IMO: You Can Fix Yourself - Monday
Romans 8:2
And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. (NLT)
As Christians, we hear a lot about Jesus’ incredible sacrifice for us, and how it’s the reason we are saved and made clean and righteous and perfect in His eyes. Scripture tells us that despite our past mistakes and way of living, when we choose to follow Jesus, our identity immediately shifts from sinner to saint, from a slave of sin to an adopted child of God. And what truly beautiful news that is!
But there’s an age-old conundrum that comes along with these exciting truths. Romans 8:2 tells us, “Because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Hallelujah! We’re free! But… uh, aren’t we still sinners? I mean, we all still make plenty of mistakes and have issues and behavioral flaws we struggle to change about ourselves. So how are we “free” from it?
Paul breaks this down a bit more in Romans 8:11-12—”The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you… Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.” So without the Spirit living in us, we are utterly helpless. We are slaves with no choice but to be ruled by the master that is our temptations and fleshly desires. But with the Spirit inside of us, we are given access to His power that is stronger than our sinful nature… meaning, we have a choice.
I know what you’re thinking: It’s still not that easy! Trust me, friend… don’t I know it! Paul knew, too. Not only is it still difficult to make the right choices when our “sinful nature” that we still have to live with pulls us the other way, but in today’s world where God’s life-giving truth is defined as restrictive and even destructive, following God’s way can feel quite complicated.
Here’s the good news: “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you,” helping you to see clearly and giving you the capability to choose well in every situation, no matter how difficult or complicated it may be. But we still have a part to play: We have to live as if that were true.
Monday’s Reflection
Do you believe the Spirit of God can free you from every destructive habit, hangup, and struggle in your life? And if so, do you live as though you really believe that?
