The Law of the Spirit 11/3/2024

Romans 7:24 is a vivid picture of just how bad the state of a person is when bound to the law of sin and death. Last week, we discussed what that visually looked like for Paul as he proclaimed, "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" He was most likely thinking of the torture of prisoners during the invasion of Troy. When a soldier was captured, they were shackled to a dead body. The prisoners would be forced to carry around with them a decaying body. This is a gruesome, yet accurate way for us to see clearly what we need rescuing from and that Jesus came to break us free from the chains and bondage of death. No sooner than Paul vividly explains his condition does He give thanks to God who rescued Him through Jesus Christ. He can thank God because He is no longer living in defeat, being dragged around by appetites, emotions, and old ways of thinking that still live in his flesh. Paul has found the keys to freedom; we can also be free. No matter what we have gone through as believers, in Jesus, we have so much to be thankful for, and Paul shares with us some of the gifts we have been given. We have been given freedom, forgiveness, and the ability to be full of the Spirit.