Romans 7:24

I love the way Paul does not sugarcoat sober realities, and humbly admits his personal experience. From Romans 7:13 to its end, Paul describes in excruciating detail the experience we have all gone through time and again.

But it doesn’t change the fact that, though a sincere follower of Christ, I continue to grapple with temptations to sin, even though I delight in the word in my inner man (Romans 7:22). I see another more sinister law in my flesh that constantly wars against the law in my mind that reaches its evil tentacles around me, pulling me into its grip.

Paul wrote Romans 6 to teach us that we must never give in to the constant barrage of fleshly temptations. “Do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies!” he exhorts us. There he helps us not to be deceived into ceasing to fight against sin, not to let it reign in our mortal bodies. In chapters 7 and 8, he gives us hope that though we’ve fought and fought hard, we should not sink into existential despair when we fail, for there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.

Yes, we are wretched sinners, but God has clothed us with His clean, white robes of righteousness. Blessed be His name.

Tom Day