All Beholding Beauty devotionals are written as short, worshipful reflections to help you meditate on God’s Word.
“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” – Romans 6:6
Oh, what great news the Apostle Paul gives to us in Romans chapter 6!
Both Scripture and experience have made it abundantly clear that we, as Christians, continue to battle against remaining sin. It is a glorious truth that all those who have faith in Jesus Christ are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17)! We are not who we used to be! As John Newton has so beautifully written, “I am not the man I ought to be, I am not the man I wish to be and I am not the man I hope to be, but by the grace of God, I am not the man I used to be.”
I am not the man I ought to be, I am not the man I wish to be and I am not the man I hope to be, but by the grace of God, I am not the man I used to be.
John Newton
If you listen closely enough, you can hear a little bit of the Apostle Paul in that quote as well. In Romans 7:18-20, he says: “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”
Are you able to identify with that? Do you, dear Christian, sense that you are not who you once were (you’re a NEW creation!), but you’re also not who you ought to be (due to remaining sin that Romans 7 discusses)?
Related Article: How Do We Change?
In our fight against remaining sin, it can be quite exhausting and discouraging, to be sure. But take heart! Romans 6:6 gives us some precious promises to help us along the way, and here they are:
Promises from Romans 6:6
1. Our old self has been crucified with Jesus Christ! …And as a result:
2. The body of sin (or the rule of sin in our lives) is brought to nothing! …So that:
3. We are no longer enslaved to sin!
Isn’t that amazing news! We are not enslaved to our sin! We are free in Christ and by the power of His Spirit within us to live a holy, righteous life that honors the Lord!
Though the battle against our remaining sin is long, hard, and exhausting, we do not (and should not) view ourselves as defeated by sin and its power. Instead, we rejoice in the fact that “sin will have no dominion over you” (Romans 6:14)!
So always remember, Christian, that your old self has died with Christ, and that, “you must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11). Praise be to God!
Did you know? We publish a new Beholding Beauty devotional each week! View all Beholding Beauty devotionals.
Matt became a joyful follower of Jesus at the age of 21. He is very grateful to be a husband to Lindsey, and a father to four boys. He is an ordained minister (teaching elder) in the PCA. He previously served as a pastor of biblical counseling and is currently a corporate chaplain in southern Delaware. Matt received his Master of Divinity degree in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and holds an advanced certification in biblical counseling from the Association of Biblical Counselors. In his free time, he loves playing with his boys, traveling with his wife, and reading (and buying!) books.
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