Romans 7:1-25

We Serve in a New Way

Chapter seven of Romans has always been somewhat perplexing to most readers. Paul is clearly talking about the struggle within taking place in his own life, but when? “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” This certainly sounds suspiciously present tense. Surely the great apostle can’t be talking about here and now! This must be about how he “used” to be. Really?

If this is about how he used to be then he could have very easily said, “I used to do what I did not want to do, but now...” He didn’t say that.

So what does this mean for us? Does it mean that we give up because we are going to sin no matter what? By no means. We all experience situations where we know the right thing and yet we don’t do it. We experience other times where we know something is wrong yet we do it anyway. Obviously, our minds agree with God and the law so why don’t we always fall in line? Clearly there is something else going on. What is going on is the process of redemption.

When I fully gave my life to the Lord in 1975 I remember an occasion when and newly saved friend of mine and I went to the park and we sat and read the book of Romans out loud to each other. I took a chapter and then he took a chapter. That meant that I read chapter seven. I will never forget coming to the close of this chapter and feeling the passion build to where Paul cries out, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

I wanted to stand up and shout. I thought, “How fortunate that I got the odd numbered chapters! I got to read chapter seven!” Then I heard my friend read chapter eight.