Scripture

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters,you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.

Observation

God’s Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. Therefore we are no longer captive to the sinful nature. If we live by the flesh we will die, but if we let the Spirit put to death our sinful nature, we will live.

We have received the Spirit of adoption by which we call God, “Abba, Father.” We are children of God and therefore heirs with Christ- both to glory and suffering.

Application

I have no obligation to sin.

All of humanity is bound to sin. We are captivated by it, ruled by self-centredness, pride, lust and greed.

When Jesus came into my life, I was born to a new life, born in the Spirit. The Spirit of God came in and set me free form the sinful nature.

I am now under no obligation to sin.

Before I was born again, all I knew was the fleshly sinful nature. I couldn’t avoid sin and had no desire to do so.

But the Spirit convicted me of sin and then forgave me and gave me the way out of sin. The fleshly sinful nature was replaced by the divine holy nature.

I don’t have to sin. I do sin, but there is no excuse. It is a choice to go back to the old ways, to let the flesh dictate my actions rather than the Holy Spirit.

It is awesome to realise that God really has set me free from sin.

No obligations to the sinful nature.

No necessity to sin.

Prayer

Lord, you really have set me free from sin. Once the flesh was all I had, but then you came and set me free. Now sin is a choice and holiness is my calling. Hallelujah! Please help me to make the right choice, to walk in the path of holiness. Amen.