Romans 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Once again I was faced with a real dilemma as to what to write about, because every bit of today’s reading is underlined, and rightly so. This is a very rich section, of great importance to living for and in Christ Jesus. The devil is a liar by definition, (John 8:44) and the vast majority of his power is deception, making us think that we are subject to him when we are not. That’s a major part of why Jesus could say, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) The devil tells us that we are powerless against sin, that it’s no use fighting it, in ourselves or in others. This whole section exposes that lie, and this verse gives the legal justification for that, so to speak. For example, diplomats aren’t subject to many of the laws of the country in which they serve; it’s called “diplomatic immunity.” In the same way, we aren’t subject to “the law of sin and death,” (Romans 8:2) because we are ambassadors for Christ, (2 Corinthians 5:20) and we are subject to the law of grace, as it says here. After all, our citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 3:20) The point, then, is not to act like a local! If a believer in Jesus Christ lives no differently from the people in the world around him, they are missing the vast majority of the blessings God has prepared for us in Christ. There is no reason for us to remain stuck in sin, because Jesus died to free us from that. Yes, we trip up and stumble at times, but that should be an increasingly rare exception in our lives. As has been said, there are three tenses to salvation in Christ: we have been saved from the penalty for sin, we are being saved from the power of sin, and we will be saved from the presence of sin. This verse is about the present tense of that, reminding us that we are no longer under the authority of sin and the law, but under grace.

This of course applies to me as much as it does to anyone else. I remember very clearly how I struggled with a particular “besetting sin” until I realized that when I confessed and repented, I really was forgiven. The truth of forgiveness in Christ truly set me free. (2 Peter 1:9) The challenge now is in communicating that to those to whom I minister. Again, my enemy is the lying devil who tells people it’s no use fighting sin. Even seasoned ministers get caught in his traps, and I am not to let down my guard. I am to walk in the freedom of grace and teach others to do likewise, but never confuse grace for license, as Paul cautions at the beginning of this chapter. The liberty that is in Christ is far too precious to do anything else!

Father, thank You for this important reminder. Help me be effective indeed in communicating this truth to as many as will receive it, so that we may walk together in Your liberty, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!