God's People Pant After Deliverance From Their Body of Sin

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?—Romans 7:24.

Spiritual sense and feeling are peculiar to regenerate, heaven-born souls. While in a carnal state, "dead in trespasses and sins;" though the law thunders out its dreadful curses against us, we hear not. Though by nature children of wrath and deserving hell, yet our danger we see not. Though our sins are gone over our heads, and are like a sore burden too heavy for us to bear, yet we feel them not. But when the soul is alive to God, we groan, being burdened with a body of sin, and pant after deliverance. This was the experience of holy Paul. Such the experience of saints in all ages. But, thanks be to our God, though ever so deeply distressed and greatly depressed with sin, we sorrow not as without hope. We are not ignorant of our deliverer, but know him, even Jesus Christ. None but Jesus is able; and he hath, he doth, he will deliver. He hath delivered from the curse of sin by his death. He doth deliver the conscience from the guilt and dominion of sin through faith. He will deliver the soul perfectly from the being of sin, when the body of flesh is "sown in dishonor, to be raised in glory." The last enemy, death, is not destroyed yet. None are so perfectly exempt from that which brought death into the world, SIN. But present deliverance thou hast, O believer! and perfect deliverance thou canst not but pant after and long for.

Think not, that feeling a body of sin, (which, like thy natural body, consists of many parts and members,) groaning under it, inwardly breathing out ardent desires for deliverance, inscribing "wretched man" upon thyself, like a criminal who is compelled to carry about a dead, putrefied, stinking carcass; think not all this to be inconsistent with a blessed state, and being blessed "with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus." No: thou art not singular; it was once the lot of all thy brethren now perfect in glory. It is the lot of all thy companions in the faith and patience of Jesus on earth. When Paul, in such spiritual ecstasy and joy, was caught up to the third heavens, he did not know whether he was in the body or not; he might then think he was entirely freed from his burden, that he was perfect; but a little time after, experience convinced him to the contrary; and we find him "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing."—2 Corinthians 6:10. Blessed be our compassionate Saviour, who reaches out reviving cordials of consolation and refreshment; these cheer our drooping spirits under our burden; this favor no kind hand administered to him, when worn out and sinking under the ponderous load of our sins on the cross. O the joy of faith! Sin, though felt, grieved for, mourned over; yet "there is NO CONDEMNATION to them that are in Christ Jesus."—Romans 8:1.

- William Mason, A Spiritual Treasury for the Children of God, Volume 1, July 23