Read Romans 6:12–13
Questions from the Scripture text: What must we not let do what (Romans 6:12)? Where? Lest we should do what to sin? In what? What must we not present as what (Romans 6:13)? To what? To Whom, instead, must we present ourselves? As being in what condition? What, specifically, are we to present to Him? As weapons for what?
In the war between sin and God, what do Christian’s do? Romans 6:12–13 looks forward to the sermon in the midweek meeting. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Christians are to offer themselves as owing God a life-debt, with every part of who they are as a weapon for righteousness.
Keep sin off the throne. Though we are spiritually alive in the risen Lord Jesus, we do not yet have resurrected bodies like His. We have mortal bodies. As long as we are in these bodies, we are afflicted with sin (cf. Romans 7:24). Not only mustn’t we continue in sin (cf. Romans 6:1–2), but we must combat sin. It has no right to the throne of our body, so must not let it usurp that throne (Romans 6:12a).
Even though we are no longer in sin or in Adam, sin is still in us, and it is constantly offering its desires to us (“its lusts” as Romans 6:12b says). If you are a Christian, don’t you find that to be true? Isn’t sin constantly suggesting its desires to you? If you give in, if you obey these desires, then you let a horrible usurper sit on the throne of your mortal body.
Offer nothing to sin. This refusing of sin is more than a general refusal to let it be king. There is no amount of sin that is permissible while having God as King. If we even present any part of who we are to sin (Romans 6:13a), it is the same as offering a weapon to an enemy. But, having counted ourselves dead to sin, let us not give it our thoughts, our desires, our tolerance, our smile, our opportunities. Give it no room. Give it no quarter. Calculate everything to suffocate it and starve it. Do not let sin reign, and do not present your members to it!
Keep God on the throne. Finally, believers have not only counted ourselves dead to sin, but we have counted ourselves as alive unto God in Christ Jesus our Lord. We owe Him a life debt. He has both created us from nothing and now redeemed us from death, so our entire life must be dedicated to Him. But this is more than just a general condition. Just as with disavowing sin, the enthronement of the rightful King is a continuous action. If we are presenting ourselves to God as our King, then we must enlist every part of who we are as weapons in the service of righteousness. This we must do, for our rightful king is the God of righteousness!
Offer everything for righteousness. So offer every moment to God for righteousness. Offer every desire. Offer your thoughts. Offer your goals. Offer your energies. Offer your time. Offer your money. All of it. These mortal bodies will soon be consumed. A glorious, resurrected body will be ours in the last day. But there will be no battle then. Let us glorify our redeemer by enlisting our entire self, for our entire life, in our King’s service in the war against sin.
When have you found yourself sinning? What parts of your life could you combat this by offering it to righteousness?
Sample prayer: Lord, we thank You for Your goodness and mercy to make us in Your image, and to redeem us to be Your servants and children. Forgive us for how much we still let sin usurp the throne by being negligent with one part of our life or another. Renew us by grace, and grant unto us to dedicate every aspect of who we are unto God for righteousness, by Your Spirit, through Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP24 “The Earth and the Riches” or TPH446 “Be Thou My Vision”
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