Happy June!! With Memorial Day behind us, it certainly feels like summer is here!
I took an unplanned break from posting on the blog last week. I can’t say that anything big was happening, but it’s definitely a different pace around here with the girls home from college for the summer. There’s certainly more coming and going, and I try to tag along whenever I’m invited 🙂
We did attend three graduation parties over the weekend. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since our youngest daughter graduated from high school! Time is passing so quickly in this season of life.
The last few mornings, I’ve been reading in Romans 6. A number of verses have spoken to me in this passage, specifically as it relates to our ongoing battle with sin. We will have this fleshly “old man” with us until we reach our home in Heaven! But how can we get victory over sin on a regular basis? I think I found some answers there in Romans 6.
1. If I’ve trusted Jesus as my Savior, I no longer have to serve sin.
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him [Jesus], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” ~Verses 6,7
What a wonderful thing to be free from sin! It all starts here. We must realize that it’s only through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from death that we have power to not sin.
Our human flesh, the “old man,” is bound to sin and naturally follows sinful desires. But once we’ve accepted Jesus as our Savior, we don’t have to be in bondage to sin anymore.
2. Is there a sin (or sins) ruling my life?
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” ~Verse 12
Once I have Jesus in my life, I don’t have to let sin be in charge. I can choose to allow God to direct my life instead.
The latter part of the verse talks about lust. We often think of that word in a sexual context, but it can just mean a strong craving or desire.
Maybe we have a strong desire to please people without considering if we’re pleasing God. It could be a lust for material possessions or to be the center of attention or a desire to always be in control of our circumstances instead of trusting God. These lusts or sinful desires can rule the decisions we make, the words we say, and how we treat others.
Pray and ask God to reveal any sins that might be reigning in your life so that you can get them off the throne!
3. Am I daily yielding myself to God?
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” ~Verse 16
Another word we could use here is submit. We’ve taken sin off the throne. Now we need to submit ourselves to God’s working in our lives. Let’s not obey the sin that wants us to serve it, but rather obey God who wants to see us live righteously.
4. Choosing obedience to God over sin involves a change of heart.
“But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” ~ Verse 17
Yes, we once served sin, but now we’ve been given the light of the gospel. Jesus has made us free. Now we shun sin and serve God because we want to please Him and show Him how grateful we are for all He’s done for us.
5. As we begin to have victory over sin, we produce fruit unto holiness.
“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” ~Verse 22
Because we’re free from sin, we can grow in our walk with God and produce fruit. Our fruit is a holy life, our sanctification. It’s not our salvation; verse 23 covers that. Salvation is a gift from God. But once we’re saved, through Bible study, meditation, and prayer, our lives become a reflection of Him.
How blessed we are that we can defeat sin in our lives through redemption in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit!
Related posts:
- How to Make Our Words and Thoughts Pleasing to God
- 4 Tips to Help You Count Your Blessings
- How Does a Wise Woman Find Her Identity in Christ?
It is a wonderful thing to be free from sin! To know that I don’t have to sin anymore — although it’s still really hard to resist sometimes. 🙂
Oh yes, it is! I read Romans 8:13 this morning which reminded me that it’s only through the Spirit that I can put to death the desires of the flesh. I think too often I try to do it in my own strength and we pretty much know how that’s going to end!
This was a real blessing over on this side of the 🌎 world today ! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for reading!! Always good to hear from you 🙂
I think you hit the nail on the head, that first & foremost remembering we ARE ALREADY free from sin is #1 👍
Yes, I think that’s the first step to living in victory! It’s not of our own efforts, but what Christ has done for us.