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Today we are in Romans, chapter 6. The last verse of this chapter, number 23, is one that most are familiar with. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”
In this chapter, Paul is talking about slavery and freedom. Sin, or slavery, is not just something we do, it is a power that works against us, it enslaves us, it brings us death and we need freedom from it!
Freedom comes to us in Jesus Christ! When we accept His death and resurrection—when we die to sin and are reborn in Christ---we are freed from the chains of sin!
We are no longer bound up—enslaved—forced to serve sin—but are free for a new life—a new way of living. We are empowered to choose! The power of the Holy Spirit that lives in us gives us the choice of a new mindset. A mindset of being free from sin (dead to sin) and a choice of living for God. (alive in Christ)
As I read this chapter, I thought about being a slave—being chained hand and foot—only able to do what an evil or unkind master decides. We, as slaves, had no choice in our lives and ultimately we would die—still chained, still a slave to that master. We had no choice in what we did or how we lived or even how we died. Our whole life belonged to our master, SIN.
God’s plan for us, for humanity, was freedom and harmony. From the Garden of Eden, sin enslaved us and stole the freedom that God desired for us. God so wanted us to be free that he sent Jesus to enable us to be freed. We CAN BE FREE thru Jesus Christ!
If we are free in Jesus, why would we choose to go back to being a slave? God through his grace and mercy always forgives us as his children. Paul is asking us to choose to live in the freedom, forgiveness, and harmony that God offers.
He asks, What good did it do you to live in sin? Was it really great to be a slave—to be owned by another? To have no freedom? It kept you from being righteous and living in the love and harmony that God gives. HE ends with the verse that we began with.
“for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We have a choice. Slavery or Freedom. What do you choose?
I once heard a friend say that going to church is a form of brain washing. And he was right. And it occurred to me that I needed my brain wash by our Lord and savior and what he does for all of us. In others words “Change the way you think and you will change the way you act. So I want to think Jesus. To be free from my chains and to have the gift of eternal life. Thank you for another outstanding dwell message.