Once bound, now free!

         Paul had some glooming things to say about himself and his inability to stop doing what he didn’t want to do. In Romans 7, beginning with v. 7 and carrying through to the end of the chapter, he laments the state of his old nature. For example, he confesses, “What I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (v. 15), and again, in v. 19, “The evil I do not want to do, ­ this I keep on doing.” One can almost see him beating his beast as he concludes the lament , “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (v. 24) Scholars vary on their interpretation of this segment but whether he was speaking of himself prior to conversion or the inability of his old nature to stop sinning now, the picture he paints of moral failure suddenly changes in the last verse where he shouts out, “Thanks be to God, for he is the one who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
         Remember that there are no chapter, paragraph, or verse designations in the ancient text so all this that Paul has written in chapter 7 leads directly to the “therefore” of 8:1. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The failure of the law to meet the standards of righteousness has been described in detail. What the old nature was unable to accomplish has been done by the redemptive work of Christ with the result that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The penalty of sin is death, but now, thanks be to God, those who are in Christ Jesus have been set free from the terrible penalty of sin. There is now no condemnation. I can see the prisoner who, after many years in jail for his crime, steps out into the bright light of freedom. His lifts his voice and exclaims his own version of “there is therefore now no more condemnation!” Perhaps, “Finally! Free! Free! FREE!”
         And isn’t that what we ought to be saying continually? I know of no believer who, upon looking back seriously, wouldn’t join that prisoner as the meaning of his release began to sink in. Christ paid the penalty – and we sing, “All to Him I owe; Sin has left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow.” On that big ledger we see our name marked through and replaced with the word “FREE!” If that doesn’t stir the soul nothing will. Sins are gone, heaven’s open, and our Father is waiting. Free from the penalty of sin! You’d better believe it!