Go! And Cry Out for Deliverance - Romans 7:24
Introduction: The Cry of a Desperate Soul
Romans 7:24 (NLT): “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?”
Church, have you ever stood before a mirror—not just to fix your hair or check your clothes—but to really look deep into your soul and ask, “What is wrong with me?”
Today, we dive into the agonising cry of the Apostle Paul—a cry every honest heart has felt at one point: “Who will rescue me?” This verse doesn’t whisper. It shouts. It groans. It weeps. And it leads us to the only answer this broken world has ever truly needed—Jesus Christ, our Rescuer and Redeemer.
1. The Human Condition: Sin’s Slavery
“Oh, what a miserable person I am!” — Romans 7:24a
The Greek word used here for “miserable” is talaiporos, meaning wretched, deeply afflicted, enduring extreme hardship. Paul isn’t saying he’s having a bad day—he’s saying he’s in spiritual agony.
Romans 7 is part of Paul’s deep theological argument about the law, sin, and grace. He has just expressed in verses 15–23 the tension within: he wants to do what is right but finds himself doing what is wrong. His conscience aligns with God’s law, but his flesh fights against it.
Romans 7:18 (NLT): “I want to do what is right, but I can’t.”
This is not a man making excuses. It’s a man deeply aware of the war within.
Many believers feel this. We want to live holy lives, but sin clings. Our thoughts betray us. Our actions disappoint us. Our hearts condemn us. Have you been there?
Charles Stanley once said, “We must face the truth about ourselves before we can experience the truth of God’s grace.”
Yes! The Gospel is not good news unless we first understand the bad news. You won’t cry out for rescue if you think you’re not drowning.
Imagine a man trapped in quicksand. The more he struggles, the deeper he sinks. That’s what sin is like. And our moral effort is like trying to climb out with spaghetti noodles. Useless. We need a rescuer, not a coach. We need deliverance, not improvement.
2. The Real Enemy: Sin and Death
“…from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” — Romans 7:24b
Paul pinpoints the source of misery: sin and its consequence: death.
Paul isn’t blaming circumstances or upbringing—he’s pointing to the universal spiritual disease all humans inherit. Romans 5:12 (NLT) confirms: “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”
The phrase “dominated by” in Greek implies a controlling power or authority—like a tyrant king. Sin isn’t just an act—it’s a ruler. And death is its enforcer.
“For the wages of sin is death…” — Romans 6:23a (NLT)
“You were dead because of your sins…” — Ephesians 2:1 (NLT)
Church, sin doesn’t just make us bad. It makes us dead. Spiritually lifeless. Morally bankrupt. Hopeless apart from divine intervention.
Tim Keller wrote, “The Gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
We must feel the weight of the first half before we can rejoice in the second.
3. The Rescuer Revealed: Jesus Our Deliverer
Romans 7:25a (NLT): “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Yes! This is where the Gospel explodes with light. Paul cries out, “Who will rescue me?” And then he answers his own question: Jesus.
In Roman society, the concept of a rescuer or deliverer was used in legal and military settings—a benefactor who intervenes when someone is utterly powerless to help themselves.
Jesus is not our example before He is our rescuer. He didn’t come to give us a second chance; He came to give us new life.
1 Peter 2:24 (NLT): “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross…”
1 Peter 3:18 (NLT): “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time… He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God.”
Romans 5:8 (NLT): “God showed his great love… by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
The word “Lord” in Greek is Kyrios—meaning Master, Sovereign, Ruler. Jesus is not a life coach. He is the reigning King and rightful Lord of our hearts.
John Piper said: “Jesus did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savouring God. And people who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there will not be there.”
Amen. The goal of salvation is not a better life but a new life in Christ. He is the treasure, the prize, the answer.
4. The Response Required: Repent and Believe
The Gospel demands a response. Romans 10:9 (NLT) is clear: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. That is the Gospel. But it’s not just to be admired—it’s to be received.
Church, the difference between despair and deliverance is Jesus. Not religion. Not good behaviour. Jesus.
To repent is to turn. To believe is to trust. To follow Jesus is to surrender. And that surrender leads to freedom.
Max Lucado once said, “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.”
Salvation is not self-help. It’s resurrection. Jesus doesn’t make you a better version of you—He makes you a new creation.
5. The Burning Building
Imagine being trapped in a burning building. Smoke fills the air. The heat is unbearable. You scream, but no one hears. Just as you begin to give up, a firefighter bursts through the flames, lifts you into his arms, and carries you out.
You didn’t crawl out. You didn’t help. You were saved. That’s the Gospel.
Jesus didn’t throw you a ladder of rules. He ran into the fire of sin and death, bore it on Himself at the cross, and carried you out alive.
Gospel Invitation:
Friend, you may feel miserable. Wretched. Trapped. But Jesus stands ready to rescue you. He died in your place. He rose in victory. And He is Lord.
Will you call out like Paul did?
“Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me…?”
And will you declare with faith?
“Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
If you have never surrendered to Jesus, now is the time. Turn from your sin. Trust in Him. Cry out for rescue—and receive life.
Call to Action for Believers:
If you are in Christ, remember this: we still struggle with sin, but we do not struggle alone. Jesus has saved us, is sanctifying us, and will one day glorify us.
Live free. Live grateful. Live surrendered.
Be bold in your witness. Be holy in your walk. Be joyful in your hope.
Benediction:
May you walk in the freedom Christ has purchased.
May your heart never forget the pit from which you were rescued.
May your life shout, “Thank God! The answer is Jesus!”
And may the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Amen.
