THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
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During military "team" maneuvers, the Red team was falling behind. The blue team was capturing many of their men, or "killing" them. Many Red team members lay on the ground with tags on them showing they had been killed.
The Captain of the Red team came up to a creek and got his jeep stuck. He asked some of the Red team members who had been tagged as dead to help him push the jeep out of the mudhole. But they told him they were dead, and couldn't help.
He said, "Sargent, take some of those dead bodies and stuff 'em under the wheels! We'll get outa here!"
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Rom 6:13-14
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.
KJV
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Christians were once "dead in trespasses and sin" (Ephesians 2:1). But by the grace of God we have been made alive again through surrender to our Lord, Jesus Christ.
When we were dead to a viable relationship with God, we "yielded" ourselves to the dominion of sin. But once we have become surrendered to Christ, we are to yield ourselves to works and acts of righteousness by His power in us.
Works of UNrighteousness do not fit the pattern of a "born-again, washed-in-the-blood, regenerated, Holy Spirit-empowered" Christian.
Now we usually think of works of UNrighteousness in terms of: lying, stealing, adultery, murder, etc. However, works of UNrighteousness include refusing to DO what God has told us we SHOULD be doing.
It is a work of UNrighteousness to not study the Bible.
It is a work of UNrighteousness to not pray.
It is a work of UNrighteousness to not attend, give and be a serving member of our local church.
To NOT do what God has told us we SHOULD be doing is yielding our "members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin." Those who do such things shouldn't be surprised when God takes a few dead bodies and stuffs 'em under the jeep tires.
On the other hand, works of righteousness are performed when we yield to GOD and not to sin.
SURRENDER! It's a good word. Let's try using it in our relationship with Christ.
Love ya,
Bruce
mcge3582@bellsouth.net
http://www.linktojesus.org
For a Christian to be "under grace," he/she must be submissive to the will of our Commander.