Power Over Sin

Trevor S Ferguson

August 24, 2013

Scripture Setting: Romans 6:1-4, 12-14; Romans 8:1-2

Today we reflect on word the of God from Romans chapters 6 to 8, as I share with you on the topic: Power Over Sin.

The bible emphatically declares that all men have sinned. Every human being that is born on the face of this earth is born with a sinful nature. This, of course, is the consequence and legacy of Adam’s sin. Left to our selves, without instruction or encouragement, we all will commit sinful acts. The good news today, however, is that we do not need to be slaves to this sinful nature! God has provided a way, through the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and through the power of the Holy Ghost, that gives us power over sin.

Let us look at how this works out in practice. The unregenerate man, that is the man or woman who has not yet received salvation, is in a constant struggle and fighting losing battle with sin. This is best illustrated by Paul’s expression in Romans 7:19-24. Look at what Paul says as rendered by the New Living Translation:   

“I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?”

All of us can at some time identify with this statement, as we struggle to do the right things on our own accord, but soon discover that our efforts are futile. Some persons give up the struggle and conclude that since God readily forgives our sin, we can rely on this forgiveness and continue in our sin. Such an approach is however is emphatically rejected by Paul. Most of us are familiar with the question asked and the answer given in Romans 6:1-2:

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Two points should be noted here: Firstly, God does not condone, or endorse sin in any shape or form. God by nature is Holy and thus abhors sin at all times. He cannot have fellowship with sin. Therefore while God loves and willingly forgives a repentant sinner, God hates sin. If God hates sin, then we must not sin. Secondly, in order to have power over sin we must become dead to sin. But what does this mean?  According to Adam Clarke's Commentary ‘to die to a thing or person’, is to have nothing to do with it or him; to be totally separated from them. Therefore in order to become dead to sin we must become totally separated from sin. This can only occur through repentance and baptism into Jesus Christ or alternatively stated repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.

At repentance we die to sin. We acknowledge that we have sinned, asks God to forgive us of these sins and pledge that from now on we will no longer live in sin but will live in righteousness. Having died to sin, it is appropriate that that which is dead is buried. This burial is accomplished by baptism. (Let me pause to emphasize that baptism as a burial requires full immersion in water, as was practiced by the early church. Sprinkling, as is practiced by some today, does not accomplish a burial and is therefore inadequate and incorrect as a mode of baptism.) Baptism into Christ identifies us with his death, which was the sacrifice he paid to purchase our salvation and to free us from the death penalty for sin. We then rise, in like fashion to his resurrection, to walk in newness of life. Note however, that the completion of this resurrection process requires the infilling of the Holy Ghost, which will give us power over sin. Without the Holy Ghost we will still struggle to win the battle over sin because the power of God is not yet in us.

Power over sin, however, even for those of us who have the Holy Ghost, requires an attitude and a mindset that does not allow the sinful nature to overpower us. Let me remind you that although we are saved and have become new creatures we still live in a human body and still have a sinful nature. The difference is that prior to receiving salvation we had no power over the sinful nature and thus were slaves to sin but now whether we sin or do not sin is a matter of choice. Verse 12 of Romans 6 therefore tells us that we should not let sin reign in our mortal bodies! Living above sin is a decision that each of us will have to make on a daily basis. Paul further instructs us that we should not yield ourselves as instruments of unrighteousness but we should yield ourselves to God. It is a decision that we must make. When we take this approach then we become powerful. Paul says: “sin shall not have dominion over you”!

I want to say to someone today that you don’t have to sin! You are not a slave to sin! You have power over sin! Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.  The choice is yours. Let us look at verses 16-18 (again from the New Living Translation):

“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.”

When you commit yourself to righteous living, righteousness becomes like second nature, you think right and do right. Any time evil thoughts or temptation comes into your mind, the Spirit of God immediately awakens your conscience so that you recognize sin and can make the decision to walk away from sin. The Christian who is living for Christ will only succumb to sin when we learn to ignore the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit. The true Christian can only become comfortable with sin if he has allowed the Spirit of God in him to become cold, so that his conscience is no longer activated by sin. To sin or not to sin is a choice!

God has given us power over sin and the sinful nature. Let us look at Romans 8:1-2:    

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Once we have the Spirit of God in us we have power over sin.”

Reliance on ourselves and our human nature will lead to failure. Reliance on our human spirit, our intellect, human philosophy, ethics or moral codes will also lead to failure. Several verses from chapter 8 illustrate these principles: Verse 3 tells us that the law could not accomplish victory over sin because it was weak through the flesh. Verse 8 tells us that they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Verse 13 tells us that if we live after the flesh we shall die, but if we through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body we shall live! So here is the answer: In order to have power over sin we must live by the Spirit of God. Galatians 5:16 tells us that if we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

The call of God therefore goes out to all today reminding us that we can have power over sin. In order of have such power over sin, we must first die to sin through repentance, we must bury the old sinful nature through baptism by complete immersion in water  in the name of Jesus Christ and rise to walk in a new life through the power that comes with the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Finally we must walk in the Spirit and allow the Spirit to rule in our lives so that we can have power over sin.

You can have power over sin! You can have power over sin! You can have power over sin!