Classic Christianity – Book of Romans P24 (12-18-19)
Synopsis
Now that you are a new creation in Christ, born again with the Spirit of God living in you, do not let sin reign in your mortal body. Whereas before you were in Christ, you were born dead spiritually, and that by Adam’s choice, now you have the choice to choose life. You chose life and are born again. Now, choose to continue to walk in Him.
Can you choose to let sin reign in your mortal body? Yes. You let the evil desires, prompted by the flesh, Satan or the world to deceive you (1 John 2:15-17). You have been living in error because of past thinking you had when you were an unbeliever or you choose to believe a lie that you will get something desirable, yet in the end, you will only find yourself enslaved again.
So have you believed a lie that you cannot quit smoking? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is living in you? So does it make sense to put smoke in your body? No sense at all. Then, do you say that you can’t quit? Then, you are believing a lie. God has given you his resurrection life in you. You are no longer a slave to sin. Do you believe that? Do you know that sin has been rendered powerless over you? Sin has been taken away and you are in Him. There is no fear of death for a believer. There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Is all that true? Do you believe that? You may think you are powerless over sin, but you are not. You have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead in you, and you believed him for that. Believe him for your daily walk. Trust what he says is true.
Someone who is a believer says he is an alcoholic. What is his problem? He is believing a lie. A believer who says he is an alcoholic is not an alcoholic. He is a child of God who has believed a lie abut his identity. His actions are sinful actions for sure but he is not an alcohol any more than he is a sinner. He is not a sinner saved by grace. He was a sinner who is now a saint by calling. Has he understood his calling? No, he has let his behavior define who he is. At some point, he intentionally and volitionally chose to believe that alcohol would do something for him besides making him drunk. He has believed a lie and has become enslaved again. Does he have the choice to live a new life, in the power of Christ? Yes. Absolutely! Has he been set free from the power of sin and death? Yes, but he is not walking free, and does not believe he is free. What has God said? You have died to sin and have become alive to God (Romans 6). You have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). You are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
John 8:36
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed
Titus 2:11-13
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ
Galatians 5:16
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
God wants us to walk in a new life He has given. We are instructed to take every thought captive to the obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). We are told to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2). Consider that you now have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). You now have the ability to discern the things of God (John 14:26; 1 John 2:27; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10).
Why go back to a life of sin that kept you bound and enslaved? You are not bound to that. You are no longer enslaved to the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). You are free now, and under grace (Romans 6:14). So do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh (Galatians 5:13). When you trusted Christ for new life, His new life has been placed in you, so that you do not have to live according to the flesh, but by the Spirit (Romans 8:1-12).
Before you did not know God. How can you trust someone you do not know? But now you know God. Do you know His unconditional love and acceptance for you? Out of that relationship is life. He is a Father to you, a friend to you. Walk in that relationship, that relationship of trust in someone who is your best friend, and who always has the best in mind for you. He lives in you to live and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:13). Do not believe the lie of Satan, that lie in the garden of Eden, that says, “Did God really say?” or “Is God holding back something from you?” Satan casts doubts into the character and nature of God, so as to make you unfruitful and ineffective in this life.
Trust God. Take Him at His word. His word is truth and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32). God lives in you to live and to act according to His good purposes (Philippians 2:13). He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He will never let go of your hand. No one can snatch you out of My Father’s hand (John 10:28-29). He has given you everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle, and with the temptation, he will provide a way out, so you can endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13). He has you. Every promise in Christ is yes (2 Corinthians 1:20). Do not be afraid for I am with you always (Hebrews 13:5-7). If he clothes the lilies of the field, how much more will he clothe you (Matthew 6:29-30).
Wherever you are at in this life right now, God has the answer for you so you can experience the abundant life he has promised (John 10:10). Will you have trials and hardships? Yes. But God says he is with you. He says you can experience joy and peace and rise above your circumstances. He tells us to be of good cheer because he has overcome the world (John 16:33). And in Him, He has called us to be an overcomer. When you abide in Him, He has promised that He will produce in you fruit of the Spirit (John 15). This fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Galatians 5:22-23). This fruit is born in you and through by Christ living in you, as you simply trust Him. You walk with Him in simple child-like faith. So, be free to be a child under God’s tender care. He will cause all things to happen for the good for those who love Him and are called to His good purposes (Romans 8:28). The righteous shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). You have Christ’s righteousness living in you (Romans 5:17).
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Transcript
Romans 5:16
The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation,
What is the condemnation of God for sin? Death. Judgment followed one sin and brought death, or condemnation.
Romans 5:16-18
but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!18 Consequently [as a result of], just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.
Did you notice what he said that brings life? Why do you need life? Because you are dead. Folks, unfortunately, that is the teaching that you very seldom hear even in evangelical circles. You hear people talk about being a sinner and you need forgiveness. Nobody talks about the fact you are dead as a hammer and you need life. That is the issue of salvation. The issue of salvation is not forgiveness, even though sin had to be taken away, and forgiveness had to be provided for all people in order to give you eternal life. But the whole issue of salvation is life. So it is justification that brings life for all men.
Romans 5:19-20
19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase.
The law was put into effect, so that you and I, would see that our trespasses are increasing.
Romans 5:20
But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
You cannot out-sin the grace of God. Some of us have tried. But you cannot do it.
Romans 5:21
21 so that, just as sin reigned in death,
How does sin reign in death? If you are under the condemnation of the wages of sin, which is death, sin is reigning in your life. Do you understand? As long as you are under the condemnation of the death penalty, sin is going to reign in your life.
Romans 5:21
so also grace might reign
So just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness.
Romans 5:21
through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
As we go up, I want you, just for a minute, to look into your bible and look at verse 14 in chapter 6. That will all tie in to what we are dealing with.
Romans 6:14
14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Now folks, again, do we all know what that says? Anyone here who does not know what that says? If you do not know what it says, read it again. Sin shall not be your master. Why? Because you are not under the law, but under grace. Now the issue is, what does that mean? What do you think that means? If sin is your master, it is because you are under the law. Sin shall no longer be your master. Why? Because you are not under the law. If you are under the law, sin is your master. Do we understand what it is saying here?
If sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law, it means that if you are under the law, sin is your master. Are we in agreement on that? Is there any doubt in meaning to what this is? If you are under the law, my friends, sin is your master. Why? Because if you are under the law, the wages of sin is death. Therefore, you are reigning in sin. Sin is reigning in your life because always dangling out there is the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-18).
Hebrews 2:14-18 (KJV)
14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
So this whole passage is trying to get us to see that you must get free from the law if you are ever going to live in the newness of life under grace in Christ Jesus. You cannot do it under the law. You cannot be controlled by the Spirit and be controlled by Satan at the same time. If you are under the law, you are controlled by Satan. Sin is your master. Who is the master of sin? Satan. When you are under the law, you are controlled by Satan.
Now we like to talk around this. We do not think it is politically correct to make these kinds of statements. But let me tell you, that is what the bible teaches. The law has been perverted by Satan. You are no longer using the law if you look at the law as that what God gave to me to show me I was sinful so that I would turn to Christ by faith. That is fantastic. If you use that law for any other purpose you are being controlled by the one who perverted the gospel and perverted what law is, and that is Satan. Paul was not politically correct when he talked about legalists (Galatians 3:1-3). He said they are perverting the gospel (Galatians 3:6-8).
Galatians 3:1-3
1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?
Galatians 3:6-8
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!
Let us start in chapter 6 of Romans. Paul is going to answer three basic questions.
Romans 6:1
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
Romans 6:15
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?
Romans 7:7
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful?
Three basic questions, that are obviously, going to pop up in a person’s mind, when they are either first introduced to the fact that you are no longer under law, but under grace, or are adamant toward that teaching, or whatever the problem might be. Paul says he is going to address these basic questions to get them out of the way before we go into chapter 8. There is therefore now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-2).
Romans 6:1
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
If this grace is so good, so that when sin increases, and grace increases all the more, and we all know how much we love God’s grace, then should we just go on sinning so that grace might increase? So God’s grace will keep flowing and flowing?
Romans 6:2
2 By no means!
He is going to tell us something here. We died to sin.
Romans 6:2
We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
Let us get back to this. Did he say we died to sinning? No. He said we died to what? Sin. What is sin from God’s vantage point? That which is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
Romans 14:23
23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin
Hebrews 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
The root of all sinning is the sin that occurred in the garden of Eden, of denying the truth that God had told us, and accepting the lie of Satan. Is that where it all began? Is that what sin is? I am going to believe Satan and say to God, “God, you do not know what you are talking about.”
Genesis 2:17
17 “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
How did Satan deceive? He did not deceive by saying God did not say that. He said, “Surely God did not mean this?” See, back to the meaning. “Surely he did not mean that you would surely die?” Here is Satan, leaning on the tree, that God said do not touch this. God did not say do not touch the tree. Adam told Eve not to touch it. Adam added to the truth. I think Satan was just leaning on the tree, saying: “See, you do not die. Surely, he did not mean that?” That is how Satan deceives you and me every day of our lives, is after one thing, and that is to try to convince you that surely God did not mean this.
Genesis 3:1
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
For more information of the creation, deception and fall of man in the garden of Eden, read the account in Genesis 2 and 3.
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
We died to this unbelieving heart. We died to that. You were born an unbeliever. Where the word repentance is used in the scripture is not in relation to “I used to smoke and now I don’t”. Repentance was a total change of mind. I was an unbeliever. That does not mean that I did not give intellectual assent to Jesus. But I did not become a believer until I understood the meaning that Jesus died for me. We personalize this gospel. I know he died on a tree.
James 2:19
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.
Luke 10:18
18 He [Jesus] replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
Satan knows Jesus died on a cross. Satan knows he was raised from the dead. He hated every minute of it. It is not the case that Satan did not know those things.
It is the case they never internalize it. I knew those things too. I knew Jesus died on a cross and I believed it. How did I believe it? The same way I believed Abraham Lincoln was killed in Ford’s theater. It was written down in history and I believed it. I believe Abraham Lincoln was killed in Ford’s theater. Didn’t you? All that historical stuff. I believed all those things. But I do not know Jesus death and resurrection had an application to me. When it came down to the point where I realized Jesus died for me. Jesus took away my sins. Jesus was raised for me. I was dead and Christ came to give me life.
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
1 John 5:11-13
111 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
He did that for me. Pretty soon, instead of this being an historical event, it becomes a personal event. And you say, “Thank you.” Why do you say “Thank you?” Because Jesus just did something for me that I did not know. I knew about it but I did not know he did it for me. That is when it becomes real.
Now, who was I before I was saved back in 1969? I was Bob George without spiritual life. I had life but not spiritual life. I was Bob George, dead in my sins and in the uncircumcision of my sinful nature. I was Bob George without the Spirit of God living in me. That is who I was. That was my identity.
When I came to Christ, in 1969, I became a new creation. If any man be in Christ, he is a brand new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold all things become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Who am I today? Bob George with the Spirit of God living in me. Who was I before? Bob George without the Spirit of God living in me. Where is that guy? He is dead as a hammer. He is gone. There is no more Bob George without the Spirit of God living in me. He is gone. I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Romans 6:10-12
10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
John 16:9 (TLB)
9 The world’s sin is unbelief in me
I died to sin. I died to my unbelief (John 16:9). How can I live in my unbelief any longer? How can I live as an unbeliever? How can I live any more not knowing what God says and what God means or not paying any attention to it? Well, you can’t. Because you are a believer today, if you are truly born again. So I cannot live in that any more (Romans 6:10-12).
Romans 6:3
3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
How did that happen? God came to live in us through Christ Jesus. That is Christ in you, your hope of glory. If the Son of God does not live in you, then you do not belong to Him.
Romans 8:9-10
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.
There is only one way to be born again, and that is to be born again of the Spirit. That is why you do not be born again of the Spirit today, and then receive the Spirit tomorrow, as some people teach. That is an impossibility. There are not two spirits. If you are born again, you are born again of the Spirit. Jesus comes by his Spirit and takes up residence in your heart.
Romans 6:3
3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Then what did the Spirit do? The Spirit of God baptized us into the body of Christ (Romans 6:3). That is me in Christ now. Christ in me (Colossians 1:27). Me in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). So all of us were placed into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). We have one head, that is Jesus (Colossians 1:18). You and I are the body. And although the body has many parts, they form one body (Romans 12:4-5).
Colossians 1:27
27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
1 Corinthians 1:30
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Colossians 1:18
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Romans 12:4-5
4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Do we understand that? You are a part of the body of Christ Jesus here on this earth. He is the head and you are the body. All of us were placed into Christ just as we were placed, or baptized, into his death.
Romans 6:3
were baptized into his death?
What does that mean? When I came to Christ, I accepted what Christ Jesus did for me at the cross. How did he pull that off? He had to die for the forgiveness of my sins.
Colossians 2:13-14
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[us] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
Colossians 1:13-14
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He had to take the punishment that was due to me on himself. There he who knew no sin became sin for me so that I could become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). I was placed in his death. I entered into that death and I recognized my death. Jesus was born alive. He entered into my death with me and I entered into his death as well.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Romans 6:4-5
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his,
In other words, he entered into our death with us. We entered into his death as well. We identified ourselves with what he did for me. He died for my sins. I entered into that truth.
Romans 6:5-6
we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him
Who was the old self? That was you without the Spirit of God living in you. What happened to that purpose? He was crucified. He died.
Romans 6:6
so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,
That is, rendered powerless. That is a better interpretation there.
Romans 6:6
that we should no longer be slaves to sin – 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
I do not need to be a slave any longer to believing lies, in essence. Can you be a slave to believing lies? If you are a slave to alcohol, what are you believing? What are you believing? You are believing a lie, that this is going to do something for you, except make you drunk. When you have a habit, that you know full well is a habit contrary to God. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
He does not want us sticking smoke in our body, sticking false stuff in it, drugs in it. We know that. Is that true or not? When we continue to do that, we are a slave, in essence, to sin. Do we have to be a slave to sin? No. People say, “I can’t”. Oh, yes you can. Without question, you can. You are no longer a slave to sin. It says that has been rendered powerless. So it does not have any power over you. You think it has power over you because Satan tells you it has power over you. But the bible says, “No it doesn’t. It has no power over you.”
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So, what is being said here? We know our old self was crucified with him so the body of sin might be rendered powerless that we should no longer be a slave to sin. Should we be a slave to believing lies? Can you be a slave to believing lies? How many of you have seen on television, where this one girl is anorexic, down to 50 pounds? Or a bolemic or anorexic? What is her problem? Anorexia? Bolemia? Is that her problem? No. Believing lie is her problem. She started saying it is Hollywood’s fault. No, it isn’t? It is your fault. Just because Hollywood says you have to look like a rake does not mean you have to be a rake. You are believing a lie: “This is what I have to look to be accepted.” Forget about being accepted by man. You are never going to be accepted by everybody.
Thank God you are accepted by Jesus and he does not care whether you are fat or skinny. I have never seen a picture of a skinny angel. But we believe a lie. Oh, this is what I have to look like. So people starve themselves to death. This is insanity. That is what people are doing, all over the place, preoccupied with self, thinking about self constantly. You are always asking, “What does self look like? What is self dressed like?” Wait until you get old. It won’t matter.
You become a slave to sin. You become a slave to believing a lie. You have got to be freed. If you are a slave to something, you have to be freed from slavery. There is only one person who can free you from slavery, and that is Jesus. Jesus comes in and starts teaching you truth. You start being taught, “What are you thinking this way for? This is not the thinking mindset I have given you. This is the world’s mindset.” You begin to analyze this back and forth. Then God gets a hold of your mind and you start thinking His thoughts instead of yours. That is when your mind gets renewed. And that is how you start living a new life, not an old life, but a new life.
You should no longer be a slave to sin. You can be, but you should no longer be. Whoever has died has been freed from sin. When you are doing that, then you are going back doing that voluntarily. Do you get the message? You have been freed from having to be a slave to error. So when you are believing error, then you are intentionally and volitionally going back to believing error. You are intentionally saying, “God, I do not care what you are saying, this is what I am going to do.” The minute you are into that, you are a slave back to Satan, a voluntary slave back to Satan, letting him run your life and control your life, volitionally. “I am doing this, Satan, because I like the results.” Smart? No.
Romans 6:8
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
We entered into that spiritual death. We also entered into his spiritual life.
Romans 6:9
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all;
How many times did Jesus die for your forgiveness of sin? Do you hear people come along, and say, “I know Jesus died for my past sins, but what about my future sins?” How many of you have ever thought that? How many of your sins were in the future when he died for them 2000 years ago? Unless you are pretty old, I think he died for all of them. He did not die twice. This was not the shedding of the blood of a bull and goat. This was the shedding of the blood of God himself, who went to a cross 2000 years ago, and there took away the sins of the entire world. He is not going to die again. When he comes back, he says “I am not coming to bear sin but to bring salvation for those who are waiting for him.” He did it once, he did it for all, and he said “it is finished”. What does that mean? It means it is finished.
Hebrews 9:28
28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Romans 6:10-11
but the life he lives, he lives to God.11 In the same way, count [or reckon, count it as such] yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
I am dead to believing these lies of Satan, and I am alive to having my mind renewed of the things of God.
Romans 6:12
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Let us look at this. Can sin reign in your mortal body? Yes. How? By obeying the evil desires that are created in you by Satan. Does Satan create evil desires in you? When you get evil desires, you can either believe them, or discount them. We have a choice there (2 Corinthians 10:5). All he is saying here is do not let sin reign in these mortal bodies of ours. If you do, then you are going to be enslaved.
2 Corinthians 10:5
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Romans 6:13
13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
Why?
Romans 6:14
14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Now, folks, in all of these things, is this one of these deals where God has said, “Do not do this.”, or is it, “Here is how you live your life.”? He is not saying to us to do this or don’t do that. He is saying, “Do not let the sin of unbelief reign in your mortal body.” You are a believer in Christ, now trust in what He says. You believed Him for salvation. Now believe Him for your walk in salvation (Colossians 2:6-7). Do not trust the voice that comes in and tells you how to think and how to act, which is contrary to the word of God. Do not let sin reign in your body. Let Him reign. How does He reign? With truth. And that truth will do what? It will set us free (John 8:32).
Colossians 2:6-7
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free
Let us pray together.
“Father, we thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You for these instructions to us. They are questions that we all ask. They are questions that need answers. I pray that, as we continue this study together, that our hearts will be opened, to allow ourselves to become vessels to whom the living Christ can live and reign, to be available to say Lord Jesus: If You need eyes to see with, use mine. If you need a mouth to speak with, use mine. If you need a heart to live with, use mine. I pray to be available to Jesus Christ, to be available to be loved by Him and available to express that love to others. So Father, we thank You for these brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank You for truth You have given us to set us free from the error that is constantly bombarding us in this world in which we live. Teach us Father to have discernment, to discern truth from error and good from evil. In Jesus name. Amen.”
