Five Operations of the Holy Spirit Part 16
Our entrance into the death and resurrection of Christ, as portrayed in our baptism in water, does not mean we never can sin again.
Nor does it indicate that it does not matter whether or not we overcome sin because we are saved by "grace." Both of these interpretations of Romans, Chapter Six have been held because of the complexity of the doctrine. Both are erroneous.
Also they can be quite harmful to the maturing of the Christian into the stature of the fullness of Christ. After receiving Christ we are well able to sin. It is not true that God is indifferent to our sinning or that He judges us less severely than He does the unsaved.
The Lord takes a more serious view of sin in those who are close to Him than He does in those who are far removed from His presence. Sin is sin, and from the point of view of God, sin will be judged and dealt with whether the sinner is a non-Christian or a Christian.
If God responds with judgment when a believer sins, what good is it to receive Christ as Saviour? What actually does occur as the result of our entering the death and resurrection of Christ? What is Paul talking about?
The operation of water baptism is dual in effect. First of all, our guilt, the first consideration of the demolishing of sin in us, is completely, totally, perfectly removed from us by the authority of the blood of Christ. There is no condemnation resting on those who have received Christ as Savior. We have been forgiven by the Judge of Heaven—perfectly, totally, unqualifiedly.
Second, for the first time in our lives we have the authority and power to choose not to sin. It is not that we cannot sin or that it does not matter if we do sin. Rather it is that we have a choice. We can choose to serve righteousness or we can choose to serve sin.
The fruit of serving righteousness is eternal life. The fruit of serving sin is spiritual death—separation from God. We cannot be compelled to serve the flesh or the devil when we are walking in the Spirit of God. Christ has the authority and power to give us victory over Satan.
The power of choice given us in Christ is expressed in the following passage.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:12-14)
It is impossible to be servants of righteousness before we accept Christ. We are under the penalty of Adam's sin, and suffering from our own guilt as well. Satan has dominion over us—body, soul, and spirit.
Even if we could observe the Ten Commandments by our own will power, there still is the fact that we were born in sin. The spiritual darkness of the sinful age in which we live, the power of our own fleshly desires, and the influence of Satan combine to make it impossible for the man or woman, boy or girl, who does not possess Christ to walk in righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God.
When we receive the grace that is in Christ the picture changes. We now, through the Holy Spirit, possess the power to refuse to obey sin. Our guilt has been removed by the blood of the cross. Our conscience is clear. The remaining problem is that of the power of sin.
It is a battle of power. Satan desires that we sin. The Holy Spirit desires that we reject sin. We ourselves now have the authority to obey Satan and our flesh or to obey the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. It is a question of our choice.
Paul commands us to stop sinning. If we cannot stop sinning in some area of behaviour we are bound spiritually. We are to confess our bondage to God. Sometimes it is helpful to ask the saints to pray for us. God's Word declares that we no longer can be compelled to sin against our will. God has declared that sin shall not have dominion over us.
There is unlimited power and authority in the grace of God in Christ. We Christians have not realized that we cannot be compelled to sin. It reminds us of the time when the people of God were starving to death inside the city, while outside the walls of the city the enemy had fled in disarray, leaving more than enough food for everyone in the city to eat and be satisfied.
Victory had been won, but the people were ignorant of that fact and of the availability of abundant food. They starved to death in the midst of plenty.
If we believe that as long as we are in the world our flesh can compel us to sin we are ignorant of the scope of the victory accomplished on the cross. We do not understand the power or provision of the new covenant. We will continue to sin and to reap the consequences of sinful behavior. Yet, we are surrounded by sufficient power and authority for deliverance from that behaviour.
The Scripture directs us to present ourselves to God as people who are alive from the death of sin, and to yield the members of our body to the righteous works that are brought about by the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Romans 6:16)
Whom do you choose to obey—sin or righteousness? The choice is yours.
If you as a Christian choose to obey sin you will begin to die spiritually. You will come under the judgment of God. The spiritual life in you will begin to wither. Affliction, suffering, grief, and destruction of your flesh will follow relentlessly as the Holy Spirit works to break the hold that sin has on you.
If you choose to obey God, you will inherit eternal life. You will become a servant of righteousness and receive the rewards that are given to the servant of righteousness.