RomansSample

Day 3: Freedom from Sin and the Law

Paul gets real in Romans 6 and 7 about the struggle we face. We’re dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6). Sin’s power over us is broken, but still yet to be broken fully. Paul describes this tug-of-war between our new identity and our old nature (Romans 7). It’s a battle, but the victory is already ours in Christ.

Let’s zoom in on this. Romans 6 is like a halftime speech where Paul’s hyping us up: “You’re dead to sin! You’re alive in God!” But then Romans 7 drops in like a reality check. Paul doesn’t sugarcoat it—there’s a serious internal wrestle going on. You’re a new creation, yet the old self doesn’t just tap out easily. There’s this tension between the desire to live righteously and that nagging pull from the flesh. It’s frustrating, it’s messy, and Paul doesn’t pretend otherwise.

But here’s the crucial point: the struggle is real, but the struggle isn’t final. You’re not a victim caught in an endless loop of failure and guilt. You’re a victor because, in Christ, the power dynamic has shifted. Sin isn’t your master anymore, even if it occasionally tries to act like it is. Paul’s brutally honest about the battle, but he also makes it clear that the outcome isn’t in doubt—victory is secure. Thanks be to God who gives us that sin fighting nature in Jesus Christ and has put to death our old nature on the cross with Christ.

Are you living like someone who’s still bound? Paul’s saying, “That’s not who you are anymore!” The question is, do you actually believe it?

Prayer: Lord, thank You for setting me free from sin. Help me to walk in that freedom and to live as someone who has already won the battle. Amen.