Romans 6:1–4 (NKJV) — 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
I was asked, “If a person is saved will they continue to live in sin?” (Great question not necessarily asked this way). I always go back to the Child Evangelism definition of sin to define it. “SIN IS ANYTHING WE SAY, DO, OR THINK THAT IS DISPLEASING TO GOD.”
The person who is justified by faith is to let God’s righteousness work holiness in him. A person who has accepted Christ in his life has become the bride of Christ. When a man and a woman marry they are committed to one another for life. When we (The bride of Christ) accept Christ in our lives we make an eternal commitment to Christ (the Groom). Just as a man and woman stand at the altar and make a commitment to one another the Christian commits himself to God to be faithful to him.
Are all sins the same? NO! A man may look at another woman with lust but it is not the same as having a physical relationship with her (Ask the Bride). Lust, emotional adultery, left unchecked will lead to physical adultery. Paul writes in Romans 6:12–14, “12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
So much more can and will be written about this. Sin destroys and kills! Jesus said in John 10:10,“The thief (Satan) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
A person who has made a commitment to Christ and continues to live in sin is spitting on the Cross of Christ. Do Christians sin? Unfortunately, they do. But they do not live in sin! Sin is not the lifestyle of the Christian!!! 1 John 3:5–7, “5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.”
(Continued tomorrow)