THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO DELIVERS ME
Romans 7 is nothing if not a verbal picture of struggle. In this chapter, readers get a firsthand glimpse into the inner thoughts of the apostle, which can either be uplifting and encouraging or crushing and discouraging depending on one's perspective.
It might be discouraging to know that even Paul - who had experienced Jesus in a personal way and had seen the explosive growth of the early church - still struggled so violently with his own heart. But this chapter can also be encouraging for the same reason. When the weight of sin is particularly oppressive, Christians can take heart, knowing that all people struggle; even the apostle Paul battled mightily with sin. The New Testament never characterizes Christians as those who do not struggle with sin; rather they are those who stay in the fight.
When Christians feel the weight of sin's burden; when they're torn between righteousness and unrighteousness, between the desires of the Spirit and the desires of the flesh, then the only solution is Jesus. He is the only One who can deliver those who are dead in sin and, through the Holy Spirit, help his followers to resist sin. The Christian needs the gospel as much as the non-Christian does, for it is by the gospel God's people were saved from their slavery to sin. It is the same gospel that reminds the believer that they are "more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Ro 8:37).
Jesus, thank you for Paul's example. Help me to persevere against sin until I can join you in a sinless eternity. Amen.
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