So, Will You?

Daily Reading: Romans 6

Scripture Focus:  Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.(Romans 6.13)

Devotional Thought: Paul, here in Romans 6, forcefully makes his case that the norm for the Christian is not self-excusing sin but rather God-exalting righteousness.

Some questions come up:

• Does this mean that the Christian can not sin?  Absolutely not.  The Bible makes provision for that very instance in the Lord’s Prayer (Forgive us our debts…), in Galatians 6 (If anyone is caught in any transgression…), in 1 John 2 (If anybody does sin…) and in James 5 (If anyone among you wanders from the truth…).  No, the New Testament does not teach that the Christian can not sin.  But it does teach that we need not sin.  Moment by moment, we can choose to offer the parts of our body to God for the purposes of righteousness.

• Does this mean that the Christian will not sin?  The answer to that question remains for the individual.  In the next moment, can you choose not to sin?  Of course.  And what of the moment after that?  Yes.  The question is whether we will choose not to sin.  It is a matter of the will.  Sin is not our master.

• Does this mean that the Christian should not sin?  With biblical certainty we can say emphatically: Yes!  We died to sin and our lives are now hidden with Christ in God.  Jesus did not come to die on the cross for us to continue doing the very things that cost him his life.  Sin separates us from God, and it is not God’s will that any should be separated from him.  Why should we continue to do the very things that alienate us from God?  We shouldn’t.

To put it as a question: "We should not sin, but we can sin, so will we sin?"

Prayer: Lord Jesus, it was my sin that destined you for the cross.  You died to give me victory over the penalty and power of sin.  Help me to live so that my life will be an instrument of your righteousness.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 26.9-12

9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men,

10 in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me.

12 My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD.