Romans 6

So all of that to get to this...

Romans 6

Romans 6:22-23 "But now you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  What promise in those words, what power and what potential!

These final 2 verses are the culmination in Paul's discussion on sin.  He starts off asking if we should continue to sin now that we have been covered by grace.  The answer is a resounding no!  He goes on to explain that if we have been baptized in Christ then we have died to sin just as he did. 

As I explained in the previous chapter I have been baptized twice, both by immersion.  The SDA church believes that we are called to be baptized just as Christ was.  In, Matt 3:13-17,  John the Baptist, baptizes Christ in the Jordan river by immersion and when he emerges, he is blessed by God. 

But if we take Paul's words in this chapter about dying with Christ in sin and being reborn in Christ, we can think about baptism this way.  As Jesus died on the cross, so our sinful self dies with him as we are going under the water.  As Jesus was buried in the tomb, so our sinful self is buried, while we are under the water. And just as Jesus rose from the dead, so we emerge from the water a new being; our sinful self  dead and left behind. We are in union with Christ.  Reborn. 

So if like Christ we have died to sin, then we cannot go on to sin, even if we are covered by grace.  Does that mean that we wont sin again?  Most likely not, we are all human and we will slip up.  It does mean that we have a way back and that God is calling to us, especially if you have been baptized in Christ.

I mentioned that I wasn't as committed to Christ as I should have been.  I wasn't ready to trust him in a relationship of the magnitude required.  But he was working on my heart.  He knew what I needed, I just wasn't ready to listen.  I never fell into the life I could've because I could feel his call. this kind of ache just at my heart, or like a string being tugged. 

But remember one sin has the domino effect.  You will justify the one and then the next and then the next, until you are in deep and have to dig your way out.  (Remember, no matter how deep, you can always get out, Jesus is there to give you his hand). Its a slippery slope down the wrong road.  That is why Paul tells us not to let sin reign.  He reminds us that we have a new master and must obey him., "when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey - whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness" (6:16).

While sin did not have full reign over me, it was gaining ground, when I was LED to the book and class and Women of Faith.  God used those to put me back where he wants me. Obeying him.  A slave to God.  What a word picture that is.  The loving master, who has my best interests at heart, and I am a slave to that!  Just saying it makes me feel good.

So I have a question for you - Which one are you?  Are you a slave to sin? Are you still trying to justify your sins and sinful life.  Or are you like me and becoming a slave to the LIVING God?  Have you taken responsibility for your actions and then given them to God to take away, to cover?

 God has given us free will, and it is a choice.  But it is one we must make.  I choose God.  I have to do this every day. I have to recommit my life, my thoughts, my words, and my actions. Which will you choose?