“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:12-16 ESV)
Because Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross in order to put our sins to death with him, so that we might now die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, we are not to let sin continue to reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions and desires. For Jesus Christ delivered us out of our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin so that we will now serve him with our lives in holy living. So sin should no longer be what we practice. Obedience to God in righteous living should be our practice.
In other words, sin is to no longer have mastery (control) over our lives to where we are compelled to obey it and to submit to it. We should no longer be those who deliberately and habitually sin against God and other humans. Our lives are no longer to be controlled by hate, lust, adultery, selfishness, pride, self-will, lying, cheating, stealing, unfaithfulness, and moral impurity, and the like. We are no longer to live lives which are out of control, but we are to be those who are exercising self-control, by the Spirit.
Now this says here, “Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace?” “The Law” being spoken of here is the Old Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, and dietary laws and restrictions, including the requirement for circumcision. They were all the things which could be done in the flesh, and were external, but without anyone having to have a genuine heart change of the Spirit of God. But God’s moral laws never went away. They are taught all throughout the New Testament.
For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow our Lord in walks of obedience, then we have eternal life. And he also said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
And the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say ‘No!’ to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
[Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 3:23-25; Romans 5:1-2; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 6:24; Hebrews 10:26-31; Hebrews 12:12-17; 1 Peter 2:24]
For, if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience (to God) is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with Christ, our Lord. For if we say that we are in fellowship with God, but while we walk (in conduct, in practice) in sin, we are liars. And if we claim that we know God, but while we do not obey his commands (New Covenant), in practice, we are liars, and we do not live by the truth. For it is those who practice righteousness who are righteous in the eyes of God.
[Romans 6:1-23; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6,15-17; 1 John 3:4-10]
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
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