For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. – Romans 6:14
Christmas is over as the night of the Magi and any celebrations of Epiphany ended a few days ago. Decorations are put away for another year. Some gifts may have been returned or exchanged. Did you have the festivities you wanted? Did you receive the things you desired?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary says that to desire is to “wish, want, covet, to have a longing for, to hope or exhibit a feeling for.“ Psychologists say desire involves attitudes, “a particular state of mind.” An article published by Psychology Today says, “Western philosophers… have generally viewed desire as fundamental to fulfilled life. To be human is to desire what we don’t have.”
Theologian John Piper says the Christian life is more than a decision, it is “the triumph of desire.” He expresses concern that, for some, “Christianity is a group of ideas about Christ, not an experience of the preciousness of Christ. Their Christianity is all truth and no treasure. All ’choices’ and no cherishing. All logic about Christ and no love for Christ. All ‘decision’ and no delight.”
If this applies to you, perhaps you are living under a form of legalistic righteousness, under “Christian law” as you perceive it. Theologian R. C. Sproul says, “What does it mean that we are not under law but under grace? It most certainly does not mean that anything goes and that the revealed law of God has no role in the Christian life. … But if we know Jesus, we live under the dominion of righteousness through grace. Thus, we’d better start acting like it.”
Pray that in this new year, you will seek and find more of the preciousness of Jesus, and desire more of Him and less of yourself. To borrow from those Western philosophers, that attitude is “fundamental to a fulfilled life in Christ.” One verse from the song “More About Jesus” says, “More about Jesus let me learn, more of His Holy will discern. Spirit of God, my teacher be, Showing the things of Christ to me.”
Today’s Verse: Romans 6:14
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Romans 6:12-18, 22
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
