Grace

Romans 6:11-14 -  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.  Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Grace is an extended kindness….given to all who believe in Christ Jesus.  The acceptance of his love into our heart begins the process of cleansing sin after sin from our life. God’s grace defends us with his son’s power over sin. His victory over death gives us victory over sin in our own lives.  We no longer are ruled by our sins…we have the power through Christ to overcome and put them behind us….forever!

We are justified…or made right by God.  We want to follow his ways because we love him.  We want to serve and do the right thing because his love is more powerful than the sin that trapped us.  If we truly have asked God to save us through his son…we want nothing more that to wake every morning and say…thank you for a new day….show me what you have for me to do! 

His love sanctifies us for his use….sets us apart as his servants…sin no longer our master…but Christ’s love driving us to share the great things he has done for us…driving us to give up our own lives for his work here on Earth.  Christ’s love is the most powerful thing in the world.  It is so powerful it cannot be measured in our earthly standards…only when we reach heaven will we truly understand its wide ranging ability to transform our dead bodies ruled by ugly sin into new…beautiful creatures controlled by God’s grace.

Father…help me to really understand the power you can give me to overcome sin in my life….to use your word to identify sins in my life…then use your love to overcome the control they have in my life.  I will need your help more that ever…cause Satan will fight this process…he will miss having me help him out… and he will try to trick me into keeping a few sins…like he has before.  Help me to speak the words of truth that Paul gave us in this passage…to not let sin rule in my mortal body…but rather let all sin die and allow Christ to place in me the power of his love to fill me with an attitude of service and love. Amen.