Romans - Freedom From the Grip of Sin

I have been reading Paul's letter to the Romans lately, and was struck by the sequence of words in Romans 6 - the entire chapter is very powerful...but look at these words Paul calls us to as we consider the grip of sin in our lives:

A. KNOW - there are 3 things Paul wants us to know - to grasp - so that we could have victory over sin

1. Verse 6 Know that your old man was crucified with Christ so that sin could be done away with, and we would no longer be enslaved by it

2. Verse 9 Know that Christ has been raised front he dead - He doesn't have to die any more  - death no longer has dominion over Him!

3. Verse 16 Know that whomever you present yourself to as an obedient servant - you will become a slave of that thing - if it is sin...you will become a slave to sin...if it is righteousness, then you will become a slave to righteousness.

B. RECKON - Once we know these things, we have to believe or consider ourselves to be dead to sin and alive in Christ. If we correctly know what Jesus has done...we can correctly give our lives to His victory.


C. YIELD or PRESENT - Once we know the truth and consider ourselves to be part of the truth, we then have to present ourselves to the truth and yield to the power of God's truth in our lives. Paul tells us not to present ourselves to unrighteousness, but to God so that He will have dominion over us.

Romans 6:1 (NLT) 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We Know

In the book of 1 John, there is an incredible list of all the things John wants us to know - here they are:

2:3.............We know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

2:5.............We know that we are in Him if we keep His Word.

2:13...........We know Him who is from the beginning. We are to know the Father.

2:18...........We know that it is the last hour.

2:20...........We have an anointing from the Holy One, and know all things.

2:21...........We are to know the truth.

2:29...........We are to know that He is righteous - also know that everyone who practices    righteousness is born of Him.

3:2.............We are to know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

3:5.............We know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

3:14...........We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.

3:15...........We know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

3:16...........We know love, because He laid down His life for us.

3:19...........We know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.

3:24...........We know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

4:2.............We are to know the Spirit of God, because every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,

4:6.............We are of God. He who knows God hears us - By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

4:7.............Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

4:13...........We know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

4:16...........We have known and believed the love that God has for us.

5:2.............We know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.

5:13...........We are to know that we have eternal life.

5:15...........We know that He hears us - whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

5:18...........We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

5:19...........We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

5:20...........We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Book of Proverbs - Part 2

Here are a few thoughts on the way Proverbs is related to the other poetical books of the Bible:

Book of Job - we come to the presence of God through suffering
Book of Psalms - we come to the presence of God through prayer, praise and worship
Book of Proverbs - we come to the presence of God through wisdom and godly living
Book of Ecclesiastes - we come to the presence of God through the fear of the Lord
Book of Song Of Solomon - We come to the presence of God through intimacy

Book of Job - we find Christ through meditation on all aspects of life

Book of Psalms - we find Christ through communion as a foundation of life

Book of Proverbs - we find Christ through wisdom applied to our life

Book of Ecclesiastes - we find Christ through understanding the meaning of life

Book of Song Of Solomon - We find Christ through relationship with Him in every area of life

Proverbs: After the title and author are laid out in Chapter 1, verse 1, verse 2 offers five parallel statements that are the foundation of the entire book:

to know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding

1. Know - yada - not just knowing with one's mind, but doing what we learn. To know by experience, and to become skilled in what we know. It also means to discern, to find out, to be alert, to carry out a decision or to put wisdom into action.

2. wisdom - chokmah - the goal and subject of this book. The Hebrew word for wisdom means "the things that controls or makes something firm or fixed in place." This wisdom is more to do with justice rather than simply intelligence. It is a practical and moral intelligence which produces a strength of character and practical knowledge on how to become established and controlled in one's life. This word, wisdom means that we are discovering God's thoughts on a matter and seeing life as God sees it.

3. Instruction - muwcar - sometimes translated as "discipline," refers to the method and process of attaining wisdom. "Discipline" involves obedience so that we will submit to God's higher authority for our lives. This is wisdom through correction and training.

4. Perceive - biyn -to have discernment and to separate. This involves knowing with the mind as well as the spirit and to give careful consideration to a matter and then stand apart with what is right. It also means, to give attentions to a matter and to turn the mind to a thing and give it due attention; to be prudent.

5. Understanding - biynah - means that we can discern good from evil - this is the ultimate intelligence.

Book of Proverbs Part 1 HERE
Book of Proverbs Part 3 HERE