THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
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The old backwoods country man came to town to purchase some new socks. In a store, he found a package of socks 3 for $5.00.
He took them to the register and gave the clerk a $5 bill. The clerk rang up the socks on the register and said, "Sir, that will be $5.45."
The old man asked, "Why the 45 cents?"
The clerk said, "That's for the tax."
The old man said, "Son, I use garters. I don't need any tacks!"
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Rom 8:1-4
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
KJV
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If you ask most folk about salvation, their first answer is "It means being saved from hell and one day taken to heaven." And that is certainly true. The law of grace in Christ has certainly set us free from the "condemnation" of the "law" which exposes our sin. The love of God in Christ has offered salvation to all and acquittal to all who are condemned by their sins.
However, salvation means so much MORE than only being saved from eternal condemnation. For salvation also means that we who are saved "walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." We have a kinder, nobler Spirit within us. And He upholds our daily lives by His powerful love.
God creates a NEW WORK in the confessing and professing believer in Christ. The saved person's desire is to "walk....after the Spirit." His desire is to have daily, holy communion with our Lord. Saved people have a genuine "Spirit-born" desire to be close to the Lord and thus to depart from sinfulness.
Sin will certainly find its place in us until we die (or Jesus returns), for we are "ALL" sinners (Romans 3:23). But because of the salvation of God in Christ Jesus, we are freed from the dominion of sin.
The Spirit of God places in those who are saved a desire to strive AGAINST sin. Christ becomes the Master of our soul, and sin will never reign over us again. We are no longer enslaved, we are freed and given dominion.
Let us who are freed from the eternal consequences of sin also STRIVE against it daily in our lives. And let us be kinder, nobler, more gentle and loving.
Let us be garters, not tacks!
Love ya,
Bruce