Romans 7:24-25 Now Available feat. Shay Carlucci and Mountlake Music

Romans

Nov 22

Romans 7:24-25 is now available on all streaming platforms!

THE VERSES

[24] Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Have you ever felt truly powerless? Like a “you know the way you want to go in, but consistently go in the opposite way” sort of powerlessness? Have you ever felt the intense inward struggle of longing to do one thing you know is right, but consistently choosing the very thing you know is wrong? It’s so confusing, discouraging, and defeating! In chapter 7 of Romans, Paul declares he desperately wants to obey God with every ounce of his body, but feels the inner power of sin dragging him down and away from God. As he comes face-to-face with this reality at work in his life, he offers us a tri-fold exploration through a statement, a question, and an answer.

1. The Statement

He begins with, “Wretched man that I am!” This word for “wretched” in Greek isn’t about being worthless; it’s more so a statement of someone being afflicted and distressed! It’s a description of someone who’s fought for a long time but is feeling worn down and burdened. It’s reminiscent of Isaiah 6, when Isaiah cries out, “Woe is me! For I am lost…” Other translations say, “I am undone!” Other translations use the word “ruined.” While there is theological debate on who exactly this is referring to in Romans, the truth rings out the same for Christian or non-Christian: apart from God, all of us are lost, undone, and ruined!

2. The Question

This reality leads us all to join Paul in asking this question: “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Because we are powerless and helpless, we need deliverance! Because we’ve gotten ourselves in this mess and feel the effects of sin all around us, we need a deliverer who will draw us out of death and plant us in life! Where will the help come from? At the end of the day, we know we can’t deliver ourselves… Society around us and even some outward forms of religion offer us pseudo-deliverers and deliverances, but the sad reality is we’re ultimately still just as stuck in darkness. These so-called deliverers can never follow through on their promises. This is the nature of Paul’s question here: who can truly deliver us?

3. The Answer

Paul doesn’t leave us hanging for that long! Note first what he doesn’t say, “Thanks be to me, for all the answers and strength I need is found inside myself.” He also doesn’t say, “Thanks be to God through the law…” While the law exposes sin and shows us a better way of life, it doesn’t offer us the power to overcome it. Paul’s simple but beautifully profound answer is found in this 9-word phrase of praise and gratitude: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” God in Christ has made a way for us! Where we are lost, Christ comes as the way, the truth, and the life. Where we are undone, Christ bandages and heals us. Where we are ruined, Jesus makes all things new again.

As Advent is just around the corner, let us remember that Christ, our deliverer, came once as a humble baby but is coming again as a ruling King and Judge. Until He does, He has sent us His Spirit that we might live in all the freedom He has for us, and this is precisely what the next chapter in Romans (chapter 8) explores! May the phrase, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” be readily on our tongues and hearts throughout this Advent season and into the new year. Over the next few weeks, meditate on these verses:

Where have you tasted your wretchedness and need for deliverance?
Where do you need deliverance today, and how might Jesus meet you there?
What hope does His final coming and complete deliverance upon His arrival offer you in this present moment?

The Song + The Artist

This song was written by Shay Carlucci and co-produced by Shay Carlucci and Dan Folgado. Engineered and mixed by Dan Folgado. Mastered by Ed Brooks at Resonant Mastering in Seattle, WA.

Song Credits

Doug Finefrock - Drums
Cole Mauro - Drums
Kristian Gonzalez - Bass
Shay Carlucci - Acoustic, Synth, Vocals, Co-Produced
Daniel Folgado - Electric, Piano, BGVs, Produced, Engineered, Mixed