Freed From Sin

Romans 6 pt 1

What does it mean to be freed from sin? Does it mean that we are now free to sin? The passage in Romans 6 and from the first verse makes plain, not only the answer but most importantly the overall claim of the Gospel. When a person believes the truth of all Christ has done, he is saved and eternally secure by Christ, heaven bound and prepared for the masters use. The question of sin is answered in Romans, but first is the doctrine of the freedom and the liberty we have as those saved from the wrath of God through Christ.

Explaining the six sections of Romans

That first segment(1 to 3:18) dealt clearly with the doctrine proclaiming;

1. The Ruin of Man, and Gods Testimony against him. Rom 1

• The knowledge of God is given them; “Because that which may be know of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them” (v19)
• Scripture explaining that “the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse(v20). 
• Then, man rejecting that revelation that had been given him, his mind becomes darkened to truth; “Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God but BECAME vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts where darkened, professing themselves to be wise they became fools” (v21)
• This metal depravity then has the risk ofcontinuing in its downward spiral “Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves” until they change the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator who is blessed forever, Amen.(V 24&25)

Tragically, we find the ongoing rejection of the plain reality of God potentially lead mankind to what the Bible refers to as “vile affections” (v26), with not only the women burning in their lusts one to another, but also (v27) “men with men, working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet”

In other words they received the natural consequence of their vile affections.

It is no surprise that, at a time today when even the Church has effectively rejected the words of God, our culture has likewise turned to ‘sanctify’ the “vile affections” of verse 26. Proving the incredible truth of the entire passage of Romans 1.

Until we see that state of man apart from God, (v29) being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, ³⁰ Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: ³²

 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Romans chapter two then sealing the matter and stating with clarity again that there would be none that will escape the judgment of God, for even those that judge them which do such things and doest the same…(2:3) shall not “escape the judgement of God”, why? Because they condemn themselves (v1). And their hardness and impenitent hearts, heap to themselves wrath against the day of wrath and the righteous judgment of God. 

Romans chapters one and two confirms that which all atheism desires to escape, that is what is said in Chapter 2:6, that [God] will render to every man according to his deeds. 

Man here discovers, to his utmost dismay, that his works will “Heap to [themselves] wrath against the day of wrath”

The explanation of this condemnation continues through to the first 18 verses of Chapter 3 for which not even the Jews escape, the text finally making clear that ¹⁰ There is none righteous, no, not one: ¹¹ There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. ¹² They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. ¹³ Their throat isan open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps isunder their lips: ¹⁴ Whose mouth isfull of cursing and bitterness: ¹⁵ Their feet areswift to shed blood: ¹⁶ Destruction and misery arein their ways: ¹⁷ And the way of peace have they not known: ¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Two and a half chapters dealing with THE RUIN OF MAN.

And next two and a half chapters showing Gods solution

Ch 3

V 20 of Chp 3 gives us a summary and explanatory entrance into this new segment of Romans boldly declaring that “by the deeds of the law may no man be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” 

With verse 21 revealing Gods grace saying that “the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested”. Paul goes on to explain that man can only be “Justified freely by his grace and the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” v24 Man cannot justify himself, nor can all his efforts bring him into favor with God.

Paul says that God therefore declares in verse 26  His (Jesus Christ’s) righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

What an incredible revelation. 

Can you see it? Man cannot do anything to justify himself, his sin and his sin nature has already separated him from God, but God reveals himself to man and those that recognize the reality of God, God further reveals himself to them until they see their sin nature before an holy God.

Now man, unable to come to God in his strength, by faith trusts that Jesus did it all for him, declaring not the righteousness of man, but the perfect love, grace and righteousness of Christ FOR MAN.

SO “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of Works? Nay but by the law of faith.”v27

 And concluding therefore that“a man isjustifiedby faith without the deeds of the Law”v28

In Chp 4 We discovered the practical example that Abraham had found nothing pertaining to the flesh to justify himself before God. But the scripture in this portion stated simply that “He believed GOD and it was accounted to him for righteousness”.

He believed God, just like many of you did, it was one act at one time in the life of this man, and he was therefore declared righteous, JUST before God because, unlike ADAM, Abraham BELIEVED GOD. 

If it was A LACK OF FAITH THAT CONDEMENED MAN AT THE FIRST, THEN IT COULD ONLY BE FAITH THAT COULD JUSTIFY HIM.

Ch 5

And this we saw in chapter five and we rejoice that “Being justified by faith we have peace with God” a present perfect state that is not altered at the whim of our weakness, (Numbers 23:19 reminding us that “God is not a man that he should lie” 

In the first verse of chapter 5 thereby exclaims “we have peace with God”. 

Because we came to know that (v8) “God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” and that (v9). “Much more then being justified by his blood we shall be(Future tense) saved from wrath through him” 

And now our Joy is filled to the full, having received once and for allthe ATONEMENT.

But not resting here in making the declaration of our justification, God has seen fit to further explain to us how and why this occurred by giving to us the incredible comparison between two men: One known as the first Adam the other known as the second Adam.

FROM VERSES 12 TO 19 OF CHAPTER 5 GOD PROVIDES THAT COMPARISON

So clear is the Gospel presented in these first five chapters taking us from recognizing;

 THE RUIN OF MAN(1-3:18) to realizing who is THE JUSTIFIER OF MAN (3:19-5)

The summary of the first five chapters of Romans might be considered;

Rom 5:21 “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might GRACE reign through righteousness unto ETERNAL LIFE by Jesus Christ our Lord”

Can we see the declaration of God? Can we understand what it is that he is saying to us? 

Justified by faith alone through Christ alone. O that you might believe the Gospel and that the spirit of God might have already moved you to trust in him for your soul.

Do you trust him?

Will you believe him?

If you have done so, this third segment, found in chapters six, then seven and climaxing wonderfully in chapter 8, will explain to you the incredible reality of the change that has ACTUALLY OCCURRED.

Yes beloved, YOU ARE CHANGED! THIS IS REAL!

But that change needs to be understood, this new man, this man now alive to God is one you must get acquainted with, it is one you must come to know and to understand.

THE THIRD SEGMENT OF ROMANS

CHP 6 = THE DOCTRINE OF LIBERTY

·    WHAT FREEDOM IS NOT, A Question that Understands The Claim

1110 words

6What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

This is simply a question that understands the claim!  

When the full claim of the Gospel, the incredible eternal “Good News” is understood, there is a question that comes that is as natural as night after day.

• It is the fundamental reason why every religious system in the world is opposed to the Gospel.
• It is the stumbling block of Jews, Roman Catholics and Muslims alike
• Within Christianity, the denial of the simplicity of the Gospel is revealed by the belief that Salvation can be lost. 
  • Or simply put, if Salvation is determined in any way by our own works, IT IS NOT THE GOSPEL!

IN FACT, if Paul was teaching that our salvation can come about through any work we are to do, or through any attempt by us to ‘HELP GOD’ or to keep our SALVATION, the rhetorical question that begins Chapter 6 would never need to be asked.

You see, it’s a question that understands the claimPaul is making with the Gospel.

The last 2 verses of chapter five sets up the question;

²⁰ Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:²¹ That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

CHP 6 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”

Brethren, if Paul was teaching anything resembling any work we had to do to earn or keep our salvation, this question need never be asked.

You see; if it was our personal goodness that is what attains heaven, then it is logical to maintain that goodness to hold our position in heaven. 

Merited aversion of hell is not salvationat all.

Salvation is the claim of chapters 4 and 5 to be a free gift attained by faith in Christ.

So then, if we, as sinners and through the abundance of our sin, obtained grace for our sin;

 ‘Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound’?

Turn back to Romans 3:5 to a similar thought and question asked earlier. 

You must appreciate what Paul is teaching to fully appreciate that no less than four times in the book of Romans alone is a version of this rhetorical question asked.

⁵ But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? IsGod unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) ⁶ God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? 

⁷ For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? ⁸ And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

Why is their “damnation just”? Because, though Paul is preaching that God saves and keeps us in spite of our sin through faith in the work of our Lord Jesus Christ alone, he IS NOT ALSOTHEREFORE TEACHING LICENCIOUSNESS TO SIN. 

This is NOT the “freedom” or “liberty” our text is speaking of.

The text before us explains the objection and concern of many this way; 

If the sin of man abounded that the grace of God further abounded, is it not then reasonable to continue in sin to reveal God’s Grace all the more?

Other versions of this error:

A newspaper editor named George Neavollonce wrote “it is only when one sins that one knows the forgiveness of the Lord”So he wrote a paper claiming that he is therefore a “Great advocator of Sin”

Voltaire stated simply, “God will forgive sin; that’s his business”

W. H. Auden(a prolific writer and poet in the 1930’s and 40’s), voiced a similar sentiment, writing “I like committing crimes. God likes forgiving them. Really the world is admirably arranged.”

The notorious Russian monk Grigori Rasputin, who dominated the ruling Royal family of Russia, taught the perverted “gospel” that salvation came through repeated experiencing of sin and repentance. He argued that because those who sin more, require more forgiveness, those who sin with abandon will, as they repent, experience greater joy. Therefore, he reasoned, it was the believer’s “duty to sin”.

All these are variations of “Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound”

All who hold that we are now free to sin need to repent and be born again. 

Their damnation draws nigh and they need to be saved.

THE offence of the cross is salvation by grace through faith alone.

So too we find this question naturally asked as a direct result of the Gospels claim.

Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

Salvation is the full and complete work of Christ. The grace of God and the Gift by grace needed to be enough that, though sin had indeed abounded, the Grace of God must have much more aboundedfor it to be possible that man may be saved.

In a crude example, the water needs to be drawn out of a sinking boat in greater measure than the water entering into the boat. “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom 5:20)

Those who believe the Bible teaches that Salvation must be maintained by our efforts else it will be lost, fail to understand both the claims being made by Paul andthe objections asked as a result of those claims. 

Paul has over 70 rhetorical questions in his epistles, each one asks and answers every error regarding salvation.  

“Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound? 

It is the question that is asked when the claim is understood.

Do you understand the claim of the Gospel?

Do you understand that if you will believe the Gospel, you ARE, FOR ALL ETERNITY, SAVED?

ANECDOTE

Five or more years ago I attended a fair in Fawkner about 15km north of Melbourne.

At the fair was an Interfaith Gathering that I thought might be fun to sit in on. 

I sat at a table with, from my left, a Roman Catholic Islamic simpatiser, a Roman Catholic Bhudist, a young fundamentalist Moslem, a moderate moslem, a Pakistani muslim, and older fundamentalist muslim and another Pakistani moderate muslim. 

I was then joined by Pastor Frank from FBC.

In short, we shared the gospel is its simplest and purest form and it was understood. They knew that if the Gospel was true, we were certainly going to be in heaven when we leave this world because we are eternally forgive, our sin has been paid for by Christ and our faith in him has saved us.

There was one way to know that the Gospel was understood, it came in the form of a question that runs parallel to the one asked by Paul in this verse.

“if you know you are going to heaven when you die, what stops you from sinning?”

They knew we were free. They understood the Gospel teaches we have liberty, but the freedom to sin is not the freedom Paul speaks of.

But the question itself UNDERSTANDS THE CLAIM

·    WHAT LIBERTY IS, An Answer That Clarifies Our State.

How do we know this is NOT THE FREEDOM PAUL SPEAKS OF?

2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 

The same abhorrence 

“God forbid” ‘may it never be’ ‘absolutely not’ 

The strongest rejection of this idea is expressed by Paul with “God forbid” there is no better or more forceful expression that can be employed to reject this idea, Paul goes on to explain why.

How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 

IN THE PASSAGE  FROM VERSE 1 TO 10 THERE ARE 12 REFERANCES TO DEATH IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER.

• Those who are saved are DEAD TO SIN, there is no possible waythat we can LIVE any longer in it, no longeris our way of life identified as one that can enjoy and remain in sin. 

• We are baptizedinto Christs death, our old man, our old nature, was crucified with Jesus Christ. 

It was not the sinful nature of Christ on that Cross, it was ours.He was a ransom for our sins, it is by his stripes that we are healedas all our iniquity was upon him. And if it is true that our old man is DEAD, then it is also true that we are FREED FROMSIN!!!!

THAT IS OUR FREEDOM, it is FREEDOM FROM SIN and not freedom to sin. 

The freedom to sin is what the lost desire.

Those who are saved are DEAD TO SIN and thereby free to live apart from it. Once we lived in sin, now we can live to God. 

Turn to GALATIANS 2:16-21

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

We cannot be justified by the works of the Law, if we could be justified by the law, then the death of Christ served NO PURPOSE.

We are free FROM SIN, not FREE TO SIN, and that FREEDOM FROM SIN ASSURES OUR SALVATION.

Take that away and we cannot say we are saved.

Brethren, for seven years after I was saved I wondered about how it was possible to know I was saved.

I was saved toward the end of 1996, I knew exactly where I was when I was saved, I know who was there and who preached the Gospel. 

I knew something changed but did not know what it was. I never cried a tear before that day, but that day the dam burst and I could not explain it. 

Yet I did not know I was saved.

I asked two pastors how you can know, neither knew the answer.

In 2003, seven years after my new birth in Christ, with a commentary on audio of the Book of Romans, having gone a straight four hours from Romans 5 to Romans 8 I discovered that I was indeed saved.

I know exactly where I was, I know exactly what I was doingand my excitement almost made me fall of the scaffold I was working on. Nothing could express my joy that God had indeed saved a wretch like me seven years earlier.

As for God, the old Edi died in 1996even though Edi was ignorant of it. God created a new man with a new heart and new desires, even though I could not understand it.

Sin is that element in our life that we now abhor, it is like a benign tumor that would threaten our very lives. 

And the thought of continuing in Sin is the most life draining, Joy slaughtering thought of all those who are now DEAD TO SIN.

King David’s struggle with sin is recognized in his own prayer, in the time of utmost repentance in Psalm 51 “¹² Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thyfree spirit.

He was saved and made free from sin.

At the time of his realization of sin Nathan the prophet said to him

“The Lord also hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die” (2 Sam 12:13)

The Christian struggle with depressionis the long battle we have with sin and is a result of our failure to know we are declared as DEAD TO SIN; 

And he that is Dead is freed from sin” Rom 6:7

That it is no longer “we that sin but sin that dwells within us” (Romans 7 which we will address when we come to it)

A born-again person who remains in sin knows there is no lasting pleasure in it. But they do not yet know they have been FREED FROM IT. 

What motivates a righteous life for those who know how they are saved? 

and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20)

·    An EMANCIPATION Reckoned

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The word “RECKON” used here is used as an accounting term that adds all the figures that has gone before it and comes to a proper conclusion. It is a certainty based on all the evidence presented before, and not a guess or a vain hope or a thought without certainty as we often use it today.

STORY: “I reckon you can do that”

To RECKON is to come to a perfect conclusion of that which is rightly added together. 

ROMANS 3, 4 & 5 and the immediate context here in Chapter 6 is what has gone before;

reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul simply provides a logical statement here saying “FOR HE THAT IS DEAD IS FREED FROM SIN” (v7) (The word Dead in this context is used as a full and complete separation from both life and God for eternity.)

Simply put, a dead man cannot sin!But Edi, we still sin, how does this work? 

Scripture does explain it, that question will not be avoided and will be dealt with in the next chapter and a half.

BUT First it is vital to KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS AND BELIEVE IT. To know the true state of a saved soul seems to be the priority of Paul in Chapter 6, his practical application comes later.

FOR HE THAT IS DEAD IS FREED FROM SIN

Paul goes on saying NOW IF WE BE DEAD WITH CHRIST, WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHALL ALSO LIVE WITH HIM. (v8)

When we died to sin by our faith in Christ there came together a spiritual and true union that takes part in all the elements of Christ that pertain to eternity. We joined in union with Christ that we may live as Christ does, unto God.

The logic continues (v9)KNOWING THAT CHRIST BEING RAISED FROM THE DEAD DIETH NO MORE; DEATH HATH NO MORE DOMINIAN OVER HIM. 

Guys, sin leads to death. This is presented in the bible very clearly. But death itself holds no negative dominion over those that are saved by Christ’s life. 

“o death where is thy sting, o grave where is thy victory”? (1 Cor 15:55)

In verse 10 Paul says FOR IN THAT HE DIED HE DIED UNTO SIN ONCE: BUT IN THAT HE LIVETH HE LIVETH UNTO GOD.

Look again at verse 5

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Turn to

1 Pet 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Turn to

Col 2:12-14 ¹² Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with himthrough the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.¹³ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all _(SOME?)trespasses;¹⁴ Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

How can it be with such clarity of scripture that we fail so often to understand our STATE BEFORE GOD?

THIS IS THE FREEDOM THAT MUST BE RECKONED. 

No Longer are we shackled and slaves to sin, we are dead to sin!

Brethren, before we go on to explain the life that we now live with the ‘company’ of sin that can often impair our walk, FIRST YOU MUST “RECKON YOURSELVES TO BE DEAD TO SIN”

You can’t live a life that is FREE UNLESS YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE LEAGALLY FREE!

When you have personally offended or wronged a friend, or relative or neighbor, how truly free do you feel when you are yet to make it right and receive their forgiveness?Is there not a constant level of discomfort each time you are with them? So too when you know the Lord is near.

Those of you who push all your traffic fines and parking fines under deep cover so that you can ignore them in the vain hope they will go away, how free of them can you feel if all you do is ignore them? DO THEY GO AWAY? NEVER!

Tell me, what peace can an escaped prisoner truly have when he knows he is not declared freeby the world in which he owes his debt? Will he ever stop running?

Likewise, those who continue to live their life in spite of their knowledge that they are condemned before God, how free can you truly be KNOWING THAT YOU CANNOT ESCAPE GIVING AN ACCOUNT? How offended do people get when they are reminded of the truth of their state?

O that you may see Christ, for there is forgiveness with him, there is mercy and grace to help in time of need, there is peace and joy in his rest. The wrath of God was afflicted upon the one who gave himself as a ransom for you that you may not endure it, for what man is there that will stand under the weight of the wrath of God? Who can endure the righteousness anger of God for a moment let alone for all eternity. 

Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

There is mercy and favor with Christ, will you not believe?

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FREE

FIRST YOU MUST KNOW YOU ARE FREE, 

• KNOW YOUR DEBTS ARE PAID, 
• YOUR FORGIVENESS RENDERED, 
• YOUR CONVICTION TURNED, 
• THEN AND ONLY THEN CAN YOU BEGIN TO LIVE IN FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I said earlier, I was personally ignorant of this freedom for seven years and continued to live thinking myself bound to sin. I did not begin to live in freedom until I knew I was free, and the love for Jesus and the joy of his matchless grace exploded in my life. 

A History

Slavery was abolished in the 1833 Emancipation Act in England, and was enforced on the 1 August 1834. From that date all slaves over the age of six were to be set free or gainfully employed for a time. 

An effectual act was proclaimed in the United States on September 22, 1862 and went into effect 100 days later. From that time on all slaves were legally free.

But not all slaves heard the news. Some where never told by those who would have them remain in servitude, and so lived the rest of their lives legally free, but practically bound.

In just such a way do Christians live who do not know they are FREE FROM SIN.

BUT: Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

·    Let Not Sin Reign

¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ¹³ Neither yield ye your membersasinstruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your membersasinstruments of righteousness unto God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Dear brethren, know and believe that you are DEAD TO SIN. Rejoice in the one who set you free. You are FREED FROM SIN, not FREE TO SIN.

Those who are born again in Christ give no excuse for sin. Those who think salvation comes through any other means would rather glory in themselves, these remain servants of sin.

No man shall take away my joy in Christ by substituting my own works. I am as the man that “beholding my natural face in a glass” and I know what manner of man I am apart from Christ. (Ja 1:23-24)

Surrendering that which has no value in life (Our sin nature), to gain that which Jesus Christ has given, is wise.

“He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord’

It is knowing that we are free indeed in Christ that we have the will and desire to no yield our members unto sin, but unto God.

Jesus set you free, you are now “alive from the dead” if so, yield your members to God!

Verse 14 tells us the doctrine of truth relating to the life we are now positioned in; 

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Simply put, sin will no longer dominate your life, it simply cannot do so. It cannot be the overriding influence in your life, it simply is impossible because you are no longer under the law but under grace.

What are we to do then in regards to this flesh nature that causes us to still sin?

1 Cor 9:25-27

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now theydo itto obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. ²⁶I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: ²⁷ But I keep under my body, and bringitinto subjection:lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 

1 Cor 6:12-14

¹² All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. ¹³ Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the bodyisnot for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴ And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

We will deal more with this next time, but for now it is vital for you to know that if you are born again, if saved through the blood of Christ, if you have believed that Jesus Christ is Lord and paid your penalty for sin, that he took your sin and nailed it to the cross by bearing it in his own body, YOU ARE FREE!

1 Cor 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: ³¹ That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.