The Power of Christ Over the Law of Sin
- Baptist Daily Devotional
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
Rev. Enoch Thompson| April 1 2025 | Romans 7:13-25
KEY VERSE: ²⁴“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵Thanks 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.” Romans 7:24-25 (NIV)
MESSAGE: We interrupt our devotions in the Book of Acts to attend to the remaining days of Lent into the Easter festivities. Lent is a time of sober reflection, repentance from sin, sacrifice, and self-denial, and a time to seek God’s transforming grace to help us change to reflect what God expects us to be.
The power of sin over human nature is so strong that we are almost helpless. The Apostle Paul brings this dominance of sin into the context where the Law, given by God, seemed to have been useless because it failed to curb the tide of human sinfulness. The question comes up, then, why was the Law given?
The Law was given to make human sinfulness more sinful, in the sense that when we see sin at work in our lives, even after we have become aware of God’s Law, then we admit that sin is a power that needed a greater power to be subdued in our lives. It is this sentiment that the Apostle concludes our text with, ²⁴“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Jesus Christ and His death on the cross represent a superior power that sets us free and gives us the power, through His resurrection and the Holy Spirit, to live beyond the power of sin.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
Are you conscious of your sinfulness or your potential to sinfulness? Have you trusted the Lord Jesus to give you His power to overcome the things that naturally overcome humans? Walk, therefore, in righteousness, for Christ has set us free from the power of sin.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that you died for my sins to remove the record of my helpless sinfulness, and to free me from the control and power of sin. As I go through this Lent period, please help me to be transformed into a person who works together with you in me to live above the power of sin. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 91: Deuteronomy 9-10 — God’s Mercy Despite Israel’s Rebellion
DAILY word study: WRETCHED
The Greek word for wretched is ταλαίπωρος (talaipōros), meaning "miserable, afflicted, distressed." It conveys a sense of inner torment and utter desperation.
Paul uses wretched in Romans 7:24 to describe his condition under the weight of sin - recognising the deep struggle within himself. He wasn’t referring to guilt alone, but the utter inability to live righteously by his own strength. This confession is the climax of a tension that finds its resolution in verse 25: Christ alone delivers. Romans 8:1 follows with the hope of “no condemnation.” The theological depth here is clear: true deliverance doesn’t come from effort, but from Christ’s victory.
Reflection: When we admit our “wretchedness,” we’re not wallowing—we’re positioning ourselves for grace. It’s the gateway to God’s transforming power in Christ.
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