Tag Archives: Sin

The Reality of Freedom

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 Do you suppose God might have known what the consequences of sin’s presence with us here on earth would be? Of course He did. God knew Adam, human as he was, would fall into sin. Standing outside of time, He sees the beginning and end of everything all at the same time. So how could He ever have imagined that things might turn out differently?

The only logical answer is that our confrontation with the power of sin is simply a part of His plan to bring His purpose for our lives to fruition. Yet this doesn’t mean that God has decided to tolerate sin. He detests sin, not only because it’s a personal affront to His goodness and holiness, but also because of its destructive power in people’s lives.

The lesson for all of us here is that tolerating sin in our own lives is simply unacceptable. Let’s forget the excuses, then, that sin is merely an inescapable part of life, and move on to the freedom God designed us for.      

God Desires Our Good

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Unquestionably, God wants good for us here, but His plan ultimately revolves around our union with Him later. So He has designed things such that His purpose can only come to fruition as we receive Christ as Lord and Savior, and then enter into a lifelong pursuit of God in spite of our human penchant to choose self in place of Him.

So our ongoing battle with the flesh, as we’re confronted daily by a world steeped in sin, boils down to one thing only: choice with teeth, decision with real meaning. And this is precisely why God had to allow sin to play such a major role in our decision-making.

But how could God (whose very essence is goodness) give evil the right to exist at all, much less allow it to have such overwhelming and destructive power over mankind? Again, choice is the answer to this age-old question. In His unfathomable wisdom, God has ordained that His children choose Him freely—and the more difficult the choice, the better He likes our yes. It makes the value we place on Him all the more meaningful.

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

Made Righteous & Free From Sin

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My child, I have made you righteous. I have freed you from the power of sin and the bondage of this world. Never think you can do anything to earn your way into My good graces. You only need to believe. Believe that I died and rose again. Believe that My blood cleanses you from sin. Believe that you are Mine and walk in the provision I have given you. “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourself, it is a gift of God. Not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2: 8&9

“The Power of Sin is the Law”

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While the principle of freedom from the power of sin is woven throughout the fabric of the gospel, it still can be a bit confusing. Paul says, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” (1 Corinthians 15:56) But don’t you find this a little surprising? It seems here as if sin’s power is tied directly to the law. So freedom from the power of sin must somehow be very closely related to freedom from the law.

Yet we tend to think about freedom from sin only as being liberated from the problem of sinning. So how could being set free from the law have anything to do with sin losing its power over us? Well, the truth is that freedom from the law has everything to do with freeing us from sin’s power. But if you’re like most Christians, your grasp of this principle is probably a little sketchy.

(Excerpted from “Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself”)

Born again: the starting point!

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Being born again into relationship with Christ is merely the starting point of our Christian walk. As we attempt to move forward with Him, it’s not long before we find that our struggle with self-will doesn’t simply evaporate. Each and every one of us butts up against the very same obstacle: “Will I continue living my life for my own self-gratification, or will I surrender my life completely, dedicating myself to live for His purposes and pleasure instead of my own?” Over time we learn that this conflict is a lifelong battle for the believer—that it never entirely disappears, though its intensity certainly diminishes as we mature in our relationship with Him.

(Excerpted from “Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself”)

The power of sin is in the Law?

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While the principle of freedom from the power of sin is woven throughout the fabric of the gospel, it still can be a bit confusing. Paul says, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” Don’t you find this a little surprising? It seems here as if sin’s power is tied directly to the law. So freedom from the power of sin must somehow be very closely related to freedom from the law. Yet we tend to think about freedom from sin only as being liberated from the problem of sinning. So how could being set free from the law have anything to do with sin losing its power over us? Well, the truth is that freedom from the law has everything to do with freeing us from sin’s power.

(Excerpted from “Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself”)