A Reflective look at Romans: Chapter 7:21-25
I am a big St. Paul the Apostle fan.
The only time Saint Paul put a pen to paper was to put his John Hancock on it. Paul laid out his prose freestyle-dictating it to Tertius his scribe. I could tell you how this went down: Paul is pacing back and forth like a trial lawyer making his case to the believers, the critics and the cynics. He cross examines the Pharisee, the Heretic and The Philosopher. In his mind he is arguing point/counterpoint with Seneca the Roman philosopher, his contemporary
and rival.
Paul and Seneca were equals in smarts. Paul probably met Seneca on the speaking circuit.
In Paul's letter to the church at Rome-Chapter 7:21-25-what takes place is nothing short of a street brawl. But this wasn't your typical meet you in the parking lot after school fight between a jock and a punk. The altercation takes place in Paul's mind between two parts of himself-God's Law and his Carnal Mind. The carnal mind is in open rebellion towards God-corrupted by sin-it can never bring us to a right relationship with God. We all have the carnal mind in us through Adam and as believers we have the mind of Christ through Jesus. Both are at war with each other. Paul is tormented by this fight. He is compelled towards sin but he wants to love God's law. The fight takes an ugly turn.
Paul comes face to face with the darkest part of his soul-the part that is hidden from others. I know this place all too well. You know it too. I hate this pace. I try to hide it-make believe everything is ok. When someone comes close to this place I defend it-don't go there.
I'm a spectator in Paul's fight right now. But I've been where he is. It reminds me a car accident, I don't want to see the wreckage yet I peek like everyone else and I think "I hope she is ok"-then I think "I'm glad it wasn't me". But it is me. I've been in the wreckage of the verse 24 fight. That's where Paul is now.
The battle escalates…Paul sees hell…the end is near…the fight is over…then he cries out what a wretched man I am who can deliver me from this body of death? This is verse 24.
Is this the end of the road for the Christian? If it is I'm done. I'm no better off than the fatalist who says nothing matters and we all die. If this is it then our faith is dead too.
But there is Good News-it doesn't end at Verse 24…there is a verse 25.
In Verse 24 we cry out in pain "what a wretched man I am who can deliver me from this body of death?"
In Verse 25 we cry out in Joy "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
In verse 24 we die to sin-in verse 25 we live in Christ.
In verse 24 we are humbled-in verse 25 Christ is exalted.
In verse 24 we can never boast look at how good I am-in verse 25 we boast look how awesome Jesus is.
In verse 24 we no longer live - we live in Verse 25.
This is the Verse 25 life
Live it…
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