We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
(Romans 6:6 NLT)
Wow! Read that verse slowly again. Did you soak in that verse above? If you are a follower of Jesus, Romans 6:6 is worth some celebration. Think about what it means—
If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then sin has lost its power in your life. You are no longer a slave to sin. That’s what’s true of you. Sure, you may not feel that way right now. You may be keenly aware of the presence of some sin in your life. But that verse tells you that sin’s power has been broken in your life!
What hope!
Jesus Has Forgiven and Freed You
When we talk about what Jesus has done for us, we often emphasize that he has set us free from the penalty of our sin (Romans 8:2), saving us from the wrath of God and an eternity in hell. That is wonderful, truly! But we often forget that for all who belong to Jesus, eternal life starts now. God’s work on our behalf through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection does not apply to us only after we die.
Jesus has not just performed a future rescue but a present one also. He has rescued us from the pull of evil, the inclination to do what’s wrong, and the enslavement to sin that would compel us to give into wickedness every time we are tempted. He has saved us from ourselves—from our nature that trends toward evil rather than good, trends toward selfishness rather than love, and ultimately trends toward hatred of God rather than love for him.
Sin once had power in our lives: We were once enslaved to it (Romans 6:6). Yet in some mysterious way, when Jesus Christ died, all those who trust in him died with him—our old selves, that is. Jesus Christ didn’t just avert the wrath of God away from the sin in your heart: He broke sin’s power within your heart, so that it might no longer have dominion over you (Romans 6:14).
How we need to hear those words—Sin has lost its power in your life, Christian. You are no longer a slave to sin.
The Truth: You Are Free
The Word of God is a wonderful gift to us for many reasons, but this is a pretty good one—it renews our minds (Romans 12:2). Often the change we most desperately need in our lives begins with our thoughts. Perhaps this verse can create in you the mindset change you need today. You are not a slave to your sin.
That means you don’t have to give into that sin you keep doing. That sin in your past that haunts you and you fear will return will not have dominion over you. You can say no to that sin. You can stop doing that thing you hate. You have the power in Christ to stop sinning today (2 Timothy 1:7). You have the power in Christ to do what’s right. You are not defined by any evil that you engage in, and Christ can and will empower you to cease doing it—whether that’s gossip or laziness or gluttony or greed or discontentment, or lust, or pride, or pornography.
If you have put your faith in Christ, you are free.
Will You Walk in Freedom?
What might be different in your life today if you believed God’s Word to you?
Know that your old sinful self was crucified with Christ, so that sin might lose its power in your life. You are no longer a slave to sin.
Will you walk in freedom?