Daily Devotional – I’m Normal.™ I AM Ministries
“To promote Godly living in a culture committed to destroying it”
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Why Not Sin?
Paul put a probing question to the Christians of the Church at Rome almost 2000 years ago: “Shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under grace?” (Romans 6:15). Consider for a moment your own answer to this question.
Some of the Christians in his day thought the answer was “Yes”. To their surprise, Paul answered it plainly, saying “No!” Despite this Biblical answer, Christians ever since have continued to inquire why sin is unacceptable under grace. The logic seems straightforward – we are free from the Law, God’s grace is sufficient and able to increase infinitely (Romans 6:1), so why not just surrender to our urges to sin and maximize the carnal and materialistic aspects of life?
The Holy Spirit informed Paul this question would arise in every generation of Christians because Satan could not resist using such a tempting ploy. Paul understood his own nature (Romans 7:24) as well as the nature of all men. He tells us clearly the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), but recognized how Christians would argue our Savior Jesus Christ conquered death. Therefore, why not simply go on sinning since our sins are covered by His blood?
The short answer – sin is not normal in God’s eyes. The reasons are many, and they come to us through Paul’s epistles, which originated from God and Jesus Christ. A quick survey of Romans 6 provides four powerful reasons.
First, sin is a form of slavery. Jesus Himself said “I tell you the Truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34). Those who tell us sinning is freedom are agents of Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44). You don’t have to look very far in today’s world to find people who are slaves to the appeal of the lustful desires of sinful man. The Bible warns us, however, “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.” (2 Peter 2:19). Sin will be your master if you let it. This is the Truth, and Jesus tells us when we know the Truth, the Truth shall set us free (John 8:32). The normal question is: Why would you want to return to the bondage of slavery once you have been set free by Christ?
Second, Paul is very explicit, insistent, and persistent in his exhortations about sin and death. He describes “sin, which leads to death” in Romans 6:16. He warns us about sins, “Those things result in death!” in Romans 6:21. In Romans 6:23, Paul delivers his famous admonition, “For the wages of sin is death”. Paul is just echoing the Words of our Savior, who said, “I told you that you would die in your sins.” (John 8:24). In God’s equation of righteousness, sin is a constant – it is always equal to death.
Third, if you are truly a Christian, you have been delivered from sin’s tyranny by the work of Jesus Christ. This blessing is so wonderful Paul can barely contain himself in his excitement. He departs from his teaching (v.16) and breaks spontaneously into a doxology – “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin….you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” (Romans 6:17-18). Paul, consumed by the peace and joy that come with allegiance to Jesus Christ, declares it would not be normal for a person delivered from sin to forego the redemption, to buy back into slavery, and to repudiate the efforts and sacrifices our LORD Jesus Christ made on our behalf.
Finally, through our redemption, we become slaves to the only things capable of giving eternal life and peace. We “have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God” (Romans 6:22). Similarly, we “have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18). God is the definition of righteousness, and the giver of eternal life for all who believe on His Son (John 3:16). Slavery to God is actually freedom, and we reap the benefits of holiness and eternal life (Romans 6:22)
Do not believe anyone who claims sin is normal or harmless. Sin leads only to slavery and death, as Adam and Eve discovered in the Garden of Eden despite Satan’s assurances to the contrary (Genesis 3:4). Be normal, and flee from sin (2 Timothy 2:22). Believe in the God who tells you that to sin is to die. And be sensible – the only proper and normal reaction to sin is to turn from it and to seek the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ.
In His love and service,
Jeff Myers
A servant of Jesus Christ
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