Cant Seem To Break That One Sin – Part 6 We are continuing on with Romans Chapter 6: The next thing Paul tells us is: “12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” Therefore, what is the “therefore” therefore? It is there to tell us that what was just said is important, therefore follow what it says. It is to tell us that do not let sin reign in us! It means that if we have given ourselves to Christ, then our choice should be, don’t sin! If we choose to sin, then we are not His. Because if we obey sin, it will soon destroy us and our walk with Christ. Paul goes on and tells us not to: “ 13And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” In other words, stop what we are doing, us, not God help us, He has already given us all the help we need. We unfortunately ask for prayer for God to help us overcome, when He has already said we have overcome if we will walk in His Word. We can keep asking over and over again until we begin to believe that God won’t help us and walk away from God, or we can believe that God has already PROMISED in His Word that He would never forsake us, nor leave us, and that He is always there in our time of need. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:12-14 (NKJ) this: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” Get the picture, God has already taken care of you when you are tempted. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. And in fact, He has made a way of escape for you so that you can bear it. Therefore and again there is that word “Therefore.” So what is that “Therefore,” therefore? Paul say when you are tempted – flee! In other words get out of where you are and do something different and as James tells us in James 4:7, 8 (NKJ) “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” So you see you don’t need to just pray, prayer is good, but what is most important is that you need to submit, to obey, to resist, and get out of there if you can, get away from whatever it is that is tempting you. The prayer that I think would be best is “Help me God” as I am running for my life out of the situation I am in. That requires us to be on guard at all times to be able to beware of the wiles of the enemy. Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” So now what? Paul says: “ 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under Law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” Well here is the answer to the question or thought I ended Study 5 with, which was: “If you are not free in Christ, then you do not belong to Him and have gone back to who you were! I will prove my point as we go along with the rest of what Paul tells us.” So I hate to say it this way, but I must prove my point! Paul tells us here: “ 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. This means that whoever or whatever we follow, either our flesh, or the temptations of the devil, and ultimately sin, or the righteousness of God, we become a slave to whom we follow. That means if you or I practice sin, then we are slaves to that sin. And if we are slaves to sin, then we are free from God’s righteousness. It says it the Scripture above. And it says here: “ 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So my friends if you have been set free from sin by giving your life to Jesus Christ, why do you continue to live your life as if you didn’t. You must realize that there is a difference in practicing sin and being caught unaware. We are not perfect beings and we fail and sometimes without thinking we will sin, but Paul is telling us that we don’t need to sin. But if we willfully practice sin, then we have given ourselves back to the enemy and if we are not careful, we will think that we are alright because we keep asking for forgiveness, when in fact, there is no longer any forgiveness for us because we are not walking in Truth, but in a lie, a lie told to ourselves. What I am saying here is found in Hebrews 10:19-27 (NKJ) this: “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.” So my friends, you are free from sin, and you don’t have to sin, but if you sin, then you have an advocate in Jesus Christ. Don’t think that just because you made a confession of Christ that you are free to live as you like. Thinking that all you have to do is believe, and show up to Church once in a while, that thinking won’t get you into the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus made that clear in Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJ) “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (sin)!” So what is the will of God for you: John 6:40 (NKJ) “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” So when the time comes, and I hope that it is right now, that you begin to feel the freedom that Jesus Christ has given you. When you truly begin to live by faith and not by anything you do, then you will be truly free, and you will begin to fully understand what this last Scripture means. And you will understand how Jesus has Already Set You Free from that sin that so easily besets you. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 (NIV) Until He comes! (Hosea 10:12)
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 03:33:19 +0000
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