I am continuing my journey in Romans 6, verses 15-23, "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Amen and amen!
Paul seems to be saying that in this life we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness--there is no in between. We are either going to give into the slavery to satisfy our flesh or become slaves to God's order through our faith. I had to think about that for a minute. The truth is we usually go about our day with learned behavior. We get up, brush our teeth, get dressed, have our nourishment and then start to fill our minds with the things that have to be done. We are slaves to the flesh --the definition of a slave is a person who is owned by another. We are slaves to the flesh and we have to take of this flesh from the moment we awake until the moment we close our eyes. We don't have a choice in the matter! Paul is saying that we DO! Christ through His death has conquered death and the slavery of this flesh. We have been set free from having to respond to the natural desires that the slavery of the flesh imposes upon us--we have been set free! We need only to claim our freedom minute by minute, day by day as we focus our minds on the righteousness of God through Christ. For instance. We can be slaves to negative thinking which always leads to negative behavior; just as the body follows the direction in which you send your head, your behavior will follow your thinking. If you have negative thinking it will result in negative outcomes. If you spend your entire day fretting over what might happen instead of thanking God for the outcome you desire, then the negative outcome will materialize. It happens 100% of the time. Paul said we should spend that same energy thanking God for the freedom made available through His Gift, Jesus, so that we can be about more important matters--Kingdom building. do not dwell in what is already dead, you are dead to sin. Praise God for the life you have through Christ and let that line shine so that other may see it and be saved! Do not be a slave to negative thinking regardless of your circumstances. Circumstances always change; if you are mired in sin and negative thinking you will miss your blessing.
I love you in Christ.
Stephanie
Paul seems to be saying that in this life we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness--there is no in between. We are either going to give into the slavery to satisfy our flesh or become slaves to God's order through our faith. I had to think about that for a minute. The truth is we usually go about our day with learned behavior. We get up, brush our teeth, get dressed, have our nourishment and then start to fill our minds with the things that have to be done. We are slaves to the flesh --the definition of a slave is a person who is owned by another. We are slaves to the flesh and we have to take of this flesh from the moment we awake until the moment we close our eyes. We don't have a choice in the matter! Paul is saying that we DO! Christ through His death has conquered death and the slavery of this flesh. We have been set free from having to respond to the natural desires that the slavery of the flesh imposes upon us--we have been set free! We need only to claim our freedom minute by minute, day by day as we focus our minds on the righteousness of God through Christ. For instance. We can be slaves to negative thinking which always leads to negative behavior; just as the body follows the direction in which you send your head, your behavior will follow your thinking. If you have negative thinking it will result in negative outcomes. If you spend your entire day fretting over what might happen instead of thanking God for the outcome you desire, then the negative outcome will materialize. It happens 100% of the time. Paul said we should spend that same energy thanking God for the freedom made available through His Gift, Jesus, so that we can be about more important matters--Kingdom building. do not dwell in what is already dead, you are dead to sin. Praise God for the life you have through Christ and let that line shine so that other may see it and be saved! Do not be a slave to negative thinking regardless of your circumstances. Circumstances always change; if you are mired in sin and negative thinking you will miss your blessing.
I love you in Christ.
Stephanie
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