Present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. – Romans 6:13
Each day, there are news stories regarding legal battles between secular authorities and powers and Christians who are advocating for the right to engage in the free exercise of religion. The idea that church and state must be separate or the fear that a school or local government would somehow be promoting or “establishing“ a religion may result in the refusal to allow religious displays in public spaces, the rejection of group prayer at public schools or events, and the denial of exemptions for mandates that infringe upon religious beliefs. There are ongoing struggles surrounding First Amendment protections.
Followers of Christ are called to stand firm in faith (2 Thessalonians 2:15), regardless of the societal pressures to conform to an anti-Creator, anti-religious ideology. While Jesus won the ultimate victory over evil (Colossians 2:15), there is a spiritual battle playing out between the kingdom of God and the forces of the devil (Ephesians 6:12). When you embrace Jesus as your Savior, He saves you from the penalty of sin (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23). He frees you from the power of sin (Acts 26:18; Hebrews 2:14). And one day, He will deliver you from the presence of sin.
As a believer, you have the supernatural power of the risen Christ. By the enabling of the Holy Spirit, you can live that supernatural life simply by receiving His rights through conformity to His will. That means you must daily surrender yourself as an instrument for His righteousness in the battle. Pray that other believers, including U.S. military leaders, will claim their kingdom rights and stand strong for the gospel.
Today’s Verse: Romans 6:13
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Romans 6:1-14
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 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. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
