Sin has no Dominion in the Lives of Christians!

Good morning to all on this Wednesday morning. Waine and I have delighted in Kai and Hailie and although exhausted we are the better for it. Thank you for your prayers for Violet, Waine's mother, she is doing great and is recovering in miraculous leaps and bound. Please continue to pray for ET and his family and pray for your continued success in 2010.

I am continuing my journey in Romans 7 verses 7-23, "What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.  So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin." May God add a blessing to you through the reading and hearing of His Word, amen and amen!

Boy Paul keeps it real does'nt he?! As Christians when we sin, we have died to that part of us that has been sanctified by Christ and we allow our selves to be taken over by our flesh. THE FLESH WHICH IS DIEING DAILY. GO FIGURE!

Paul apparently understood this concept well as he stated in this passage, AND it is true today! I can count the number of times that Christians have told me that they knew what they were doing was SIN, but at a point just couldn't stop themselves and when it was over (whatever IT is) they often reflected "why did I do that?" The "why" is that they DIED to their real selves and let SIN take over. SIN only wants to feed itself. It will sacrifice you; throw you under the bus so that it's own desire can be fulfilled. SIN is not inanimate, just like the Holy Spirit is not inanimate. SIN has an agenda and that is to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, however the only flesh it has is you! Here's the remarkable revelation I had this morning--SIN has no dominion other than YOU. If you give it form and substance, then it is unleashed. If you throw the WATER of the Holy Spirit on it then it has no power. For instance, the 1st commandment says, "Thou shall have no other gods BEFORE me". We are to worship God FIRST and foremost. If we worship power, money, anger, or lusts and put those desires before God than we have broken the 1st commandment. The 6th commandment says, "Thou shall not kill.", so if you kill someones body or spirit you have broken the 6th commandment. The 7th commandment says, "Thou shall not commit adultery." so if you have sex with someone when you are married both parties have broken this commandment. This is the SIN that Paul is talking about. Now remember this, Christ BROKE the bonds of the 10 Commandments power over us through his DEATH and RESURRECTION. He had to die to pay the debt that the 10 Commandments create by their very nature. Christ also then released us from the power of SIN--it has no dominion over us. We have to literally, willfully die to our Spiritual nature to partake in SIN. So why do Christians partake.BECAUSE WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO! It like paying a bill that has already been PAID IN FULL!

Instead of focusing on your ISSUES (things that affect the flesh) today why not focus on the liberation which has occurred in your life through Christ and CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE. Don't DRINK THE KOOLAID! You are free from the bondage of the flesh and sin so act like the child of the King you are. Its an exercise; you have to work it to use it. Repeat often, "I am the child of the King. Only good things will happen for me!"  This is true if you know Christ! If not repent of your sins and accept the death and resurrection of Christ and be restored to the Kingdom of God right now. Praise Jesus and hallelujah! For ONLY HE is worthy to be praised.

Stephanie