Sin Shall not Have Dominion Over You
Jesus died, so that we could live; not under the law and rule of sin, but in the power of Christ and His resurrection! God said to Cain,
“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Genesis 4:7
When Jesus came to Lazarus’ tomb, Lazarus had already been dead for four days. But Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Lazarus come forth!” And Lazarus, who once was dead, walked out of that tomb! – See John 11:43.
In exactly the same way, God wants us to have faith, to walk out of sin, and the places of fear; death; and torment in our lives that have held us in bondage, so that we too, may walk in the power of resurrection life!
Death Precedes Resurrection Life
Resurrection life comes to those, who through obedience, have learnt to take up their cross daily, and to put to death their own desires. The Apostle Paul made this astounding claim,
“I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”
1 Corinthians 15:31
By dying daily, Paul was speaking of putting to death his own fleshly desire to rule.
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
Colossians 3: 5 – 10, NIV
- We first must put to death our old, fleshly nature, before we can walk in newness of life!
The Apostle Paul considered his old flesh life to be dead and hidden in burial with Christ.
“For you died, your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Colossians 3:3
If we truly identify ourselves as being dead to sin, then we can no longer live according to our old pattern of living. As we once were, we no longer will be. The Apostle Paul says,
“How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
Romans 6:2
Identify Yourself with Christ Jesus
Paul expressed, that in order to experience the power of resurrection life, he first had to identify himself with Christ. Paul identified himself first with Christ’s death, and then with Christ’s resurrection. Because of Paul’s identification with the resurrected life of Christ, it was no longer Paul who lived, but Christ.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20
Again, because Paul identified his ‘old man,’ or his old fleshly nature, with the death of Jesus Christ; he was also then able to identify his new man, or his new nature, with the resurrected life of Jesus Christ.
“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”
Romans 6: 5 & 6
“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Philippians 3: 10 & 11
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17
Walk Free in the Spirit
The Apostle Paul tells us, that those who have died have been freed from sin. Therefore, we are to reckon ourselves, to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
“For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, he lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6: 7 — 11
Having considered our sin life as having been put to death; we now learn to walk in the spirit. The resurrection power of the cross has already empowered us, to walk free from the flesh and according to the Spirit of God. By walking now in the Spirit of life; we walk free from death; from bondage to the law; and the sins of the past.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8: 1 & 2
“I say then: walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
Galatians 5:16 – 18
- This new life we walk in the Spirit, we walk by revelation in the power of God.
- Resurrection life is a supernatural life empowered by the Spirit of God!
God’s Holy Spirit Dwells Within Us
God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, does not reside in a temple made by hands. The Apostle Paul, quoting from the prophet Isaiah says,
“However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? Says the Lord, or what is the place of My rest? Has My hand not made all these things?”
Acts 7:48 – 50
When we receive Christ as our Saviour, we are born again, and the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. Therefore, every believer in Christ, has the life of God’s Spirit dwelling within them. The Apostle Paul explains,
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
1 Corinthians 3:16
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”
1 Corinthians 6:19
It is the life of God’s Holy Spirit living within us, which releases the power of God, enabling us to live holy lives. The Apostle Paul tells us, it is Christ in us, the hope of glory.
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Colossians 1:27
The Key to the Power of His Kingdom is Through the Cross
It is through the supernatural power of God’s Holy Spirit, that we are able to walk free from sin and death, and into His resurrection life! This is something far above and beyond our natural ability to perform or understand. For, what we could not do for ourselves, Christ has already done on our behalf!
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to the earth in the form of a man and lived a totally sinless life. He fulfilled every righteous requirement of the law on our behalf; freeing us from the power of sin and death; and releasing us to walk in the freedom and power of His Spirit. The Apostle Paul explains,
“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Romans 8:3 & 4
Christ became the scape goat for us that we may go free – See Leviticus 16:5 – 10. Christ died on the cross as a perfect and sinless sacrifice for us. And God laid on Him, the sin and iniquity of us all, that we might walk free in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Prophet Isaiah spoke prophetically of Jesus, saying,
“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Isaiah 53:4 – 6
The Apostle Paul confirms,
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
2 Corinthians 5:21
Therefore, be Spiritually Minded
We walk free from sin through the power of the cross. One of the keys to walking in the Spirit is where we set our minds. What we set our minds on, feeds life or death to our spirit. When we think on our old flesh life that has died, we bring death. When we think on our new spirit life that has been made alive in Christ, we bring life! Again, the Apostle Paul instructs us,
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. “‘For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.'”
Romans 8:5 & 6
- The Apostle Paul knew that our thought life was of such importance that he spelt it out for us!
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.”
Philippians 4:8
When we develop the habit of thinking or meditating on what is true (according to the Scriptures); noble; just; pure; lovely; virtuous (having high moral standards or morally correct) and praiseworthy; and things that are positive and of good report; our whole life becomes filled with light and resurrection power naturally follows! King Solomon said,
“In the light of the king’s countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.”
Proverbs 16:15 KJV
Speaking of the favour of the light of the Lord’s countenance upon us, the Psalmist, Ethan the Ezrahite said,
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face. Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.”
Psalm 89:14 & 15
Be Compelled by the Love of God
God wants us to be compelled by His love, in how we think and act towards ourselves and towards others.
“For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus; that if one (speaking of Jesus Christ) died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”
2 Corinthians 5:14 & 15
Paul tells us that we are to regard no one, including ourselves, according to who we are in the flesh, but by who we are in our spirit; our spirit, that is now infilled with God’s holy Spirit. Everyone who is born again of God’s Spirit is a new creation. Old things have passed away; all things have become new. What is past has passed and shall be no more! Hallelujah!
“Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:16 & 17
God wants us to view ourselves and our fellow believers as He does – as a new creation in Christ Jesus.
- Old things have passed away!
- All things have become new!
That means every old, wrong way of living; every mistake; every offence of the past; has been taken away! Everything about our lives has been made new in every way! We walk with our thoughts set, on this new way of living and believing! Hallelujah! The following Scripture, is one of those that I have memorized, because of its heavenward and eternal focus. It takes our eyes off ourselves and onto God. It shows us what our position in Christ is; that He now IS our life, and that we one day, also, will appear with Him in glory; Forever and ever! Amen!
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
Colossians 3:1 – 4
The Message of Reconciliation
Through Christ Jesus, every believer in Him, has been made an ambassador of Christ’s message to the world! – That because of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, shed at Calvary on our behalf; we can be forgiven and reconciled to God. Our past sin is completely washed away. This becomes the truth and freedom that we walk in daily!
Therefore, be reconciled to God!
We live our life, not in the strength of our own flesh, but by faith in the One who loved us and gave Himself for us; by our faith in Jesus Christ; who has already completed this work of redemption and reconciliation on our behalf. Amen, Again, the Apostle Paul says,
“The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God; who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20
- We no longer focus on what the flesh has done wrong; we focus on what Jesus did right!
- And every believer in Christ has been given this same ministry of reconciliation!
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For he made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
2 Corinthians 5:18 – 21
Be Awakened by the Light of His Word
Anything that is exposed, is made manifest by the light that exposes it, so that it is clearly seen for what it is. Whatever causes things to be made manifest is light. The Apostle Paul says,
“But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.”
Ephesians 5:13
This light that exposes, is the wholesome light of God! The writer of 1 John says,
“God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”
1 John 1:5
When God shines His light on areas of our hearts, it is so that we will no longer be spiritually blind or spiritually asleep in those areas of our lives, but will be awakened by the light of His word. Then, as we allow Him, the Lord is able to bring much healing into those areas of our lives so that we are made whole.
“Therefore He says: Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”
Ephesians 5:14
Therefore, live in the light of His word. These are God’s faithful promises!
“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
1 Corinthians 15:22
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:1 & 2
“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”
1 John 4:17 – 19
Amen.
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