There Is No Gray Area

When you consider SIN, it is important to realize that there is no “gray area” in God's eyes. You are either free from sin, through God's grace in Christ, or you die in sin –  The outcome depends on what course you choose to take. You can choose either to die to sin and live in Christ, obeying His will, or you can turn a dead ear to the Lord's commands, remain disobedient, and die in your sins (John 8:24; Luke 13:3; Mark 16:16). So many choose to ignore Life and it makes my heart heavy. I, too, was once indifferent, closing my ears to such teaching or preaching. It's why I'm so concerned for the lost because I remember how closed off I was. I know what that feels like. I know how the mind thinks. It is not easy to break through a wall of apathy. It certainly wasn't in my case. Today I hope something said here will sink deep into your heart to open your ears if you are a person ignoring the Spirits call to seek liberty in Christ Jesus.

In the reality of human existence, there are indeed only two spiritual choices for each of us – liberty or death. It doesn't get any more clear than that! We stand condemned before God because of our sins. Period. No one is exempt. The apostle Paul pronounced, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 – NKJV). The sins we have committed convict us of a frightening penalty, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The only relief from this 'spiritual' death sentence is to be freed from that which condemns us to it – our sin. Ironically, that freedom requires a death of its own. Paul illustrates this death when he states in Romans 6:3-7, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 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. For he who has died has been freed from sin."

Christ, who knew no sin, died to liberate us from our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ Gives Us “Liberty” From Sin. To gain that liberty, we must die with Him. HOW? By crucifying our former sin-condemned self THROUGH REPENTANCE, then burying the “old man” THROUGH BAPTISM into the death of Jesus. Because our sinful self has died and been buried with Christ, we who have undergone this process stand freed – at liberty – from sin! Liberty from sin, however, does not imply liberty to do whatever we please (Galatians 5:1,13; 1 Peter 2:16; 1 Corinthians 8:9)... "The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire." In other words, we haven't been given liberty to misuse it by returning to our sinful old ways. In fact, the totally opposite is true; “God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18). You see, by freeing us from our enslavement to sin, Christ has liberated us for the privilege of becoming enslaved to Him and to His commands. Some would complain that that's not much of a trade – one slavery for another. But when the alternative is spiritual death (eternal separation from God – Isaiah 59:2), that's actually an excellent exchange. And might I also add, being 'enslaved' to Christ is not uncomfortable. If anything it is comforting! When we are saved we are no longer enslaved to sin, but enslaved under the love and mercy of Christ. According to Scripture, prior to being saved “we were enslaved to sin;” -- sin was our master — being enslaved to sin and its dominating influence meant “we were in bondage to it” -- we were “enchained” to it. Our “innate sin nature” defines who we really are — “sinners” (Romans 3:9-10, 23; Gal 3:22; Lk 18:19). By definition, sin (in the Greek hamartia) means to “miss the mark;” thus as sinners, we fail to meet God’s standard of righteousness. If we think of sin as only being that which is “overtly evil” (lying, stealing, immorality, malice, anger) it is deeper. Sin is the governing principle or power that completely dominates the unbeliever’s life.  Essentially the reality is this — when we have a self-orientation in life, rather than a God-orientation, we are being ruled by sin instead of righteousness.

Paul stated about the believer, “You are no longer a slave, but a son” (Gal 4:7) “You have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons… you are children of God” (Rom 8:15-16). Romans 6:17 illustrates that our liberty is not acquired by being passive. Becoming free requires action on our part – obedience from the heart of that to which we have been delivered by the instruction of God's Word. That obedient action entails what Paul described earlier that I mentioned – being baptized into Christ Jesus, into His death (Romans 6:3). Even our Lord emphasized the importance of baptism being relative to our salvation when He said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). You cannot mince His words. You can choose either to die to sin and live in Christ, obeying His will, or you can turn a dead ear to the Lord's commands, remain disobedient, and die in your sins (John 8:24; Luke 13:3; Mark 16:16). Which do you choose? (Deuteronomy 30:15-19). These words of Moses from Deuteronomy 30:15-19 (NIV) could be the very words I speak in 2020. "See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees, and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long. This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live" because there is no “gray area” in God's eyes.

Until next time,

-Pat-