DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT 10-15-2014 DO NOT LET SIN REIGN By Fred Trokie Romans 6:12-13 says: 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. In verse 12 the word reign (Greek basileuō - Strongs# G936) is in the imperative mood, which is the mood of command. We are not to let sin reign or take control of our lives. In order to apply verses 12 and 13, you must understand Romans 6:1-4 Romans 6:1-4 1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death ? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Verse 1-2 is an answer to Romans 5:20-21 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:1-2 states that we are not to sin for the sake of more grace. God always gives us grace in regards to our daily walk with Him. (see 2 Corinthians 1:12, 2 Corinthians 9:8) Romans 6:3 states that being baptized (spiritual not water) in Christ means that we have been baptized into His death. To be baptized (Gk:Baptizo Strongs# G907) means to be identified with that which one is being baptized into. To be baptized into Christs death means that we are now identified with Him positionally (Gods perspective). Verse 4 goes on to say that if we have died with Christ we have also been raised with Him that we might walk in newness of life. So here we find a positional truth (our death and resurrection in Christ) transcending into our experiential walk with God. This is the key to having victory over our sin on a daily and moment to moment basis. God has given each believer in Jesus Christ a new nature. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. We now have two natures. Our old sin nature (also known as the flesh), and our new spiritual nature. So how does this work? Lets say that you happen to run into an old friend that you have not seen for over 10 years. You are a believer and he or she is not. You go for coffee and reminisce for two or three hours. Latter you reflect on your meeting and realize that even though your friend’s circumstances have changed, his or her characteristics have not. Thats because your friend is not a believer in Jesus Christ and has only one nature, the sin nature. All that your friend can do is live under it and act upon it. You on the other hand as a believer in Jesus Christ have two natures, and can chose which one to live under. This is how to fulfill Romans 6:12, by not letting the old sinful nature reign in our bodies. We are to always chose to live under our new spiritual nature. HOW DO WE LIVE UNDER OUR NEW SPIRITUAL NATURE? First you must confess any know daily sins that you have committed. This has nothing to do with your salvation, that was settled when you believed the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). We Confess our sins for the purpose of fellowship with God and with other believers. 1 John 1:5-9 says: 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie , and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another , and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Verse 9 tells us that when we confess our sins to God (our daily sins), He forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Whenever we sin we break our fellowship with God, and we need to confess them in order for our fellowship to be restored. Once we confess our sins to God, then we need to apply Ephesians 5:18 which has to do with the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer in Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 3:16). The filling of the Holy Spirit is to be continuous. In other words when we apply Ephesians 5:18, the Holy Spirit will fill us and give us the ability to do the things which pleases God. When we sin, we break our fellowship with God and the Holy Spirit stops filling us until we confess our sins and apply Ephesians 5:18 again. Ephesians 5:15-18 says: 15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit. Verse 15 tells us to be careful how we walk the word walk (Greek: Peripateo - Strongs# G4043) meas to set ones lifestyle by. Verse 16 says that we should make use of the time that we have. Verse 17 says we are to understand the will of God. It is God’s Will for us to be Filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) It is a command (to be obeyed) It is in the plural form (applies to all believers) It is in the passive voice (filling comes from something other than ourselves ) It is in the present tense (a continual filling) Notice the contrast in verse 18 between being drunk and being filled. Which area of your body is being controlled if your intoxicated? It is your mind. So in contrast, when your Spirit Filled what area of your body is being controlled by the Spirit? Its your mind also. So being filled by the Spirit means that our mind is now under the control of God. Colossians 3:1-2 1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Romans 8:6 1 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 12:2 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. So in order to obey the command found in Romans 6:12 to not let sin reign or take control of us, we must be continuously filled by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), by setting our minds on things above and the things of the Spirit. When we do this we are able to please God, and bring Glory to Him. God Bless - Fred
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 22:55:55 +0000
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