Freedom in Christ
Laura Ingle Key scripture – “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance, and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. For just as you once offered yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness lead…ing to holiness” (Romans 6: 17-19).
If you do whatever your sinful nature wants, without resisting or thinking about how good or bad that choice is, then you are a slave to your sinful nature. You can be enslaved to countless sins, such as: money, cars, homes, clothes, immoral thoughts, sex, drugs, alcohol, anger, jealousy, gossiping, people, etc…
You have the option to be “slaves to sin” (6:17) or “slaves to righteousness” (6:18).
Here is how you can tell which one you are a slave to:
1. You are aware of unrighteousness in you and it bothers you;
2. You cannot ignore your personal sin and you must make it right; and
3. You want to please Jesus.
If those three things above describe you, then you are a slave to righteousness.
You cannot have it both ways, you can’t be a slave to sin and a slave to God. You need to examine yourself to see if you are bearing the fruits of righteousness – not perfectly, but increasingly – in your life.
If you have not changed and are not changing and becoming more like Christ, then you need to make sure you have been set free from sin by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and that you have truly made Him Lord of your life, because if you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior you will see changes in your likes and dislikes. For instance, you would no longer find the Bible hard to understand but instead you would enjoy reading it. You would no longer enjoy the sinful things that you did before you became a Christian, but instead you find yourself turning away from them.
Take some time today to get alone with God, and praise Him for how your tastes for sin has diminished and your love of righteousness has grown.
Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, I ask You to convict me of the sin in my life, open my eyes to see it, and give me the strength to overcome it. Help me to always remember that even though I am weary and I cannot overcome sin in my strength I can give all my struggles and burdens to Jesus, and He will give me strength and rest as I take His yoke upon me and learn from Him. (Matthew 11: 28-30). Father, I want to walk upright and blameless so that I live out Your Kingdom Agenda all the days of my life, therefore, I commit all areas of my life to you, and all my ways to You, and I trust You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
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