What if your cell phone was lost and you didn’t have enough money to purchase a replacement? What would happen if a major blackout prevented you from streaming or watching your favorite shows for an entire weekend? If all of your internet passwords were changed without your knowledge, how would you survive without being able to access the worldwide net? How you answer these questions might reveal unaware addictions, formerly oblivious to you.
Let not sin therefore rule as king in your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies, to make you yield to its cravings and be subject to its lusts and evil passions. 13 Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members [and faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer and yield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life, and your bodily members [and faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness, Romans 6:12-13.
The 6th chapter of Romans serves as spiritual assessment to expose the degree to which you indulge your flesh. The apostle Paul asks members of the church at Rome, “how are you currently offering your body?” Paul insinuates that human being are yielding to their flesh instead of keeping in step with the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25. If this assessment reveals an addiction, bad habit or weaknesses, what are you going to do to address this concern?
For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God’s favor and mercy]. 15 What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God’s favor and mercy? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)? – Romans 6:14-15
In the passage above, Paul suggests that you are a slave to that which you obey. Perhaps, this explains why so many Americans are enslaved by fleshly cravings. Listening to your body to drink, eat or exercise seems so natural. Yet, what if you are so use to the norm that you have missed out on spiritually blessings? Jesus confesses that the spirit is willing, but the body is weak, Matthew 26:41. May this blog and the passages above inspire you to keep in step with the Holy Spirit rather than indulge your sinful nature.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 