Today we want to make
a beginning with the first Track: how to overcome the power of sin in my life?
As I mentioned before, the upcoming meditations presuppose that conversion and
rebirth by God’s Spirit have taken place in your life. If that has not yet been the
case, I hope that the Meditations 19 to 27 will be of help to you.
In Meditation 102 we saw that according to God’s Word ‘sin’ in all
its manifestations is always a demonstration of rebellion against God and of
disobedience to his Will and his Law of life. God’s light-giving Word pitilessly
exposes the abysmal wickedness of the human heart.
So, the question arises: is it at all possible for followers of Jesus to
conquer the power of sin in their lives? Well, it is time to start our
exploration of God’s Word on this subject.
I think that Paul’s teaching on “Victory over sin only through our Triune God” in Romans 8:1-16 is a good point of departure. Let us have a careful
look into these verses:
“Now there is no
condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus...” (Romans
8:1*)
What powerful, encouraging and comforting words for all those who love Jesus
Christ, want to follow His commands, and yet again and again fall back into sin.
Why should there no longer be divine judgment and condemnation because of our
sinfulness since we accepted Jesus as our Saviour?
The apostle Paul explains to the Christians in Galatia (former region in
Turkey): “Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the (divine)
Law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our
wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures (Old Testament), ‘Cursed is
everyone who is hung on a tree.’” (Galatians 3:13*)
Earlier in his letter
to the Christians in Rome Paul rejoices: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is
forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose sin is
no longer counted against them by the Lord.” (Romans 4:7-8*)
In Romans 5:1 the
apostle describes why we have peace with God: “Since we have been made right
in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ
our Lord has done for us.” (Romans 5:1*)
At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus Himself points to the fact that “God
so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in
him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into
the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes
in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because he has not believed in the Name of God's one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18**)
Do we truly grasp
what Jesus and Paul are saying here? They actually say that if we belong to
Jesus Christ, we are completely free from any divine judgment and condemnation!
With His own blood Jesus paid the price for our sin. God the Father has brought on His divine Son Jesus
the righteous judgment and condemnation for our sinfulness so that we should be
free from it. Our past is completely forgiven. Eternal life is ours!
“...for
the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the
power of sin that leads to death.” (Romans
8:2*)
We read it often before:
since I received God’s Spirit at my conversion and rebirth, His power is able
to deliver me from the power of sin that up till then had captivated my soul.
Jesus promised this freedom from the power of sin already when he said: “I
assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin. ... If the Son sets you
free (from sin), you will indeed be free.” (John 8:34 and
36*)
The apostle Paul
speaks about it in his second letter to the church in Corinth: “Now, the
Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom.”
(2 Corinthians 3:17*)
In his letter to the
Galatians, Paul cautions us: “Christ has really set us free. Now make sure
that you stay free and don't get tied up again in slavery to the (divine) Law.”
(Galatians 5:1*)
How can I as a Christian be tied up
in slavery to God’s Law of life? That will be one of the subjects of our next meditations.
(to be continued)
Translations: * New Living Translation; ** New International
Version
For more on the Holy
Spirit’s ministry see Meditations 27 to 34 and 49 to 56 and 105.
For more about the
question ‘what is sin?’ see Meditations 101 to 103.
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