◄ What Does Romans 7:25 Mean? ►

While the first 5 chapters of Romans deals with how to be saved: justification, the next chapters deal with how to live the Christian life: sanctification. Chapters 6 and 8 explain how to live the Christian life, how to grow in grace, how to progress in holiness, and mature in the faith. They show how a believer can have victory over slavery to sin; how they can grow in mature in the faith and progress in their Christian walk. Chapter 7 shows the believer's relationship to the Law which places them in subjugation to the law and slavery to sin. It describes in detail man's total inability to succeed in keeping the law in his own strength.

Throughout chapter 7, we see the struggle that can take place in the life of a believer who is trying to live the Christian life in the flesh, by carrying out works of the law in their own strength. Paul gives a graphic picture of how human effort and fleshly strivings, result in a defeated Christian life.

Paul describes the man or woman who fails in their attempt to live a holy life in their own strength and who has to finally admit: "Oh wretched man that I am. Who will deliver me from this body of death?" WHO can sanctify themselves? HOW can I progress in holiness? WHO will deliver me from this body of sin? HOW can I be separated from the fallen sin nature, that causes me to do the things I don't want to do, but stops me from doing the things that I DO want to do?

Paul is describing the confused state of a Christian who is trying to serve God by keeping the law in their own strength. And yet he gives the simple answer in this wonderful verse: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord." The answer is found in Christ and Christ alone. The key to living a godly life is only found in Jesus, and this truth is expanded in chapters 6 and 8 for our learning. For this reason, chapter 7, which describes a Christian groaning under the heavy yoke of sin, should never be divorced from chapters 6 and 8, which give the answer.

Like us, Paul was bound by his fallen, fleshly sin nature, and described it this way: "On the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other hand, with my flesh I am serving the law of sin." He wanted to serve God in his heart and mind and knew what he ought to do, but he could not do it in his own strength.

"Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord," was Paul's joyful song when he discovered that without Christ I can do nothing, but I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

Let us never forget that we are neither justified (saved from our sins) in our own strength nor are we sanctified (living the Christian life) in our own strength. We are justified by faith alone in Christ alone; and we are sanctified by faith alone in Christ alone. The struggle of Romans 7 is the experience of most Christians who have been saved by grace through faith, but who thereafter try to live their Christian life in their own strength, by works of the law. But the experience of Paul is also the experience of those that come to see that without Christ I can do nothing to please God, but in Christ I can do all things for He is the One Who empowers and strengthens me.

When we, as believers, finally realise this, we are able to say: 'Thanks be to God Who gives me the victory in Jesus Christ my Lord.' And as we read Romans chapters 6, 7, and 8 with eyes of understanding and a heart of grateful praise, we are enabled to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, and to break free from bondage to the law of sin and its terrible consequences. We are enabled to walk in newness of life, to walk in spirit and truth, and to come to an understanding that in our Christian life we are not under bondage to the law, but under grace.

Heavenly Father, how I praise and thank You for Your great plan of salvation, which is mine in Christ. Thank You that I do not have to justify myself, nor do I have to sanctify myself, but that in all things it is Christ Who enables and strengthens me. Help me to grow in grace and in an understanding of how to live the Christian life, to Your praise and glory. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.