Am I ever gonna change?

I have mentioned several times that I am a product of the 80's hair band music scene. I grew up listening to some well known 80's bands like Motley Crue, Guns N Roses and Poison as well as some not-so-famous bands like Autograph, Blue Murder and The Electric Boys. I have also mentioned my affinity for satellite radio and their seemingly unlimited station selections. I typically keep mine on either HairNation or The Boneyard, great old school rock and roll stations. I tell you all of this because as I was riding into work the other morning I heard one of those 80's bands that kinda fell through the cracks. The band was Extreme. These guys had a couple of Top 40 hits but just could not stand the test of time like the ones we see still touring today. The song that came on the radio was "Am I ever gonna change". Here are the lyrics:

I’m tired of being me,
And I don’t like what I see,
I’m not who I appear to be
So I start off every day,
Down on my knees I will pray,
For a change in any way
But as the day goes by,
I live through another lie,
If it’s any wonder why

Am I ever gonna change
Will I always stay the same
If I say one thing,
Then I do the other
It’s the same old song,
That goes on forever
Am I ever gonna change
I’m the only one to blame
When I think I’m right,
I wind up wrong
It’s a futile fight,
Gone on too long

Please tell me if it’s true,
Am I too old to start anew,
Cause that’s what I want to do
But time and time again,
When I think I can,
I fall short in the end
So why do I even try,
Will it matter when I die,
Can anyone hear my cry?

Am I ever gonna change
Take it day by day
My will is weak
And my flesh too strong
This peace I seek
Till thy kingdom comes

This song was written by Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt. Gary was the lead singer and Nuno was the lead guitarist. Even though these guys put pen to paper and are credited with creating this song I think all of us can relate to it and probably could have written something very similar about our own life. How often do we wonder the same thing, Am I ever gonna change? For the most part we really want to do the right thing but as Gary and Nuno say in the first verse "As the day goes by, I live through another lie"

As I was listening to this song a verse came to mind that, in essence, says the same thing:

Romans 7: 14-24 - 14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

That is a great question at the end. Paul says Who will rescue me, he does not say What will rescue me. There is no product you can buy, no pill you can take, no cleansing diet you can start that will save you from the war that rages inside. Paul does not leave us hanging with that question, he goes on to tell us Who can rescue us from the war:

Romans 7: 25 - Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

I am not sure what Gary or Nuno's beliefs are but I believe they wrote a song from their heart. I just hope that people who feel the same way don't stop at Romans 7:24, my hope is that everyone will one day see and believe Romans 7:25.