Romans 6

Romans 6
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

I do not want to keep sinning. And yet something in my flesh keeps winning the day. If I am in fact dead to sin - why do I keep living in it? I don't know - but I do know that I am fed up with myself in the area of food and food addiction. I keep hearing the Lord say ... 'Be satisfied with less food - be satisfied with more of me' ... I so want that until my stomach even grumbles a little and I am back in the kitchen looking for a little more. How can this passage be true of me? How can I have resurrection power at my disposal and yet feel so powerless when I am hungry. 

 5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Alive to God through Christ Jesus. Consider myself dead. I am united with Him in His death ... and raised to new life with Him. This is what is true. I hear and understand the words - and some part of me believes that this is not just true - but true of me. And yet... and yet ... I am stuck. So stuck in the same sin over and over again. I am set free from the power of sin ... and yet I am still stuck. What does it mean that I should consider myself dead to the power of sin? because like I said - I believe that - yet - I am still sinning.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Do not give into sinful desires... this has to be an act of God in me. I can not conjure this up in myself. There is no part of my flesh that can be good enough to walk in this truth. So there is the new creature - the new me - the new heart that is given to me - where Christ resides - where the Spirit lives. So why do I not automatically then do what my new nature desires? If Christ and the Spirit are within me - are they not more powerful than this sin? They are! I know that much is true - but then why is this still such a mess? I have asked the Lord to come and make my flesh obey - confessed my sin a million times - asked Him to bring Him more glory ... yet each time I walk in the kitchen - my flesh is the thing that takes over. Damn you flesh! I want my body to obey - I want my body to be and instrument of righteousness. I want to bring glory to God!


15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

I don't want to sin! I don't want to be a slave to my hunger, or my stomach, or my food addiction, or my sin. How do I choose to obey? I want to be a slave to righteous living! a slave to God!

19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

God I give myself - everything over to You and your righteousness. Make me holy like you are.

20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Make me do the things that lead to holiness and result in eternal work. I want to bring You honor and glory. This sin pattern is old and tired ... I am ready for victory. Put to death the deeds of this flesh and enliven me to righteousness! I present myself to You... Teach my heart, soul, mind, and body to love You and to rest in the truth of this Word. Fill me with Your fullness!