Our entire nature, along with tendencies, and inclinations, begin to change, to grow, all in order to accompany our TRUTH! Certain characteristics, and behaviours are replaced with improved ones, marking our honest, and sincere allegiance to our LORD, and SAVIOUR...
THE LORD'S free GIFT of GRACE, and MERCY is NOT a permission to CONTINUE in our sinful natures; instead it is a WAY past all that!!!
Actions speak way louder than words, and while sin will be ever near, in our LOVE of THE LORD *GOD*, in our knowledge, and understanding OF HIS WILL, we begin to resist it more, and more, and more; not always able to, but striving to!!!
We are NOT of this world, and so, WHY would we allow what is of this world to reign over us? ONLY *GOD* IS LORD of LORDS, and KING OF KINGS, and so, we RECOGNIZE that HIS WILL reigns! Sin is a trap which aspires to keep us forever, and IS that which we CAN defeat, thanks BE TO *GOD*! Sin will NEVER relent in hopes of stealing souls, but we ARE enabled by MANY means, to diminish it, and OVERCOME! THE LORD HAS PROVIDED THE WAY which DOES LEAD us, IF we are so willing to embark, and remain upon!!!
Let us not cling to our desires, cling to our past, nor anything which might inhibit our growth, instead, if we need to cling to something, let it be THE LORD, and HIS WILL...
EACH day I PRAY to UNDERSTAND sin better that I might resist, and overcome it! I BELIEVE that knowledge, and understanding LEAD to, first of all, acknowledgement, then the strength necessary to not go there! If we are no longer flesh, than why would we keep appeasing it over the spirit? There are MANY sins we HAVE CONTROL over, then those that just pop up outta nowhere; the sins we HAVE control over, such as those fleshy desires are the ones we aim TO control IN the best of our knowledge, and understanding, so that we are NOT enslaved by them, thus not by the world...
It seems a very difficult area of understanding, and so, the more we study, and devour THE WORD OF *GOD*, the more sense it makes, and the more conscientious sensibility we acquire! PRAISE THE LORD because without HIM, well, you know!!!
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.
5+++For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6+++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;
7+++for he who has died is freed from sin.
8+++Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9+++knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
10+++For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
11+++Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
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.
14+++For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
15+++What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!
The apostle is very full in pressing the necessity of holiness. He does not explain away the free grace of the gospel, but he shows that connection between justification and holiness are inseparable. Let the thought be abhorred, of continuing in sin that grace may abound. True believers are dead to sin, therefore they ought not to follow it. No man can at the same time be both dead and alive. He is a fool who, desiring to be dead unto sin, thinks he may live in it.
Baptism teaches the necessity of dying to sin, and being as it were buried from all ungodly and unholy pursuits, and of rising to walk with God in newness of life. Unholy professors may have had the outward sign of a death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness, but they never passed from the family of Satan to that of God. The corrupt nature, called the old man, because derived from our first father Adam, is crucified with Christ, in every true believer, by the grace derived from the cross. It is weakened and in a dying state, though it yet struggles for life, and even for victory. But the whole body of sin, whatever is not according to the holy law of God, must be done away, so that the believer may no more be the slave of sin, but live to God, and find happiness in his service.
Let us present all our powers to God, as weapons or tools ready for the warfare, and work of righteousness, in his service. There is strength in the covenant of grace for us. Sin shall not have dominion. God's promises to us are more powerful and effectual for mortifying sin, than our promises to God. Sin may struggle in a real believer, and create him a great deal of trouble, but it shall not have dominion; it may vex him, but it shall not rule over him. Shall any take occasion from this encouraging doctrine to allow themselves in the practice of any sin? Far be such abominable thoughts, so contrary to the perfections of God, and the design of his gospel, so opposed to being under grace. What can be a stronger motive against sin than the love of Christ? Shall we sin against so much goodness, and such love?
No comments:
Post a Comment