![[Photo of a Scripture verse]](https://www.deankwilson.com/Blog_images/Romans_6_14.jpg)
| “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” |
| —Romans 6:14 |
Who’s your boss? Not in the sense of the person you report to at your place of business. But, I’m asking who rules your life? Who controls what you do, what you say, even what you think?
You may answer by saying, “Why, I do! I am in control of my life. I do what I want, say what I want, and think what I want.”
But, do you? Do you really?
If you are a man who sees an unusually pretty woman walk past you, when you look at her, what thoughts pop into your mind? Later, when you see her again from a distance, what does you mind recall about your first reaction to seeing her?
If you are a woman and you see another woman walk by in an outfit that really makes a fashion statement, when you turn to look at her, what thoughts immediately jump to the forefront of your thinking? How long do you stare at her, taking in every detail? Do you imagine what you might look like in that same outfit? Do you wonder what that outfit might cost? Do you wish you had seen it first and that you were the one parading around town looking so special?
In both of these examples, the power in control of our minds is sin. Yes, sin. Why?
In the first example, the sin of lust has prompted certain thoughts that most men will never acknowledge, but which are nearly always present. In fact, most men have learned to delight in those thoughts, cherish them, and even encourage them. Some men even believe that, if they did not have those thoughts, they wouldn’t be a normal man. The sin of lust is the all-pervasive and most commonly powerful sin in the life of a human male.
In the second example, the sin of covetousness has prompted certain thoughts that most women will never acknowledge, but which are nearly always present. In fact, most women have learned to delight in those thoughts, cherish them, and even encourage them. Many women believe that, if they did not have those thoughts, they wouldn’t be a normal woman. The sin of covetousness is the all-pervasive and most commonly powerful sin in the life of a human female.
In each example, sin is in control of our minds and hearts. We were born with a sin nature, inherited from our parents who inherited it all the way back to Adam and Eve. That sin nature seeks to control every aspect of our lives.
But, there is good news. The Apostle Paul wrote these words, found in Romans 6:14:
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
With the coming of Jesus, His suffering, death, and resurrection, He conquered sin, death, and Satan. Christ won the victory, paid the penalty for our sins, and set us free from sin’s control of our lives.
As we begin a new day, we can choose to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us away from sin. We can set aside these normally pervasive sins and embrace a totally new way of life—a life of freedom and victory. Thanks be to our God who has given us the victory through our precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
