October 30, 2020
It is a terrible thing to be in bondage. And the worst servitude is to be enslaved to sin as the ruling principle in your life. To be unable to quit sinning.
DEATH AND RESURRECTION
Paul’s explanation of our new position in Christ in Romans 5-8 explains the liberation we have received through Christ. It’s summarized here:
Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. (Romans 6:6)
The terms in this verse are critical to understand.
OUR OLD SELF … is describing who I was before I came into a relationship with Christ and Christ came to live in me. Everything changed with my salvation. Once I was a man without Christ; now I forever have Christ. Once I was devoid of His Spirit; now His Spirit indwells me. Once I was unforgiven; now I am completely, eternally forgiven. Once I could do nothing but sin; now I can choose not to sin because of the power of Christ in me.
WAS CRUCIFIED WITH HIM … in a literal sense, all of my sin was laid on Christ and judged by God and the full penalty of sin was given by God to Christ on my behalf. Thus I can say that my old man (the man without Christ, the man unforgiven, the man enslaved to sin as the ruling principle of life) was literally put to death with Christ.
IN ORDER THAT THE BODY OF SIN … the old man who could do nothing but sin.
MIGHT BE DONE AWAY WITH … means that the old man who was enslaved to sin was rendered powerless. It once had the power to completely enslave me. There was nothing I could do but sin. But a new, higher power has now taken over. I can choose to sin, but I can also choose not to sin now through the indwelling power of a resurrected and living Christ.
SO THAT WE WOULD NO LONGER BE SLAVES TO SIN … I can sin, I will sin, but the reality is that I don’t have to sin anymore because “the life of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death!” (Romans 8:2).
I am a new man and I will never, ever be the same again. The old man is forever gone (the man without Christ) and I am free at last!
Father, thank You for the completeness of Christ work on the cross and the resurrection! Thank You that you took care of my sin problem at the cross and You took care of my powerlessness problem at the resurrection, for you are alive and now living in me! Thank You that I’m now and forever free!
March 27, 2025
When our faith is sufficient to lead us to actually follow God’s plan, we will always see that it is “good, acceptable, and perfect.” These words, as always, are important.
March 11, 2025
God knows what He is about. Always include in your request the greatest prayer—the prayer of surrender. “Lord, Your will be done.” This is the prayer, when humbly prayed, that will always be answered and yield the most valuable result from the God who loves us best ... even if the answer is hard.
March 05, 2025
Every created man or woman must make their choice. What will you do with God? Will you embrace or reject Him? Draw near or run away? Trust and serve Him or doubt God and serve yourself? This foundational choice determines everything.
