Here is a question for all of us to ponder on. Is there a way to actually get free from the sins that have had us bound? The outward willful ones, and yes, even the ones we have a lot harder time spotting? I believe the answer is a resounding YES!
Romans 6-8 is where we must go to find our answer. Romans 7 was my dwelling place for almost 4 decades. The things I wanted to stop doing, I could not stop. The things I wanted to start doing were simply impossible for me to do.
So what is the answer from escaping Romans 7 and entering into the glorious rest of Romans 8? We must go back one chapter to Romans 6, for it holds a secret that has been hidden from our eyes for the most part ever since the early rain dried up in the book of Acts.
And what is this secret? It is our need to DO something. Not a work where we somehow are good enough to partake of God’s riches He has for us. He asks us to stand on the truths that Paul clearly declares to us that are truths unshakeable.
1) When Christ died, so DID we. Our old nature is dead.
2) When Christ rose from the dead, so DID we. We are new creatures, right here, right now!
But you see, everything in the kingdom works by faith. Christ dwells in our hearts... by faith! We overcome the world, the flesh and the devil....... by faith! The obedience God asks of us? The obedience of faith! And it is no truer than here at this critical juncture. Those two promises? They must become our possession. How? By faith!
That is why Paul then tells us something I missed for 38 years in my attempts to walk pleasing to God. We must reckon that those promises are ours! This very minute!
You see, we have been trying to kill our old man. Talk about whipping a dead horse, LOL. We who love the Lord ARE dead! Do you see? We have tried to resist the accusations and the temptations of Satan, and we have failed. Why? Our shields of faith are laying in the corner, gathering dust!
But the minute we decide we will agree with God, whether we feel like we are dead or not, praise God, that little seed of faith that has laid dormant since the day we were saved begins to sprout.
Can we still fall? Absolutely! But only because our faith is weak. So if Satan comes tempting and we again fall, the only reason is that our faith wavered. So what do we do? We get up, dust ourselves off, tell God we will fall every time left to ourselves, and .... are you ready? We declare again that we are new creatures and sin shall not have dominion over us? Talk about frustrating Satan, LOL.
This is not “opinion”. Twelve years ago, at my lowest, with no hope remaining that I can ever walk victoriously, God appeared to me and told me what I am now telling you. And for 12 years I have consistently done exactly what I have shared with you today. I have yielded myself to God in the way He has told us we are to do so. And how is that? As those who are alive from the dead! Glory to God forevermore!
Blessings,
Gideon
Romans 6-8 is where we must go to find our answer. Romans 7 was my dwelling place for almost 4 decades. The things I wanted to stop doing, I could not stop. The things I wanted to start doing were simply impossible for me to do.
So what is the answer from escaping Romans 7 and entering into the glorious rest of Romans 8? We must go back one chapter to Romans 6, for it holds a secret that has been hidden from our eyes for the most part ever since the early rain dried up in the book of Acts.
And what is this secret? It is our need to DO something. Not a work where we somehow are good enough to partake of God’s riches He has for us. He asks us to stand on the truths that Paul clearly declares to us that are truths unshakeable.
1) When Christ died, so DID we. Our old nature is dead.
2) When Christ rose from the dead, so DID we. We are new creatures, right here, right now!
But you see, everything in the kingdom works by faith. Christ dwells in our hearts... by faith! We overcome the world, the flesh and the devil....... by faith! The obedience God asks of us? The obedience of faith! And it is no truer than here at this critical juncture. Those two promises? They must become our possession. How? By faith!
That is why Paul then tells us something I missed for 38 years in my attempts to walk pleasing to God. We must reckon that those promises are ours! This very minute!
You see, we have been trying to kill our old man. Talk about whipping a dead horse, LOL. We who love the Lord ARE dead! Do you see? We have tried to resist the accusations and the temptations of Satan, and we have failed. Why? Our shields of faith are laying in the corner, gathering dust!
But the minute we decide we will agree with God, whether we feel like we are dead or not, praise God, that little seed of faith that has laid dormant since the day we were saved begins to sprout.
Can we still fall? Absolutely! But only because our faith is weak. So if Satan comes tempting and we again fall, the only reason is that our faith wavered. So what do we do? We get up, dust ourselves off, tell God we will fall every time left to ourselves, and .... are you ready? We declare again that we are new creatures and sin shall not have dominion over us? Talk about frustrating Satan, LOL.
This is not “opinion”. Twelve years ago, at my lowest, with no hope remaining that I can ever walk victoriously, God appeared to me and told me what I am now telling you. And for 12 years I have consistently done exactly what I have shared with you today. I have yielded myself to God in the way He has told us we are to do so. And how is that? As those who are alive from the dead! Glory to God forevermore!
Blessings,
Gideon
