Do We Have the POWER to CHOOSE Not to Sin?

Don't let sin reign!

 

Do you wrestle from the point of flesh or spirit? If you identify with sin, you're going to lose. Why would someone who is free from sin still identify with sin? If you identify only with sin, who you used to be, then you will continue to fail to say no to sin.

"Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us.

"From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.

"That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you’ve been raised from the dead!—into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God." (Romans 6:11-14)

 

 

Identify with the SPIRITUAL, not sin.

Remind yourself that sin is NOT who you are!

Remind yourself that you're dead to sin and alive in Christ.

 

How many times do you hear a fellow-Christian mournfully say "I am just a sinner saved by grace?" I get the point that we ARE sinners and we ARE saved by grace, but we  are  NOT JUST sinners saved by grace. In fact, I have the power NOT to sin. I am MORE than a conqueror.

Or at least, that's the way I read Romans 6:22-23:

"But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master."

Am I missing something? The following are some points I noted from a sermon by Andy Stanley of North Point Church near Atlanta:

 

1. Sin is NOT my master.

2.Tell Jesus that you cannot do it without Him. Surrender: I give up! Choose life in Christ.

3. Offer yourself IN Christ. Offer all to GOD. Daily offer your eyes, hands, feet, mouth, brain TO GOD.

4. Declare that you are IN CHRIST, not in sin.

5. Process out the negative consequences.

6. Process out your identity in Christ. Focus on who you ARE, not on who you were. How do you focus on who you are in Christ? By reading the Word, being with Christians, worshiping God, listening to God, scripture reading.

7. Consider and think about the benefit of being IN Christ (peace, honesty, comfort, joy, endurance, gentleness, kindness, giving to others).

8. Share the small victories with one another so there is encouragement that you CAN overcome.

9. You don't surrender because you don't WANT to surrender. You can lie and say you have. You can admit your struggles or lie about it.

10. You have the choice to choose God or sin. Satan wants to steal, kill and destroy but you have the ability to CHOOSE Jesus and live free in Christ.

Trust me when I say this, I don't have this nailed down and I DO sin. I have made some very bad choices and terrible mistakes and missteps. I am not speaking these words as one who has any right to judge the actions of others. I am simply speaking as one who wants to identify WITH Christ and HIS power, not with the sin that so easily entangles me. Will you help me remain accountable with this hope and desire?

 

So what you do you think? Share if you agree or disagree. Failure and bad choices do not identify who you are. If you are a disciple of Christ, you are IN JESUS.

Many blessings. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you in any way.

Mark