You have a choice today

Everyday we live our lives in the heat of the battle. Everyday we are making decisions to follow Christ (be Christ-like) or not.

Paul puts it this way in Romans 6: 13, 14

Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

He is encouraging everyone to make a decision, everyday not to allow evil to overcome us. Reminding us that we are no longer bound to sin, as we were before we came to Christ but because of Christ he now live under the freedom that grace brings.

When a sinner sins, they are only doing what comes naturally. When a Christian sins, we have made a choice to neglect the freedom we have been given in Christ. The good thing in both cases is that God’s grace if applied, can be sufficient for both.

As you read on in this chapter, Paul presents the argument that we are all slaves to something either God, leading to righteousness, joy, peace, love, and freedom or our sin leading to bondage and death.

The point today is that we need to realize, unlike Flip Wilson’s character from the early 1970’s, “the devil didn’t make us do it” we choose every day how we will live. We have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to be overcomers not victims.

We all have areas of weakness. We all have areas of temptation and areas we struggle; however the empowering of the Holy Spirit enables us to be overcomers in all things. We have been set free from sin, as Paul mentions in verse 22 of the same chapter.

Do you feel condemned? I hope not, I hope that you feel empowered. I hope you realize you have a choice everyday to give into sin or not. You no longer have to be in bondage to anything. The Holy Spirit can and is more than willing to give you the power to overcome you weaknesses.

As you realize you are free, you realize you are empowered. As you realize you are empowered you will begin to see great victories in your life and the lives of those around. Freedom is also a decision you must make. The cross has set you free but if you still living in bondage in your mind, you nullify the effects of the cross.

Your choice!