Sin or God

I am currently sitting at Flightpath Coffee House, at a small wood table outside. I probably now smell of smoke because none of these smokers read the sign that says, "NO smoking within 15 feet of Flightpath!" I also probably smell of sweat, isn't that just so lovely? It's hot outside and for those of you who know me, I don't do heat. But it was my only option and I did not feel like driving somewhere else to only run into the same problem. I figure most coffee shops are going to be pretty packed now that finals are right around the corner.

As I have mentioned before I am currently studying the Book of Romans and am on chapter 6. I've been on chapter 6 for what feels like forever but I'd rather take forever and get that ah-ha moment versus staying just as lost as I was before I started studying it. Satan has been getting into my head today and of course, I didn't realize it was Satan until I sat down with my Bible, asking Jesus to give me peace of mind and clarity as I spend some time with Him. Here is what I was revealed to tonight and let me tell you it's a whole lot better than the lies I was believing from Satan.

Romans 6 is about being baptized into Christ, dying with Him, being buried of our old lives and then rising again to live a new eternal life at the right hand side of God.

Check out Romans 6:3-4 Just as Jesus died to sin and unto sin (side note: I spent at least two days trying to understand what "unto sin" meant and this is what I have come up with; "dying unto sin" refers to Jesus dying to break the power of sin. Which is totally awesome and good news for us because as sinful human beings we have a God who died to break the power of sin that takes hold of our earthly bodies!) we too as Christians have died to sin, we are no longer slaves to sin. Our identity is wholly in Christ, what has happened to Him has also happened to us!

Okay, well if you are anything like I am I read and reread and looked up different translations until I finally threw my hands in the air with a white flag of surrender saying, "What the heck God?! I don't understand how I can no longer be a slave to sin and how "death [can] no longer have power over [me]" (Romans 6:9) when I'm basically a giant walking sin pimple!?" It just didn't make sense to me. Yes, I am baptized and yes I am a believer but the Bible makes it sound so simple, you are buried through baptism into death and then as Christ was raised from the dead we too can live in a newness of life (vs 4). So as you can see this is what I've been spending so much time on. Well, today I was able to make it a little further into 6 and into the study and oh what a glorious day!

"It is clear, then, that the believer cannot deliberately live in sin since he has a new relationship to sin because of his identification with Christ. The believer has died to the old life; he has been raised to enjoy a new life....The body IS NOT sinful; the body is neutral. It can be controlled either by sin or by God. But man's fallen nature, which is not changed at conversion, gives sin a beachhead from which it can attack and then control. Romans 7:18 The Message" -Warren W. Wiersbe from Be Right

Now, I am still in the middle of understanding this part of it all and truly being able to process it but one thing I now know is that even though I am no longer a slave to sin does not mean sin is still not very present in my life and will be until I am able to sit at the right hand of my Father in Heaven. But because of my relationship with Jesus Christ I have a choice to choose sin or to choose God. I have the knowledge that sin is present but so is an all forgiving God who pours out mercy and grace on His children each and every morning. I have a choice to listen to what Satan is whispering in my ears or to listen to what God is showing me through scripture.

Satan has been feeding me lies today. Big bad lies and I was believing them because I was blind to the fact that is was Satan. But I have a choice for either God or sin to control my life and because I am taking life one hour at a time I choose for God to control my life for the rest of the night. I choose God tonight, I choose good, healthy choices and I choose Truth.