DAY #233: Romans 6:1-23

Paul realized that his statements about God’s wonderful kindness to sinners could be interpreted to suggest that people ought to keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness. “If God loves to forgive, why not give him more to forgive?” would be their erroneous reasoning.

Paul answers with an emphatic, “Of course not!” The availability of God’s mercy must not become an excuse for careless living and moral laxness. The idea that someone would claim to believe the gospel while planning to continue in sin is preposterous to Paul. The point of the gospel was not to find an excuse for sin, but to give freedom from sin.

The old sinful selves describe believers before they trusted Christ, people who were ruled by sin and rebellion. That old self was crucified with Christ—believers have died the same death as Christ when Christ was crucified. Why? This was the only way that sin might lose its power in people’s lives, the only way our sinful nature could be set aside so that God’s nature could live through us. As a result, believers are no longer slaves to sin.

If we are dead to sin, how can sin still control us? Believers have died to sin, but as long as we live in our mortal bodies, we will have the compulsion to sin. But only because we have died to sin do we have the power to no longer let it control us. We are, in fact, free from our slavery. But each day we must reject our old slave ways. Sin cannot and will not ever again be our master.

All human beings are enslaved. While this idea clashes with our goal of independence, the fact is that we were created for interdependence. Paul is using an illustration o make an important spiritual point: You are a slave to whomever or whatever you commit yourself to obey. This means that friendships, goals, employment, citizenship, membership, education, career, debt, and marriage all include aspects of slavery.

We should choose our slavery wisely. When sin is our master, we have no power except to do what it bids us, with the end being death. But when we choose to obey God, the one who created us, we become slaves to obedience and will receive God’s approval.

There are only two choices and no middle ground. This is as Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters”. To refuse to allow God to be master over your life is to choose slavery to sin. While service to sin leaves us powerless and leads to death, service to God leads to righteousness and eternal life. It is impossible to be neutral. Every person has a master—either righteousness or sin.

This result of sin is not just physical death—everyone dies physically, believers and nonbelievers alike. The greater result of sin is eternal separation from God in hell. This is the wage that a person receives for his or her rebellion against God. Those in hell will find no comfort in the truth that they have been paid exactly what they earned.

But instead of wages, those who believe receive a free gift from God—eternal life. Eternal life does not mean endless life on earth, but resurrection from death to eternal glory with God. Because eternal life is a gift, we cannot earn or purchase it.


SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

What would you like to change about yourself? Would you like to be more confident? more relaxed? More outgoing? Maybe have less fearful, less bitter or angry?

There are very few people in life who feel like they have attained perfection. Most of us are very interested in changing and we realize there is always room for improvement. I think in all the years I've been in the ministry the number one question people ask me is, "Why is it I can't change? I want to change but I don't know how or I don't have the power to change."

We go to seminars, conferences, looking for the painless cure that's going to zap our life and change us instantly and give us self discipline. Or we go on diets. I once went on a diet for an entire afternoon. Or we join a health club and our enthusiasm goes great for about two weeks and then it kind of wanes and we go back into the same old rut and we don't change.

We read self‑ help books. The problem with self help books is they tell you what to do but they don't give you the power. They says things like, "Get rid of all your bad habits.... Be positive, don't be negative..." How? Where do I get the power to change? That's the basic problem -- a lack of power in our lives. How do I get my life off dead center? How do I get out of the rut? How do I break out of the mold I'm in? Where do I get the power to get off center?

Good News! Philippians 3:10 says, "All I want to know is Christ and experience the power of His resurrection." Ephesians 1:20 says, "I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great His power is to help those who believe Him, the same mighty power who raised Christ from the dead."

The word "power" is used in the New Testament 57 times. It is a book of power. Easter is the most powerful event that ever happened. It separates A.D. and B.C. All history was split by one powerful event. What is that power? It's the power to change your life.

How do I have the power to change and how does God change me and make me what I want to be and what He wants me to be? Power! [I think of the new chaplain at the prison. He was nervous. He was assigned death row. He was trying to be positive when he went in to counsel the guy that was going to be executed the next day. He said, "I've really been praying for you." The guy said, "But you don't realize. Tomorrow I'm going to the electric chair." The chaplain said, "Well... more power to you."]

Paul said, I want to know the power of the resurrection. The Greek word for power is the word dunamis -- dynamite. God says, I want to give you dynamite power in your life! Paul said I want to know it. It's my personal goal. And I want you to know it. The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead 2000 years ago is available for your life right now to change your life.

What is resurrection power? It is the power to cancel your past. It is the power to conquer your problems. It is the power to change your personality. Why don't you pray right now, by faith, and ask God to give you the power you need today.