Depression is an epidemic. Even well-meaning Christians find themselves trapped in a maddening pattern. Sin, confess, promise to do better, fail again. Sin and forgiveness, sin and forgiveness. Rinse and repeat until you're emotionally drained and spiritually defeated.
and the outcome is self-defeating misery. Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindahl describes the biblical cure. In Romans 7 and 8, Paul. Paul unveils a stunning revelation that shatters this cycle forever. His timeless wisdom reveals the solution that moves us from spiritual agony to genuine freedom.
Chuck titled his message, From Agony to Ecstasy. When you get to the seventh of Romans, it's It's dry. and barren. As you get deeper into it, it's hot. and arid.
And you long for relief. I often compare Romans 7 and 8 to a drive in the middle of the summer. from West Texas to Colorado. The barrenness of the beginning of your journey is Romans chapter 7. And the peak of the destinations, Romans chapter 8.
And you realize in the middle of the barrenness. You need help. You need help. You need encouragement in place of discouragement. You need a purpose in place of despair.
You need to win instead of wrestling with wretchedness. You need to be rescued. There's everything within me longing to get into the snow-capped mountains of the eighth chapter. But not until we've revisited one more time this struggle in chapter seven. Paul admits two or three things.
One, he says in verse 15 of chapter 7: I do not understand. Paul comes to the battle between the mind that wants to obey and the flesh that desires to drag him back into a life of sin, and he says, I cannot. Fully explain how this occurs in me. One of the reasons he can't explain it is because it comes upon you without announcement. Almost overnight, often after a great victory, you plunge into the wretchedness of your own flesh.
After a great Sunday, when you have praised and given worship to God, it isn't Sunday evening before you feel wretched over the battle. I am imperfect, is the problem, and that's found in verse 18. Nothing good dwells in my flesh. I am not only confused, I also admit I am imperfect. The reason is, verse 23: I am in a battle.
I admit that. I'm in a battle. I'm in this battle, and clouds hover over me. When it all seems to cave in on me, I scream, wretched one that I am. In fact, the Greek puts it very, very...
eloquently, wretched man I am. The pronoun sits alone in the text. For emphasis, wretched man. Ugh.
Now then. We get a brief view of the relief, sort of like the raton pass at verse 25. Thanks be to God. In the middle of his feeling wretched, he suddenly gets the thought. That there's a reason for thanksgiving.
Thanks be to God. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yeah, and By the way, weren't you pleased to read that Paul asked, who will set me free? Not what? He wasn't looking for a formula or a secret or some organization or even a church gathering.
None of that sets us free. It requires a person. A Redeemer, a rescuer. And he says, Thanks be to God, there is one. And he is Christ Jesus, my Lord.
So, what he's saying, in effect, he's confessing this. Only God can bring relief. I cannot bring it to myself or for myself. I'm like a drowning man at sea. I cannot get myself to the shore.
I need help from another. who will throw me a life-saving Device. I need help from another. And then he confesses. I cannot do it by myself.
Not only can I not bring relief to myself, I cannot do this work of rescuing by myself. And so the chapter turns. He's over the pass. And now he's into the base of the Rockies. And it is wonderful.
what he witnesses. God's encouragement. Remember those feelings. You feel condemned, and he says. There is no condemnation.
In fact, in the Greek sentence, no is first way out of place and emphatic. No, none at all, never. The emphasis is there at the very beginning of the sentence. There's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Here's the explanation: the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
There it is. Do you realize when you came to Christ that there was a whole, if I may, whole package deal that was made available to you? In fact, Went into action? Among that, within that package, was the presence of the Holy Spirit. Who is not an it?
He is a member of the Trinity, and He lives within you as a result of your conversion. When you came to Christ, the Spirit of God took up his residence within you, and he will never ever leave. You cannot sin so badly that he runs away from you. Oh, he's grieved. He can be quenched.
But he doesn't abandon us. He lives within us. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the condemning law of sin and death. I have within me the power that I haven't in myself. I have within me an energy that I cannot work up on my own.
Because Christ is there, I have supernatural assistance that is available in OW. I love these little words that get intimidated, but the big ones. See the word now? There is therefore now no condemnation. Right now.
He's doing his work of reassurance. By the way. The chapter starts with no condemnation. It ends, turn ahead, to the end of it, it ends with no separation. Isn't that a great thought?
No condemnation. No separation. I am convinced that neither Death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creation shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. No condemnation, that's one mountain peak. No separation, that's another mountain peak.
And you go from one to another as a child of God. And the Spirit of God brings that to your attention and says to you, and now, in all your own self-made hopelessness, remember, I am here to make life different for you. The law of sin and death is no longer powerful over you. You feel trapped, but the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death. You feel tired?
He says, I will do this for you and through you. I will do this through you.
So that the requirement, look at verse 4: the requirement of the law, which is to live in obedience to God. The requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the strength of the flesh, but according to the power of the Spirit. What good is that? The Spirit of God puts his power within us and carries out his strength through us. You see, God has no vocal cords on this earth.
Except your throat. He has no hands to do his work except your hands. He has no visible entities to carry out. His mission He has you. He has me.
But we feel inadequate, we feel incapable, and we feel weak, and we're given to highs and lows, and it makes no difference to the Spirit of God. Who is co-equal, co-eternal, and coexistent with the Father and the Son? How great is that? Living within us. Energizing us to face whatever the day may bring.
There's no obstacles too high for Him. There's no person too difficult for him. There's no situation impossible to him. And he's alive and well within us, saying, let me work through you. I was thinking as we were listening and enjoying Nielsen and Young the other evening in the concert.
We were sitting right where we could see. Stephen Nielsen's fingers going all over the piano. I mean just everywhere. And I watched Ovid as he sits there. In a whole different style.
Ovid's idea of excitement is blinking three times in one minute. Stephen is all over the place. He's a one-buttock player. It's another subject I'll get into sometime, but he's back and forth and back and forth. And I love watching Stephen play.
And at times, when he finishes, it's like, I'm going to think he's going to fall off the bench. He's just wonderful. He's just into it. Lost in it. I love that kind of musician.
And so I'm thinking. Uh why didn't I keep practicing? That's the first thought I have. And then... Wouldn't it be great if Stephen had the ability to put his spirit in me.
We'd have a piano trio. Nielsen Young and Swindle. It doesn't sound right, does it? It doesn't work right. But if he could.
When I sat down to play. I could do it. I could do it. That's the work of the Spirit. Let me speak this through you.
Let me face this situation through you. You lean on me. That's why I'm here. You let me work through you, and my power will come out. through your voice when you speak and through your presence.
when you were there. through your hands as you touch. Through your life as you lead. That's the Spirit's empowerment. He does for me what I cannot do for myself.
Furthermore, he fulfills in me what God desires for me. Isn't that great? It isn't about me. It isn't what my plan is in life, it's what God's plan is, which makes it so exciting.
So, when I'm surprised by decisions that are made or events that occur, God isn't taken by surprise. He's there living within me, saying, I'll get you through this. That's why I'm here. It also does a wonderful thing to Inside those who are Tempted to control other people. Maybe that's you.
You may feel the need to straighten people out. I live like that for For years. I mean, I've spent first 10 years of my marriage trying to fix Cynthia. And uh I found out she wasn't broken. I was the problem.
I almost lost my marriage. Because I was too dumb to realize that God didn't put me on earth to make her into a Female chuck. How sick does that sound? How come she doesn't? Do it like I would do it.
'Cause she isn't me. How come she doesn't deal with things like I deal with? I'm right. And then, through a series of events that are none of your business. Which included some very intense counseling.
to help us get us on our feet. We learned. How to live? How to be partners. Yeah.
And uh I learned also in that in ministry because I was already in ministry trying to fix everybody in the church. and uh driving the sheep. Man. I spend every year weaving new whips. Stupid.
Deal.
Now, I've got to tell you. I don't lose one ounce of sleep over you. I care, but I can't fix you. I can't keep you awake in church. I can't keep you interested in spiritual things.
I can't make you take these principles and put them into your life. I'm busy working with me. I gotta deal with me. I like the words of Margaret Rink. To let go does not mean to stop caring, it means that I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off, it's the realization I can't control others. To let go is not to enable. But to allow learning from natural consequences. That's a big one. To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to judge, but to allow another human being. being to be herself or himself. To let go is not to be in the middle of arranging all the outcomes. But to allow others to affect their own destinies. To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes.
Remember, it's so daily. To let go is not to criticize and regulate anybody. but to try to become what I dream I can be by God's grace. To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and to live for the future. To let go is to fear less and to love more.
Where was Margaret Rink when I first got going in ministry? All of it emerging out of Romans 8 and the snow peak. Of coordinating my life in technique with the Spirit of God. Leaning on Him, relying on Him, admitting when I'm over my head. letting things go that he can handle them.
I try, I fail. Eileen It works out well. And so I cooperate with a surrendering spirit and a willingness that says it's not about me. God's not interested in doing in your life what I think He ought to do, He's got a plan for you. And it's profound.
My hope, my passion, is to pour myself into the truth of his words so that you understand that. importance in your life and then it's your move. It's all that's yours. It's called grace. It's grace.
I have none of your faces on my dartboard. I don't have nightmares about any of you. I'm not worried about you. Things in my life concern me a lot, but I My hope is Built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame But wholly lean Oh Jesus.
Maybe.
So the summary of all of this is very simple. First is a life without struggles. is impossible to live. You see, if you think Putting this into action, you're going to get this C D. And you're going to play it enough to where you got it memorized.
And you're going to be able to get away from life's struggles. Uh Don't get the C D. That's nonsense. That's uh televangelist talk. The truth is, life will be a life of struggle that will be beyond your ability to handle.
It's impossible to get beyond the struggles. They're there, they'll be there. You leave this service on a Super high note, you get to your car, you have a flat. It's amazing. Or somebody will cut you a little short in the parking lot and Ben Defender.
And drive on saying, God bless you, brother. It's always something. But let me tell you the second part: a struggle. without surrender is a miserable way. It's miserable to endure.
Let's use those words. Since life has its struggles, If you choose not to surrender your will, your plan, your wish, your image, your name, your reputation, all that stuff. You're going to enter into a misery that will never get resolved. Your stay in Romans 7. You'll think the best there is is West Texas.
And now I know we got friends from West Texas, so. I'm sorry. You have to go back there. Yeah. Can't believe I said that.
It was about 30-something years ago. I was asked to go up to a place called Camp Tadmore, where a bunch of guys gathered for a men's retreat, about 1,500 men. I didn't know most of them. My friend Joe Aldridge had helped put it together and He and I had linked up in the thing, and we were there. I think that might have been where I first met Steve or R, I'm not sure.
Steve's from that area. Anyway, it's a great, great time. Guys were just. They were just all over it. We had great singing, we had a lot of fun.
I just enjoyed being with them. While I was there, our song leaders, a man named Dick Anthony, said he had just gotten a new chorus he wanted to teach all of us.
So Didn't have Screens in those days, so he wrote it on a flip chart, you know. Great big chart. It says it's called come to the water. And you read it to us. You said you'd come and share all my sorrows.
You said you'd be there for all my tomorrows. I came so close to sending you away. But just like you promised, you came here to stay. I just had to pray. And Jesus said, Come to the water and stand by my side.
I know you're thirsty. You won't be denied. I felt every Teardrop when in darkness. You cried. Wretched man.
And I strove to remind you that for those tears I died. Guys started coming down front. They just kind of fell down front. Just one after another. Must have been two dozen of them.
Maybe more. And we just sang that song over and over. Over and offer it. Yeah. What happens when you Surrender it.
Let him have it. If you've never met Jesus, What in the world are you waiting for? You're not going to get out of the pit. And if you do, you're not going to get past death. It's gonna be shocking for you.
Once you die. Right now, you can understand he died for you. For those tears I died. For those sins I died. For that lifestyle I died.
For that addiction I died. For all the shameful things you can bundle up. and put on your back to carry. I died for all of that. I paid the complete penalty to take care of that.
I've taken away that. If you'll just trust me now. Just take me, I'm yours. Let's bow. Together.
I like it when you're lost in your own thoughts. And I don't know what those thoughts are. I hope you stay with them through the day. Maybe through the night. Maybe it's your move to come to the water.
Stand by his side. The song says, Jesus, I give you my heart and my soul. I know now without God I'll never behold. Savior, you opened all the right doors. and I thank you and praise you from earth's humble shores.
Take me. I'm yours. Long enough, our Father, have we had to live in the truth that. We can will it, but we can't do it. Or we're going to do our best this time.
Are we going to work real hard to be real righteous and pious? Thank you for your grace that delivers us from the self-help. Of a law-oriented lifestyle like that. Thank you for the reminder that you're the only one who fixes people. You're the only one.
who really knows how to control others. Forgive us for wasted efforts. In fixing our partners in life, or our children, or our parents, or our friends. co-workers. Turn our attention to the realization that This message is for me.
It's for me. Here am I. Lord. Control me. Use me.
Send me. For those who've never met your son, we pray their misery will know no end. that their nights will not be met by sleep and relief. But in the Agony of soul, they will finally release their will to yours. In the matchless name of our snow-peaked Savior.
Jesus. We pray. And everybody sit. Peep. This is Insight for Living, featuring the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindahl.
We're taking our time to mine the depths of Paul's letter to the Romans. this time chapters seven and eight. Chuck titled today's pivotal message, From Agony to Ecstasy. In order to help you continue learning on your own, Insight for Living has prepared a number of study tools for you. We encourage you to take advantage of this exclusive bundle of resources.
Each one is designed to renew your mind and increase your gratitude for God's amazing grace. The first resource in the bundle is our Searching the Scriptures Bible Study Workbook for this study in Romans. It's spiral bound, and due to the length and depth of Paul's letter, the edition for Romans comes in two volumes. The first volume is ready right now. Second, Chuck wrote a full-length commentary on Romans.
This is hard-bound, and it's from the Living Insights commentary series. Anyone who loves the Bible should own this commentary from Chuck. And third, Insight for Living has produced a collection of audio messages so you can listen to Chuck's sermons in their entirety at your own pace. and so you'll have a permanent record of this Hallmark study. To purchase this special trilogy of resources from Insight for Living, call us at 800-772-8888 or go to insight.org slash offer.
Before we wrap up another week of programs together, I want to conclude by extending a word of thanks to those who consistently support Chuck's teaching ministry. Because of your generosity, Insight for Living is available to millions of listeners on the radio, YouTube, our website, our mobile app, and all the different digital platforms like Instagram, X, and Facebook that are so popular these days. To send a contribution in the mail, address your envelope to InsightForLiving. Post Office Box 5000. Frisco, Texas 75034.
If you'd like to make a donation online, just go to insight.org/slash donate. You can also call us at 800-772-8888. I'm Bill Meyer. Join us when Shucksman Dahl has an up-close and personal talk about your walk with God. Monday on Insight for Living.
The preceding message, From Agony to Ecstasy, was copyrighted in 2007, 2010, and 2025, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2025 by Charles R. Swindahl, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.
