I Thank God

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 7:24-25

Salvation is, from start to finish, the work of God. Paul realized this and experienced it personally. If anyone had reason to depend upon himself because of his personal pedigree, Paul did. He speaks of it elsewhere by saying ‘though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eight day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.’ He depended on none of those things to make him acceptable to God. He clearly explains his justification in terms of the imputed righteousness of Christ. Having said that, in the passage from which our text derives, he plainly declares that even as a saved person he does not improve in grace apart from Christ. This is important for us to understand as it relates specifically to our own spiritual experience. In our text, Paul asks who shall deliver him from his inclination to doing what is wrong. He calls it, ‘this body of death.’ His answer is God through Christ. He does not turn to himself as his own deliverer. Every growth toward true spirituality is the result of the work of God. Paul did not, and we cannot take credit for our sanctification any more than we can our justification. It is all of grace and all of God. Therefore we thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Our Great and Sovereign God, 
we rejoice at Your saving work.
We praise You, that what You have begun, 
You will complete. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning