Set Free
"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:17-18)."
What does it mean to be a slave to sin? It is a habitual lifestyle that keeps you in bondage. Whether you realize it or not,being a slave to sin means that sin is your master, or in other words, it has complete control over you. Day after day, you live life thinking only of yourself and anything your flesh desires. It is living in darkness....in your sin and more importantly, living apart from the One who gave you life. There is a veil over the hearts of everyone until they come to the Lord. In Christ, this veil is taken away so that we have understanding.
As a follower of Christ, we are now slaves to righteousness. We no longer live the way we once did nor do we think the way we once did. Why? Once you are saved, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within you. You cannot habitually keep doing the things you used to. "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother (1 John 3:9-10)." Because of the Holy Spirit, your desires change and He begins to transform you from the inside out making you more like Him. The Holy Spirit came to convict the world of sin. He is our Helper and our guide and He will be with us until Jesus comes. This transformation we go through is a life-long process. We have never "arrived," for there is always work to be done within us. We only need to be obedient to the Lord and allow Him to continue to change us. "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18)."
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!(2 Corinthians 3:17) He has broken all our chains and set us free. We are then free to live the life He created us for. We no longer walk around in fear and darkness for we know that our God and Savior is with us and we are precious in His sight. You need to understand my friend, that when you do sin (and you will), that God still loves you the same...His love for you never changes. We have One who stands in our defense~Jesus Christ, who always lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25). When you do sin, run to the cross, confess it to the Lord and repent. He already knows, however, as you confess and repent of your sin, your fellowship with the Lord is restored. Understand that your salvation is forever secured in Christ. "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them and they follow Me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and the Father are one (John 10:27-30)."
So, since you have been set free, walk in the love and the power of Christ. You are set apart, you are chosen and in Christ, you are royalty. Praise God for His grace and mercy! It is only because of Jesus we are standing.
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10)."
What does it mean to be a slave to sin? It is a habitual lifestyle that keeps you in bondage. Whether you realize it or not,being a slave to sin means that sin is your master, or in other words, it has complete control over you. Day after day, you live life thinking only of yourself and anything your flesh desires. It is living in darkness....in your sin and more importantly, living apart from the One who gave you life. There is a veil over the hearts of everyone until they come to the Lord. In Christ, this veil is taken away so that we have understanding.
As a follower of Christ, we are now slaves to righteousness. We no longer live the way we once did nor do we think the way we once did. Why? Once you are saved, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within you. You cannot habitually keep doing the things you used to. "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother (1 John 3:9-10)." Because of the Holy Spirit, your desires change and He begins to transform you from the inside out making you more like Him. The Holy Spirit came to convict the world of sin. He is our Helper and our guide and He will be with us until Jesus comes. This transformation we go through is a life-long process. We have never "arrived," for there is always work to be done within us. We only need to be obedient to the Lord and allow Him to continue to change us. "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18)."
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!(2 Corinthians 3:17) He has broken all our chains and set us free. We are then free to live the life He created us for. We no longer walk around in fear and darkness for we know that our God and Savior is with us and we are precious in His sight. You need to understand my friend, that when you do sin (and you will), that God still loves you the same...His love for you never changes. We have One who stands in our defense~Jesus Christ, who always lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25). When you do sin, run to the cross, confess it to the Lord and repent. He already knows, however, as you confess and repent of your sin, your fellowship with the Lord is restored. Understand that your salvation is forever secured in Christ. "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them and they follow Me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and the Father are one (John 10:27-30)."
So, since you have been set free, walk in the love and the power of Christ. You are set apart, you are chosen and in Christ, you are royalty. Praise God for His grace and mercy! It is only because of Jesus we are standing.
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10)."
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