Power of Sin

ByJim Stephens

Scripture: Romans 6 (Click Link) 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:22-23 NLT) There is so much hope for you and me in Romans Chapter Six! Paul pictures the old life, our old nature, as a character named “Sin” and tells us and shows us that “Sin” died when we believed the truth and accepted Jesus’ death for us. Then he reminds us that as we join, by faith and baptism, in Christ’s resurrection, we become a new self with a new life—an eternal life. We buried “Sin”, the old self, in baptism, and stepped out of the water a new self in Christ. Our thoughts and attitudes and decisions and actions are from that point forward influenced by two voices. One voice is the voice of “Sin”, who used to be our boss, calling out from the grave to pull us back down into the patterns of the old life. The other is the voice of God’s Spirit, our new boss, calling from within our new spirit-self, our True Self, encouraging and challenging us to walk forward, each step taking us farther from the sin-grave and both higher and deeper into our real life in Christ. Every time I heed the raspy voice of “Sin”, I’m drawn backward toward slavery and darkness. Each time I obey the encouraging, challenging voice of God’s Spirit, my new self, my True Self, gets stronger and freer. I listen. I choose. I live my life one choice at a time. The life I experience is shaped by the consequences of those choices. Prayer: Father, I am so challenged by Paul’s words to me in Romans Chapter Six. I thank you for the clear picture of a powerful truth this morning. Jesus died, I live. “Sin” still talks to me, but every time I reject his voice and heed your voice, I move farther from the grave where he is buried. “Sin’s” voice gets weaker and your voice gets stronger. Help me to step farther from the grave and closer to life today. In Jesus’ Name.

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