Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin….Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. –Romans 6:6,7,12
Free. It’s so familiar, a gospel fundamental. The Lord saves us and sets us free from sin. We don’t have to obey our former master anymore.
This morning, cuddled up with my nursing baby, and prepping for a Bible study, I came across those words again, “freed from sin.” I don’t have to serve sin. But I could. I could still obey sin, otherwise there wouldn’t be any words of warning against letting it reign in my mortal body. But in order to obey, there has to be a command. And that made me wonder, what does the command sound like? How do I hear my former master’s voice?
I hear it in my flesh, my “mortal body,” “in the lusts thereof.” It is the overwhelming feeling that I must do something wrong. The anger welling up within me when I do not get my way, the jealousy that taunts me when I see what others have that my flesh desperately wants, the selfishness, dissatisfaction, the compelling frustration, the feeling that I just “can’t help” being closed in on myself and joyless, the sin, like instinct; these things that seem to come from within me, that whisper that this is who I am, inescapably, without hope of control, that tell me I can’t, I can’t say no, I must feel this, and maybe scream, or yell, or make someone else feel as bad as I do–they are the commands, they are the sound of my former master’s voice. Authoritative. Powerful. To hear is to obey.
But I am free.
This is nothing more than shouting in the street. I do not have to listen. I can simply walk away.
I used to be so bothered by these attempts at returning me to slavery. I was torn, squirming, guilty that I was feeling this or that, and yet feeling such compulsion to wallow in it and act on it. “I’m having a hard day.” “I’m sorry I said that, but you just made me SO MAD.” “I can’t help that. I’ve always felt like that, ever since I was a little girl.” “If you just knew what this person or that person did to me, then you’d understand why I have to be this way.” But lying there with my Bible study, I realized that what freedom means is that I actually can just turn away. I don’t have to be upset about all these feelings and compulsions anymore. My flesh can shout all it wants. I do not have to obey.
Obviously, there is no hope of rejecting my former master’s commands if I am not clinging to my new Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, who set me free to serve Him. It is only through His power that I have any hope of escaping. But through His power, I can reject even the sin of my own flesh, the voice of my former master.
I am free.
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin….If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. –John 8:34,36
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Hm. I have to ask myself, “How many times have I used one of those excuses?” More often than I’m comfortable with, especially the “I’ve done that since I was a little girl” excuse, as if that justifies my lack of maturity. Thanks for the reminder that giving in to those impulses or feelings “I just can’t help” is listening to a voice that I’ve been freed from by Jesus Christ!
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Very well put! Just today I had a bunch of depressing, negative thoughts bombard me (I was VERY tired at the time) and I told the Lord, “I can’t stand under the weight of it anymore” and he took it away and I fell asleep in a little nap. Hope we can both be victorious in this DAILY struggle.
Thanks for your encouraging comments on my video. I, personally, think the whole video is LAME. But it did it. there.
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:18 am
and yet, as we read on in chapter 7, we see that even Paul struggled with this.
I so look forward to the day when all things are made new and this groaning can end and there will be no sin or sickness or sorrow – when we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is. We will be able to live in perfect joy and obedience and there will be no more struggle with our flesh.
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:06 am
One of the things that has struck me about our modern culture, even in the church, is the tendency to portray as virtues what are actually sins. For instance, I’ve heard women say, Well, I guess I’m being selfish, but…. And, like everyone else, I nod my head and agree that some how the sin she just admitted is OK, when what I should be saying is, “Then don’t do it.” Or I’ll preface some unkind remark with, “I shouldn’t say this, but….” If I shouldn’t say it than I SHOULD NOT SAY IT.
Thank you for reminding me.
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Just some verses that your post brought to mind. Thank you muchly!
February 4th, 2010 at 12:09 am
I once heard a sermon that described this same issue in a very graphic manner. The pastor commented that we all have this ‘old man’ sitting on our shoulders encouraging us to turn back to our old ways. He commented on how much easier it is to listen to the ‘old man’ when we haven’t filled ourselves with scripture on a regular and repeated basis. Now when I use the excuses you mentioned, and some of my own, I remind myself to shake off the old man!
February 5th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Thank you for posting this. God was in it. I was praying that God would show me what I should share with a friend right now who is going through this very thing. I read your blog and God said, “here is your answer.” I think I will print it out and give it to her.