Romans 7 is among the most recognized, remembered, and recited of all Paul’s writings. Today’s epistle reading gathers up a substantial chunk of this great chapter. Is there is any person alive who has not at some time found Paul’s words absolutely true: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing that I hate” (v.15). This is what we are calling a “Romans 7 Moment:” when you do the very thing you don’t want to do.

Yet as much as Romans 7:15-25 may resonate with individuals, these same verses have sparked centuries of debate and dialogue within the church. The central question kicked around by church fathers, scholars, reformers, and congregations, focuses on the identification of the “I” (“ego”) in these texts. Is Paul speaking about his own per…