and, while we may not fully resemble the people he designed us to be when he created us, there will come a time when our mortal flesh passes away and all that will remain then will be an eternal spirit...a holy spirit. There will be an ultimate winner declared. God is the Master.

We are his masterpiece.