Monday, August 17, 2026

           Romans 8 is one of the towering chapters in the Bible.  It stands as a mountain peak of rich and important biblical truth.  We could camp out on top of this peak for a long time to take in the long view of God and His work of grace in Christ to change and transform us for His glory.  But just before we get into Romans 8, there is a rich passage at the end of Romans 7.  Paul wrote, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin” (Romans 7:24-25).  As we read these two verses, most of us rather easily find ourselves identifying with Paul in several ways.
            First, we do see ourselves as “wretches.”  We see ourselves as hopelessly lost and sinful apart from Christ.  This word “wretched” that Paul used comes from the Greek word “talaipōros” which means miserable, afflicted and conflicted with sin.  It has been said that sin is the one doctrine in Christianity that is most empirically and observably verifiable.  All we have to do is look around us to see evidence of sin and to look closely at ourselves to see our sinfulness.  We are indeed wretches in need of rescue—you and me.  Some compare this word “wretched” to a wrecked ship that is no longer seaworthy or able to sail safely to transport cargo or passengers.  A ship that cannot sail has little, if any, usefulness. Likewise, we are broken, battered and beaten by sin.  We are “wretched” people.  Our sins have left us deplorable and disgraceful in God’s sight—worthy of being cast aside.
            Second, Paul asked the question “who will rescue us” from sin and the effects of sin?  Who will come to our aid?  Who can change our present state and bring us hope for the future?  Left alone in our sins, we are in an appalling state.  Romans 6:23 reminds us of our state, “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  We are powerless to save ourselves.  Our arms are much too small to lift ourselves from the muck and mire of a life of sin and rebellion.  But simply asking the question that Paul asked means we recognize that we cannot stay where we are.  We cannot make our home in sin.  There has to be a better way and a better place for us.  We must be set free from this self-created captivity and self-imposed prison that we have created by our choices and actions.    
            Third, Paul gave thanks that Jesus, the sinless Son of God, came to deliver us.  He came to rescue us.  Like a lifeguard who bravely fights through the wind and waves to save a sinking swimmer, Jesus entered into a world filled with sin and sinners to live the life we could never live and to take the death we should deservedly take.  Apart from the saving power of Christ, we are “slaves to sin.”  We would like to obey God’s law perfectly but we all too often find ourselves living as slaves to sin instead.  Yet, Jesus came to change that.  He came to give us a new birth and a new life.  He came to change our lives today and our eternity in the time to come.  As Paul wrote, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).  We can be grateful that when sin left us “wretched” and wicked Christ came to set us free.  The gospel has the last and final word for us today. 
            Today’s verses, Romans 7:24-25, clearly remind us of the gospel of Jesus Christ—a gospel we are to cherish and remember forever.  It is this gospel that saves us, transforms us and sets us free.  We are not to lose sight of this good news or trade it for something lesser and watered down.  As Paul reminds us in Galatians 1:8-9, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one, we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” Have a wonderful Monday!  Give thanks today for all that Christ has done for you!