I was taught that when you see “therefore”
in scripture, you need to find out what it is there for. Clever, right? Well,
in this case Paul, prior to this Romans 8 statement, is lamenting that he is
“wretched”: that he knows the right things he should be doing, but he ends up
doing what he shouldn’t. Can you relate to that at all? Do you ever find
yourself in a situation where you need to make a choice and you know the better
course to choose, but somehow you make a left turn and find yourself in a very
wrong place? This is what Paul is talking about. He says that in his inner
being, he delights in the law of God! But he sees himself behaving in a way
that is contrary to that law. And he feels as if he is hopeless against the
draw of this sinful behavior.
But then Paul says, “Thanks be to God, who
delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25a) And we learn that this
is what the “therefore” is there for! It is pointing us back to this beautiful
truth that God delivers us from our sin, therefore there is no condemnation
hanging over our heads! No condemnation now or in our future. We who have
accepted Jesus Christ as Lord have been set free from paying the penalty for
sin, which is death or as Paul says, “because through Christ Jesus the law of
the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans
8:2) Praise God!So, beloved one, if Jesus is your Lord, you are forgiven and accepted (Eph. 1:6) just the way you are, without condemnation. If Jesus is not your Lord, He waits with open arms for you to come to Him so that He may save you and set you free from the law of sin and death. No condemnation.
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