SCRIPTURE
Romans 6:1-4,12,17-18 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
OBSERVATION
I like to be in control, my biggest regrets are the ones that I made when I was in charge of my life. Paul said that we are supposed to be living a new life but that is a difficult concept to understand when you have been in church since before you were born and you believe the lie that you never did anything that was too bad. We are all bad when we use the correct measuring stick. I grew up in church and became a Christian at nine years old, I have been in church 98% of the Sundays that I have been alive, I was a compliant kid so how much new life did I need?
No matter how good we are we still have to decide who is in charge of our life. It took almost forty years for me to understand that I was letting the old sin nature reign. I was a Christian but I had not been living the new life, I was choosing the wrong master.
We all have to decide if we will follow the sinful desires of this world or as a Christian should be doing, we should be living a new life that is opposite of the way that the rest of the world lives.
Away then with sinful, earthly things…You are living a brand new kind of life that is continually learning more and more of what is right, and trying constantly to be more and more like Christ who created this new life within you. Col 3:5, 10 (Living)
The choice is mine every hour of the day, I am just one step from stupid. Am I going to follow the desires of this world or will I choose the slavery that leads to holiness and eternal life
APPLICATION
I will choose the correct master and remember that:
You should have as little desire for this world as a dead person does. Your real life is in heaven with Christ and God. Col 3:3 (Living)
PRAYER
Father God thank you for the privilege of living in this country and growing up in a Christian home. Thank you for a deeper knowledge of you, I pray that I will make the right choice every hour to live a new life that is free from the desires of this world.
