Is the story over?
24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Romans 7:24–25 (NIV)
The Christian heart is a paradox, a beautiful contradiction that echoes the words of Paul in Romans 7:24-25. It is a heart that cries out in desperate anguish, overwhelmed by its own wretchedness and failure: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). When we truly understand the depth and breadth of God’s holy law, when we honestly examine the recesses of our own hearts, we are confronted with an inescapable reality: we are utterly wretched, hopelessly lost in our sin.
This realization is painful, but it is necessary. Without it, we will never fully grasp the glory of the gospel, the beauty of received righteousness. We will never truly appreciate the wonder of what God has done for us in Christ. It is only when our hearts are broken by the weight of our sin that we can truly experience the hope and liberation of looking away from ourselves and to the One who saves.
And who is this Rescuer? Who can deliver us from this body of death? Paul’s answer rings out with triumphant joy: “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25). In Christ, we find the answer to our deepest cry, the solution to our most desperate need. He is the one who rescues us from ourselves, who sets us free from the bondage of sin and death.
But Paul knows that even as believers, our struggle with sin is not over. In our own strength, we will fail. Our mind may be a slave to God’s law, but our flesh is still accustomed as a slave to sin (Romans 7:25). This is the reality of the Christian life: a constant battle, a daily fight to put to death the deeds of the body and to walk in the newness of life.
And yet, even in this struggle, there is hope. Because the story doesn’t end with chapter 7. In fact, Romans 7:24-25 serve as a beautiful bridge, a transition point that looks back to all that Paul has written before and forward to all that is to come.
In chapters 1-4, Paul showed us the depths of our sin and the heights of God’s grace in Christ. In chapters 5-6, he spoke of the hope we have in Christ’s righteousness, the new life we have in Him. And now, in chapter 7, he has shown us the ongoing reality of the battle with sin.
But the story isn’t over. Because in chapter 8 and beyond, Paul will unveil the glorious work of God’s Spirit in the life of the believer. He will show us how the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is at work in us, empowering us to live a new life, transforming our hearts and minds to be more like Jesus. [But we won’t get to that until next year]
This is our hope. Not in our own efforts, which will always fall short. Not in our own righteousness, which is nothing more than filthy rags. But in the finished work of Christ on the cross. In the power of His Spirit at work within us. In the promise that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
We are wretched, but God is rich in mercy. We are weak, but He is strong. We are sinners, but He is the Savior. And in Him, we have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
What are your thoughts on this final reflection on the first 7 chapters of Romans? How are the daily devotionals helpful to you in life? You can text your response back so we can praise God too.
[This material for Romans 7:7-25 was drawn from Tim Keller’s book “Romans 1-7 for You“]
This final reflection on the first 7 chapters of Romans actually hits pretty deep today, and actually reflects perfectly and beautifully a situation our family is going through right now! I have, once again, come to a much clearer understanding of the utter depravity of my own heart, and the utter hopelessness of the struggle against sin in our own power. This point has been poignantly made to me through my own experience as well as the experience of others in my life. However, as our reading today points out, this fact serves to guide us to the One that has all power, and the glorious hope that we have in Christ! The depths of our depravity accentuates the heights of God’s grace, and His light shines brightest in our darkest moments. I have seen this play out time and time again in my own life, and today, I am also able to watch this play out in the lives of others, people I love dearly, and hopefully anticipate His glorious redemptive work in the most dire of circumstances! Though struggles will come, and sin will seem to prevail, we can rest assured that He who began a good work in us is faithful, and will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ!
I pretty much concluded for awhile now and more so with this study that I’m hopeless. I can’t possibly do this on my own. Before I came to the faith, this wouldn’t have bothered me. I didn’t feel the weight of it but now that I have this understanding, I can’t deny it anymore, ignorance truly was bliss. Of course, there is hope that God will rescue me from this helplessness but only if I have faith in Him. Now I truly understand what it means to have faith and the value of this faith. The thing for me now is to work to strengthen/deepen my faith. Faith that God would complete the work that Jesus opened the way for…so that one day this awful feeling of helplessness against my own nature will be lifted. Peace Lord is all I want. Peace is all I ever wanted. Only through You can I find peace and only through my faith in You!