Chapter Seven closes with Paul sharing his struggles with sin. Commentators and theologians of much greater knowledge and stature that I vigorously debate whether this is a vignette from Paul’s pre-conversion days or post-conversion days. I have my opinions as well…
But a new thought occurred to me as I sat with the Lord and this text today. What occurred to me is that, either way, this passage emphasizes a similar point; we will always need Jesus. Verses 24-25 says this, What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
What I noticed is that Jesus is the One Who rescues us from our sin-filled nature and since we will never achieve perfection in this life, we always need Jesus. Before conversion we need Jesus and His redemption, justification and forgiveness. After our spiritual rescue through Jesus, we continue to need Jesus’ forgiveness for those times we lapse back into our sinful ways. And in eternity, Jesus and the Godhead will be center of all life and the light of the new world… so we will need Him throughout all eternity.
We always need Jesus and the best part is He will always there for us. “I will never leave you nor forsake you… (multiple scriptures: Deut 31:6,8; Josh 5:1; Hebrews 13:5, see also Matthew 28:20)
Take a moment before you close your Bible and move onto other things to reach out to Jesus. He is there for you.
O, Lord Jesus, I do reach to You. Forgive me and guide me today that I might reflect You to others as I live today. Amen.
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