Contemplative Bible Reading

Romans 7:24-25 (New Living Translation)

24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Paul is writing to the Christians in Rome. He goes from misery to thanksgiving in a few sentences.

This life is dominated by sin and death. Sin is everywhere. Everyone is sinning. There are the BIG SINS (so we say). There are the smaller sins (so we say). There are the sins that overwhelm us and drown us and push us into despair. How can we get out of this mess? It’s like being in debt so much that it would take 20 years of paychecks to get up to zero. No food, clothing, or shelter for those 20 years. That is impossible. Why even try?

The answer is that fellow from Nazareth, Jesus. He was the Son of God. He was chosen to take away my sins. Jesus does that. Jesus sets me free from this life where sin is everywhere. I can’t do it alone. I am prone to sin. How miserable is that? Still, there is a way to God. There is an answer. Jesus is the answer. Thank you God and please help me in my unbelief.