Monday: Slaves Set Free
When we understand redemption as freedom from a form of enslavement that required external assistance, we may conclude that sinful humanity is bound by a power or influence stronger than itself.
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
The question that needs to be answered is, by what power or agency has sinful humanity been so bound? Study Romans 6:12-23. Notice that in verses 18, 20, and 22, Paul speaks about freedom. What is the context of this freedom? What is Paul talking about here? Think about what Paul says in the above verses along with what he says in Romans 6:1-11. Paul talks about what happens in Christian baptism. Here he sets forth some things that were to have died with Christ in baptism. Having spelled these out, Paul challenges the Christian, who has been united with Christ, to manifest the lordship of Christ, who has freed him/her from the power of sin. The bottom line here is that, according to Paul, no matter how corrupted our nature has been by sin, through Christ we can be free from its enslaving power. Who hasn’t seen just how devastating this kind of slavery can be? Who hasn’t seen lives ruined by sin? Who hasn’t struggled with the power of sin in their own lives? It is, by far, the greatest foe that we as human beings will ever face. What makes it so bad is that it’s a slavery not imposed solely from without; rather, it’s one that comes from within us. How are we freed from a slavery, a bondage, that originates in us, even in our very nature? The answer, as we’ve seen in the above verses, comes only from the power of Jesus, who won the victory for us and who offers us the power to overcome. Through Christ, we are not only forgiven our sins, we are to be dead to them, and we are freed from them. They no longer have to dominate us. These are amazing promises, powerful promises, promises that all who profess the name of Christ must claim for themselves. What has your own experience been with the enslaving and brutal power of sin? How can you learn to better grasp hold of the wonderful promises of freedom that have been offered to us in Jesus?
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I find it imperative to realize that God has asked us to remove sin from our lives; he asks us to not live in sin, to not be a slave to its ways and doings so to be able to take Him in completely thus for us to be able to emulate Him as He did his Father. Such a life style begets the power that Christ wants to give us once we follow Him in righteousness vs. following and doing deeds within our sinful nature.
When we live as slaves to sin,we are not living as slaves to righteous because the are on opposite sides of the isles. Whether we like it or not, there are only two sides of life, one for Christ, and one for the devil. If we are not living for Christ, by default we are living and being controlled by the devil, he is our master. Therefore Christ asked us to follow him all the way, so He can be our master and friend.
I have learned that we do not allow the power that was shed on Calvery in the blood to work by cleansing us of all sins from the inside out but from the outside in. Therefore, we have troubles within every stage of our Christian experience. It is here that we understand what power we have working in our favor and just how much power we have in our decision making process. Indeed, we are overcomers from the beginning with Christ until He comes to take us home. Do not misunderstand me. We are not working our way into the kingdom. We are demonstrating our dependence upon Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Father and all the heavenly host that are working for our salvation if we let go and let God.
The battle between good and evil is for the mind. The mind is seated in out brain which cannot be seen with the naked eyes, but it is there and we make all decisions from the mind. If Christ/Holy Ghost controls the mind, He can control our entire being. Therefore He works from the inside and every other thing from the outside falls into place (our dressing, our eating, our entainment, our social lives etc, etc). It is important that we let go of the things that we so much like that goes against Jesus and let God control our minds.
Amen! The more we look to Jesus our perfect substitude, the more we see our sinful, wretched life, the more we see the need of Him.
The average Christian prays only for the forgiveness of his/her sins. However, in Christ, God offers way much more than just the forgiveness of sins. He offers cleansing, purification and deliverance from sin, its guilt and its power. Much more, in Christ God offers victory over temptation, evil, the devil and all his armies. Higher than that, God offers hatred for sin and passion for righteousness. Do you have all those? Do you lack any of those? Do you pray for them? How is your prayer for your sins?
i have a question. What about people who have strong holds on them. things that they would really like to get rid of, or things they would like to stop doing but still does because they are in a situation.
Jesus Christ has won the victory over every sin, every trial, every temptation each one of us will ever face. Our battle is with surrendering ourselves to Him and allowing Him to live His victorious life through us. We have the opportunity with each situation we face to choose to be led by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God or to choose to be led by the words of the enemy. We are the servants of whom we choose to obey.
Sin snatches away the praise and worship from our hearts, and turns it into a bad incense towards the presence of God. That is the reason we're repossessed through Christ our deliverer. "Whom Christ sets free is free indeed" we just have to believe that
I am enslaved by the sin that reigns in the flesh...and am set free in my captivity, by the law of God, that identifies that sin, releasing the bond I have with that sin...and by the Grace of God, through Jesus Christ, I am no longer enslaved, making me a freebondsman within that Grace, while in the flesh of this existance...
We are not saved by the law but grace (Romans 6:14). What does that imply?