Freedom From Sin - Freedom to Sin
From Elder Mike
Does Grace give you the freedom to sin or does Grace give you the power not to sin?
ROMANS 5:20-21
But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
ROMANS 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
GRACE in the Greek = The divine influence upon the heart and it's reflection in the life.
ROMANS 6:6
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be "destroyed" (to be rendered entirely idle and useless, abolished), that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
11. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof.
13. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under Grace.
15. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under Grace? God forbid.
16. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness.
18. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
22. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
EPHESIANS 4
21. If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation (lifestyle) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
So Grace (the infilling of the Holy Spirit) gives us the power to refrain from sin.
