Q115_072225 Rom 7:12 The Law Is Holy And Good, But...Q115_072225 Rom 7:12 The Law Is Holy And Good, But...
How it Happens with Colin Cook
Colin Cook reflects on Romans 7:12 to show how God’s law is good, yet human nature turns it into a struggle that feeds sin and addiction. He contrasts legalism with grace, urging wounded and addicted people to bring their broken hearts to Jesus for genuine healing and a new way of living.
14:37•22 Jul 2026
Law, Grace and a Broken Heart: Colin Cook on Romans 7 and Addiction
Episode Overview
- The law is described as holy and good, but human nature twists what is forbidden into something desirable, fuelling sin and addiction.
- Legalistic attempts to keep the law lead to failure and coldness; focusing on Jesus and his love gradually changes the heart.
- Jesus’ suffering and apparent abandonment on the cross are presented as the clearest picture of God’s love and the cost of grace.
- Many people carry unacknowledged childhood wounds and become hard and rule-driven instead of seeking true healing in Christ.
- Admitting to a broken heart and trusting God’s mercy opens the way to gratitude, joy, and a more obedient life that flows from love rather than pressure.
“"Lord Jesus, you have said that you have come to heal the broken hearted."”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? For Colin Cook, it starts with understanding why God’s law feels so hard – and why that matters for people stuck in addictive patterns. In this episode of *How it Happens*, Colin reflects on Romans 7:12, where Paul insists that "the law is holy and the commandment is holy and just and good" even though it seems to stir up sin.
Colin explains that the problem isn’t the law itself, but human nature that reacts to what is forbidden: "I want it because I can't have it." That mindset, he argues, feeds addictions of all kinds, from alcohol and drugs to food, sex, and obsessive worry. Colin contrasts a harsh, legalistic view of God with the picture of Jesus as the living expression of the law in love.
He points to Christ on the cross, repeating "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" and suggests that Jesus’ broken heart shows how far God’s love goes for wounded, struggling people. Rather than pushing more rules, Colin urges a shift of focus: "You do not fulfill the law by fulfilling the law... you will come a cropper, as we say in England." Instead, faith and gratitude in Jesus gradually shape a new way of living.
He speaks directly to those with buried pain from childhood – absent, cold, or drunk parents – who turned into "steely, emotionless, legalistic" believers just trying to tough it out. The invitation is simple and raw: "Lord Jesus, you have said that you have come to heal the broken hearted...
I need to admit to you that my heart is broken." From there, Colin paints a picture of grace that softens the heart, lifts self-condemnation, and gently supports a closer walk with God that, almost by accident, lines up more with God’s law. If you’ve tried white-knuckling sobriety through rules and willpower, this conversation might nudge you to ask: what if healing starts with admitting your broken heart?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.