Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it
in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are
alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God
(Romans 6:12-13).
In Romans 6:6, the Apostle Paul, by the Spirit,
writes, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the
body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."
The Amplified version translates it more clearly; it says, "We know that
our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our]
body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive
for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin." We’re to know
(for certain) that our old man (the old sin nature) has been crucified with
Christ, and the body has lost its power to control us to do evil. This means
our spirits have the power to dominate our body with righteousness.
When Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, man became
subject to his senses and thus body-ruled. That’s why the natural man is called
carnal, that is, "ruled by or given to the desires and appetites of the
flesh." If he feels a certain way, he talks and acts accordingly; his
life is based on what his senses tell him. For example, if he feels feverish in
his body, he’d say, "I have fever." The Bible says they that live
according to the dictates of their senses cannot please God (Romans 8:8).
As God’s children, however, we walk by the Spirit.
We’re superior to sin and Satan, and are not subject to the dictates of the
flesh. Romans 6:11 says, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." This
means you’re to account yourself to be sin-free, for he that is dead is freed
from sin: "…Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also
live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more;
death hath no more dominion over him" (Romans 6:7-9). No wonder the Bible
says sin shall not have dominion over you (Romans 6:14).
Prayer
Dear Father, I thank you for giving me the nature
of righteousness that enables me to live triumphantly, and exercise dominion
over Satan, sin, and the flesh! I thank you for the life you’ve given me a life
that’s yielded only to your Word and your Spirit, and committed to fulfilling
your perfect will, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
further study: Romans 12:2; Galatians 5:24
1 Year Bible Reading : Acts 9:1-31 2 Chronicles 35-36
2 Year Bible Reading : 2 Corinthians 6:11-18 Isaiah 7
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