Romans 7:24–25: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”

May 2nd, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Strictly speaking, liberty is freedom from something and freedom to do something. Said another way, liberty is freedom from some kind of slavery or bondage. Paul was being brutally honest about his own life. We begin to make headway in our own lives when we get honest with ourselves about our sin.

When Paul wrote, “Who will deliver me from this body of death,” he may have been referring to an ancient custom of Persian conquerors. At least one early historian, Pliny, describes a horrific method used to prevent the escape of prisoners by tying a dead body to their backs. With that kind of gruesome burden, those poor prisoners could not escape by running away. Therefore, some translators suggest that this should read, “who shall deliver me from this dead body?” That is helpful because it does sometimes seem like there is a dead body strapped to our back doesn’t it? But Jesus has delivered us, so why do we still feel the burden? The enemy is trying to convince us that we are still trapped in the prison of sin. When we feel that way, we must remind ourselves that no one can make it without the grace of God.

The believer’s life begins with God’s grace and will end in the presence of God for eternity by God’s grace. Therefore we should not be surprised that all along the way God’s grace will continue to be absolutely necessary day to day. No doubt that is why John Newton wrote so long ago these words of encouragement: “Through many dangers, toils and snares, / I have already come; / ‘Tis grace that brought me safe this far, / And grace will lead me home.”

“LORD, please let Your grace lead us today.”