For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (Rom. 6:14)
Expanded Passage: Romans 6:11-14
Leading up to the American Civil War, 3.5 million African Americans were held as slaves in the Confederate states. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Lincoln went into effect January 1, 1863. It declared that slaves were free, and that the government would use all powers necessary to ensure that their freedom became a reality. In April of 1865, that promise was fulfilled. The law that permitted slavery was forever abolished.
Paul gave the Roman believers a list of admonitions, all based on the new life of freedom they had in Christ. They were not to let sin rule them inwardly nor manifest itself outwardly. They were to dedicate themselves to God and the new life they had found. It all came with a promise: sin would no longer be their master. This was not a command, but a guarantee.
We live in the age of spiritual freedom. God’s grace promises that we are unfettered from the power of sin. The old rules do not apply. Giving in to the lure of temptation is not necessary and should not be a part of the Christian’s life. All God requires is that we accept his unmerited favor and live in it. The joy of freedom has replaced the misery of bondage. When we allow his grace to rule our lives, the constraints of sin will fall away.
Make the effort to live in God’s freedom today.
Roland E. Cavanaugh is a Wesleyan pastor serving in North Carolina and administrator of an assistant living facility. He and his wife have ministered for thirty-five years.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
