Welcome to the Paul Tripp podcast, where pastor and best-selling author Dr. Paul David Tripp connects the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.

Well, Romans 7 is the Apostle Paul's famous autobiographical narrative of his struggle with sin.

And in today's episode, we'll hear Paul Tripp explain why the

Apostle struggled, just like we do every day. Here's Paul with this sermon, Wretched Man That I Am.

We gave birth to a son who just didn't understand gifts. We would get to him what we thought was a wonderful gift.

He would open it up and in a few minutes be playing with the box. I can remember one Christmas

when we were determined we were going to find the ultimate gift, the one that surely he would love.

We shopped extensively. We found the gift. We had such excitement. We were surely much more

excited about that gift than he was. We pulled it out from underneath the tree. You could feel

the tingle. He opened the gift and actually played for it

with it for a little bit. I was quite delighted. I went into the kitchen for a moment, came back into

the living room, and he was playing with the box. I think, sadly, there are many believers who are in that place,

just like my son. We have been given the most awesome gift that could ever be given,

the grace of God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a gift of awesome beauty.

It's a gift you could never earn or never deserve.

There could be no gift more appropriate.

There could be no gift more appropriate. There could be no gift more essential.

And yet, there are many of us who seem quite content to play with the box.

Oh, sure, we'll involve ourselves

in Sunday service attendance.

We'll give a bit of our money.

We may even give ourselves to occasional personal

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