Sin and the Spirit

Romans 8:10-11 15 "But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. ...For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave a gain to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship."

We should be bold in our pursuit of righteousness and the desires of God. "Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Romans 8:8

The scriptures tell us things that are true about ourselves. God gives us directions, yes, we are to "put off our old selves,"(Ephesians 4:22) and "set our minds on the desires of the spirit," but in those statements, there is a sense of reasonable expectation. These are things we are to do, and things that we can do. God, Christ, the Holy Spirit helps us to do these things, we are able to do them because of God. These scriptures are prescriptive and descriptive, and there is power in that. God has given us everything we need to live for him. We are "new creations" with the God given ability to seek after his heart and to walk in faith and righteousness. Nothing is too big for God, and nothing is too big for us.

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come! all this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ."

All NIV

Death, life, and victory. A highlight reel.

Romans 6: 2, 5-6, 11-12 "May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?!...For if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this that our old self was crucified with him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. ... Even so consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in you mortal body so that you obey its lusts." NASB, emphasis mine

Colossians 3:2-3 " Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature." NIV, emphasis mine

1 Corinthians 15:54-58

"'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you." NIV, emphasis mine

"I may be down, but I will rise./ It may be dark, but God is light./ Sin has lost its power./ Death has lost its sting./ From the grave you've risen victoriously!/ Into marvelous light I'm running..." - Charlie Hall

Christ has already fought the fight against sin and death and won on our behalf! We can have confidence in our ability to put sin to death, because Christ is right behind us holding the bloody dagger. Our sinful nature will be conquered on the day of Christ! We do not struggle in vain! We can stand tall and push forward knowing we are victors, knowing that "we are more than conquerers." (Romans 8:37) There should be no sense of defeat in us because we are not defeated! Christ has made us ROCKSTARS!