…I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts.

Romans 7:23 NASB

This is a verse I have struggled with. I’ve sometimes thought this person isn’t saved because a saved person is a slave to righteousness, not sin. Other times, I’ve thought they are saved because they aren’t a slave, but a prisoner.

I was thinking this past week about what it would mean to be a prisoner. Suddenly I thought of it in a way I had never before, in terms of the kingdom.

I think of the kingdom of God as wherever Jesus is submitted to as king. Certainly Jesus rules over all, but not everything acts in full submission to Him, though He could demand and enforce submission at any time.

Every part of my life that is submitted to Christ as my king has been brought into His kingdom.

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Col. 1:13 NKJV

So, if we were living in His kingdom, what would it mean for someone in prison? They are in the kingdom. If they weren’t in the kingdom, they wouldn’t be in prison. They were under the rule of the king but had broken a law and were being held captive.

Now, it’s sin keeping the Romans 7 person captive. BUT, it’s the king that had him thrown in prison, namely gave the person over to their sin. Why does God do that? God’s desire is for our salvation. Sin kills and destroys and leads to hell. Why would God throw someone in the prison of sin? Because He desires our salvation!

If we are treating sin lightly, He will show us the seriousness of it. Sin is a matter of life and death. Sometimes we need to feel the desperation of it otherwise we won’t cry out to our Savior. The Romans 7 Christian is in trouble. They haven’t been thrown out of the kingdom. Their future is either release or deportation, maybe execution. We don’t stay in prison. We cry out for release and trust our Savior’s words are true that He will cleanse us from all sin!

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 NKJV

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 NKJV

You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 1 John 3:5 NASB

My word for the year is truth. I am praying it for myself, my family, my church, the whole church, and the nations. I pray for the light of Christ to make manifest what is true and false. I pray for the light of Christ is expose lies and deception. I pray for false doctrine and teaching to be exposed for what it is. I pray for worldly philosophies and falsehoods in psychology and science to be exposed. And I pray for the truth to be revealed in Christ Jesus for all to be draw to its light.

For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

Ephesians 5:12-14 NKJV