286 of 365 - Freedom

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? Romans 6:1
 
Paul asks another set of hypothetical questions he anticipates his readers may be thinking… Are we to continue in sin so grace may show itself even more? Or keep sinning because we are not under a law but under grace? If we are forgiven over and over again by no act of our own, can we not just keep sinning…after all, God will continue to keep forgiving us?

Paul answers his hypothetical question… By no means! Once you have tasted freedom, why would you ever go back to slavery? God has so much more for you.

We who are baptized in Christ were buried with Him in death…but also raised with Him in new life. Our old self, ruled by sin, was crucified with Him, so sin would no longer have control over us. We aren’t the same. We don’t have to do the things we used to do. We don’t have to say the things we used to say. We don’t have to think the way we used to think. We are free. Timothy Keller says, “God invites us to come as we are, not stay as we are.”

But sometimes we don’t feel free, do we? Sometimes -- even in our belief -- sin still seems to have a strong grip on us. Temptation is still rearing its ugly head for now, but we are equipped to conquer it. Paul says, “let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness…”

Instead of submitting our “members” as instruments for unrighteousness, we can strive to always present them in a way to draw closer to God.  Think about how you spend your time. Think about what you scroll through. Think about what you read. Think about what you listen to in the car. Think about what you click on Netflix. Think about what you whisper to your friends. Are they things that feed that pull of temptation, or are they things that feed your soul, your faith, your love for the Lord?

Questions: How are you using your “members”, or the parts of you that you control…what you do, see, read, watch, listen to, etc.? Are there things you may need to change to feed your soul?