Saturday, April 12’s devotional. Paul’s desperate cry in Romans 7:24—“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”—is followed by one of the most triumphant declarations in all of Scripture: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (v. 25). The contrast is stunning. From despair to doxology in a single breath. From brokenness to blessing. From bondage to praise.
This is not a man who found a new plan, a fresh technique, or better moral resolve. This is a man who found a Saviour. Mark Penrith says, “The battle isn’t won by willpower—it’s won by the Man who walked out of a grave.” The answer to Paul’s cry wasn’t a what—it was a Who. And His name is Jesus.
Mark describes the moment like a flash of lightning: “Paul doesn’t whisper this. His soul shouts it! His spirit sings it. The same mouth that groaned ‘wretched’ now roars ‘rescued!’” Why? Because Jesus didn’t just come to improve your life. He came to rescue it. To crush the serpent. To break the chains. To cleanse what you cannot clean. And to finish what you cannot start.
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” That is the Christian’s anthem. Not thanks to self, or to systems, or to sincerity. But to God, who through Christ, has delivered us. Mark says, “The war isn’t won by your willpower, but by His wounds. He is a beautiful Saviour, glorious Lord, and He stands at the ready, powerful to save.”
Yes, Paul still acknowledges the battle: “So then, with my mind I myself am serving the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin.” But now that reality is reframed by gospel victory. The war still rages, but the outcome is no longer in question.
How does knowing that Jesus has already won the battle affect your day today? It means you fight from victory, not for it. It means your failures don’t define you—your Deliverer does. It means your cry of despair has already been met with divine grace.
So lift your eyes today. Lift your voice. Join Paul and say it out loud: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Prayer:
Father, thank You for Jesus—my Rescuer, my Champion, my Deliverer. Fill me with joy in the victory that is already mine. Amen.
This devotional content is not penned by the preacher. It is derived from the sermon notes. We aim to provide bite-sized reflections throughout the week for devotion and reflection.