Pop Quiz: What will have to happen in order for you to finally be free from the power of sin?
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My desire is to grapple together here over how well off we are with God through Christ, and to live from His opinion of us.
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ok, now your getting personal!!! lol :)
ReplyDeleteNada.
ReplyDeleteChristian or non?
ReplyDeleteTeresa--This question pertains to Christians. (Good question!)
ReplyDeletePosition, totally free, Saint as a matter of fact. :) Now does my brain know that... not really! A constant/ on going surrender! normally brought about thru brokeness from the recognition our flesh and our response to it?
ReplyDeleteHow'd I do? :)
death
ReplyDeleteIt's a done deal ! Romans 8:1-2 says......
ReplyDeleteTherefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Our old selves were crucified and we have been raised so that we can walk in newness of life, in the likeness of His resurrection. So we are free in our spirits. But we still have the power of sin living in us, and we give in to our old flesh patterns more times than we would like. Being truly free in our souls is a life time process of being transformed for glory to glory into His image. We need to give ourselves and eachother a lot of grace when we make mistakes.
ReplyDeleteYou have to die. (important note: You already did in Christ)
ReplyDeleteIs there such a thing as a free captive? Perhaps... Many christians are like the caged animal who has lived it's whole life in a cage and when the door is left open, they wont go out even though they are technically free. Because of Jesus's death and resurrection, sin has lost it's power!
ReplyDeleteYou have to believe what the Word says. If I received Jesus through believing (i.e., through faith), then I won't really receive freedom from sin's power unless I believe that particular piece of scripture as well. Rom. 6:11 "...consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."
ReplyDeleteThe price has already been paid for all sin: past, present, future... 'I' can do nothing... to assume that 'I' can do something... isn't it robbery to assume that I am equal with God?
ReplyDeleteThe strength of sin is the law, but we're not under law, we're under grace \o/ We have been freed, & Christ is our daily deliverance from sin's dominion through His resurrection life rom 5:10 amp
ReplyDeleteExcept that it was all done on the cross for once and for all
ReplyDeleteThe hardest part of sin was forgiving myself! Once I got that many years ago, I was free! And who the Son sets free is free indeed! YEA
ReplyDeleteI'm a sinner by nature and choice, necessitating my sweet relationship with my savior God whom I rely on. When I'm in heaven, I'll be freed from this body and in God's presence! Romans 7:21-25
ReplyDeleteDying to the Law and when this body becomes wormy food,lol.
ReplyDeleteAlready happened :)
ReplyDeleteNothing....already there, via the Cross
ReplyDeleteLove all the Truth expressing Jesus' incredibly finished and sufficient work on the cross! We get to give up trying to do what's already done and enjoy the Gift we've already got in Christ. Thanks All!
ReplyDeleteDid we pass? What did we win? You have some Apple products I'll gladly accept as prizes.
ReplyDeleteMike Daniel stole my comment. :oD
ReplyDeleteMmmuuuuuahahahaha! That is my way! :)
ReplyDeleteyou are loved, LL!
I apologize for not communicating after asking the question. But I sure enjoyed reading all your comments! I've had something terrific delivered to my doorstep that I was not yet expecting, and have had to drop a bunch of things in order to prepare for what it means. I'll reveal it on Monday. . .
ReplyDeleteBut to the question I posed: “What will have to happen in order for you to finally be free from the power of sin?” The short answer is: You’ll have to die. The follow up question gets at the truth: When did you die? If you’re a Christian, then you’ve already died—had a burial and everything—and sin no longer has power over you. Rom 6:3 “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”
Christians shared in the very death of Jesus, as well as in His follow-up resurrection. On the cross we were in Christ, and what happened to Him happened to us—We were crucified with Him, and a few days later we were raised with Him. The nature pre-disposed to sin that we had before we were crucified with Him, was removed, and a new nature pre-disposed to righteousness was given to each of us. Rom 6:6 “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” Read verse 7 again. That means you. And that means me. Fantastic!
We now share in the very nature of our Father, and the way to escape the corruption in this world caused by the evil desires of the flesh is to participate with Him (2 Peter 1:3-4). How? We who have been put into Christ do what He did: Rom 6:11 In the same way, count yourselves 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 evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
This passage does not say “Offer yourselves to good deeds,” as though the Christian life is found in good works as opposed to bad. “Offer yourselves to God” is what it says and that’s what it means. And where is God now? He is in you and He is in me—in all who have received Him. When I look for God now in me, when I sow toward Him by offering myself to Him, He produces LIFE! Christ is formed in me! And how will that look? After thinking in my head something like, “Father, I offer myself to you…Holy Spirit, what do you think about all this?...Jesus, I know you’re in me and I am in you, so…” I reap eternal life, the life of God (Gal 6:8), and I am either led toward some godly behavior, some fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23), or I go on my way in the perfect confidence that God’s grace to me is perfect for what’s ahead.
I fit perfectly in Him, and He fits perfectly in me. We’re compatible! Even if I fail, the Spirit is right then working with me to convince me of my place in Him as well as my life in Him. I’m secure. Nothing has changed. I am still free from sin. I may have fallen to it, but I am quick to resist the temptation to believe otherwise, and offer myself to Him all over again. And more and more, you and I will come to find and to know that our life is in Christ, by the Spirit, and free from sin.
I hope this helps.
By the way, I write extensively about this in my about-to-be-published book, "God's Astounding Opinion of You." More info soon!
ReplyDeleteBy the way way, Our performance does not determine whether or not we are free from the power of sin! What God thinks determines it. And His thinking is incredible, with lots and lots of invigorating power that goes with it for those who believe.