Free to serve

Romans 7:1-3
We have died to the law and the sin that it reveals in us, but when will we quit dwelling in it? I find myself so often trying to do things that will make me look good or make God like me more. I know better than that, and yet I find myself returning to that pattern naturally. I don't know if it was how I was raised and taught to think, or what I came up with when I realized who I was and how much help I really needed. I want to quit trying to earn my salvation and rest on the reality of who God is. There is just so far to go!

Romans 7:4
I have died to the law, and been born in grace. And now I belong to another...I am not free except in that I belong to my creator and redeemer and love. The rightful owner now has say and rule in me, and I am to bear fruit. Oh I want to ber fruit, and that happens when I keep on in repentance

Romans 7:6
Reminds me of Jesus in John 4. The time is now when we will worship in spirit and truth. Let me not be so busy and self-fixated that I lose the voice of the Spirit and fall back into legalism instead of a joyful intimacy for being set free to follow and serve you. Awaken oh my soul and respond daily to this wonderful love that led Jesus to bear the dreadful curse for my soul and set me free. May I never forget what the High King of heaven did to purchase me, to buy my freedom and hope. I am in debt to God through Jesus for the price tht was paid, and let me never forget that my freedom is nothing more than a call to obediently follow and serve my King. May I serve with all my life, since that was what was saved, and may I serve with all my soul, since that was redeemed, and may I serve with all my heart since that was renewed and healed, and may I serve with all my mind since it was finally cleared and cleansed.

Grace choosing

Romans 6:20-21
Freedom from righteousness, the ability to do whatever I want without regard to anyone or anything. And how does that end? In fruit, but fruit that I am ashamed of. Wow, if that's not the truth I don't know what is. And I have seen how that ends in death. I think of times in my life when I lived without regard for righteousness, and honestlty those are the times now that hen I reflect I realize I am not proud of them, and in all reality didn't enjoy that much at the time. I can see how my selfishness and seeking of myself was just slowly sending me to my own death. AARRGGHHHH! I should insert Romans 7:25. Thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! His grace was so much bigger, His patience so much longer, His love so much deeper than I deserved, expected, wanted. Only He can save, only He can change my heart, only He can make me right. He is my God and I will serve Him, and I will always run to Him, especially when I fail and run from Him.

Romans 6:22
The fruit I now get leads to sanctificaiton. Fruit of conviction, of repentance, of joy, oe hope, of worship, of truth, of honesty, of integrity. The end of these thigns leads to eternal life. not becuase they earn me anything, but because as I chose righteousness and respond to God by grace, then He produces these things in me. I don't sit around wishing God would chnage me, I fight my sin through the cross and run continually to God when I fail and allow me present suffering to draw me cloaser to Him knowing the hope I will one day realize.

Romans 6:23
Feel like this verse is taken out of context so much. I choose death or life. I act on death or life. I am a slave to death or life. I have esrned death by my sin, but I am free by the wonderous grace of God to choose Jesus and life. It all depends on me to choose which I will be a lsave to, but that's all the depends on me. Because I can't save myslef no matter how I try, all I can do is choose Him by admitting how sinful I am and falling prostrate deoending on His grace. Thus in my weakness I am made strong. The cross changes everything, or it chnages nothing. I decide which it will be for me because God offers me a choice, I'd be a fool to choose anything else but to be His willing and loyal slave all the days of my life. Now God give me the grace and faith to live out this bold statement from the mouth of a babe prone to wander and fall.

Choose Wisely

Romans 6:17
Obedient from the heart. Further proof that it is an inside out change. And although this passage talks a lot about choosing and action, it is all based on heart change first. Anything else is behavior modification and trying to earn God's favor which, as we all know, ends in frustration and death, because that is sin. It is sin because it is trying to add things to salvation. We are all broken, and while we were broken, God sent Jesus for us. And the double imputation on the cross is what justifies us. Not anything I do. So let God change me from the inside out, and as He does, then let that my choose to do the things that stir my affections for Him.

Committed. Not halfway involved or sometimes following, committed. A new life that dominates who I am and what I am becoming. Giving myself over to the process of santification.


Romans 6:18
And I willing choose this why? Because I have been set free from sin. I am only now really starting to understand how great that is. Sure I know all the surface things that means, but have you ever thought about what life should and could look like without sin ruling? Herr is that already...not yet tension again, but I don't think we should skip the already. There is freedom now. I DO NOT HAVE TO SIN ANYMORE. That is now a possibility. And if that is a possibility, then it is worth engaging and fighting for.


Romans 6:19
In Rome, 1/3 people were slaves, 1/3 had been slaves, and other 1/3 probably had slaves or were about to become slaves. Important to remember that for these guys, slavery was not a class or econmoic distinction. Slavery was much closer to a form of indentured servanthood, hence the term in some translations of "bond-servant." The idea being you choose who to sell yourself to work for and be loyal to. Now times have changed, but this analogy still remains. Who am I selling my life to and for what (see v21-22). I want to become a slave to sanctification. Can you even imagine what that could look like? What could God do with me if I really started striving to give Him all my heart, soul, mind and strength? Now that's exciting!

Romans 6:12-14

Ok, so we're going backwards in Romans, but we're still in Romans, how can that be a bad thing?

Romans 6:12
Interesting to see that it says not to let sin make you obey its passions. This makes sense, I don't feel that when I sin I'm even doing my passion. I really think my passion is for God, but I don't always follow my own passion. Of course, notice the "therefore," which is referring to Romans 6:1-11 about the fact that we are dead to sin and alive in Christ.

Romans 6:13
There is choice. And if there is choice, then there is the opprtunity to make the right one (1 Cor. 10:13). I used to think that there were some sins we would in essence always be in bondage to, i.e. once an alcoholic always an alcoholic. But isn't that in reality just saying that sin is greater than grace? Surely the goodness of God is big enough to conquor the power of any sin that is in me. Temptation is always a reality, but there must be a point in which my heart can desire and love God more than it loves myself. God brings this change through the Holy Spirit from the inside out, but still I decide whether or not to participate in this chnage by the choices I make. To be free, then I must obey. I am understanding Galtians 5:1 more and more I think.

Romans 6:14
Sin will have no dominion over you... I need to hear that. As I struggle with lust and food, I need to know that these things do not have dominion over me. God is the one who has dominion over me. He has set me free, so I can live in Him and by His grace not put myself under the boothell of sin again. Love God more than yourself, love God more than your sin, choose life not death.

Paul is such a genius here. All this just makes so very much sense to me. As I read it I feel like a ight is going off and I'm like, "Of course! How could I not see that before?" Thank you Holy Spirit for continuing to grow and develop me so that I might be sanctified. It is so empowering, refreshing, rejuventing to know that God's grace is so complete and tht His love so amazing that He continues to work and chnage me. What a great God!