I’ve had a stream of people over the years who stopped by my office, or others who simply visited with me somewhere, or some, who during a prayertime at church, confided about their journey with Jesus. Everyone of them wanted to experience victory in their Christian life and overcome the challenges to that they were facing.
Gaining and sustaining Spiritual victory over sin is a big issue for Christians! How can it be experienced? Especially when we have to live every day of our lives in this old world and struggle with temptation, self, and sin…The passage I read today from the Epistles in the Necessary Food Bible reading plan is such an important one in this regard… Romans 6:1-14!3
Apostolic Principles for Spiritual Victory
1.Appropriate the Spiritual reality your BAPTISM illustrates! (Romans 6:1-10)
It’s more than just water that matters here! The reality of it is that we are “baptized INTO CHRIST!” (6:3-4) His death is somehow our death to self and sin! His burial is somehow the burial of our old way of life! His resurrection, and the power of the Holy Spirit, that brought it about is the dynamic that can transform our lives! Can you imagine standing at your own grave? (Guilty of terrible sin, sentenced, death, buried… then a miraculous resurrection to live a new life!)
2. CONSIDER (“reckon” or calculate) these realities as true in your life! (Romans 6:11-12)
The tense of the Greek verb here is such that the force of the verb used in verse 11 is “be continually considering yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (i.e. consider your baptism a spiritual reality in your life every day)!
3. Then OFFER YOURSELF TO GOD, as one who has been brought from death to life! (Romans 6:13)
Be presenting/offering yourself to God this way every day! Don’t let sin reign in your life! You don’t have to do what your passions tell you (or beg you) to do! Back to the Spiritual reality your baptism illustrates! Present yourself to God as one who has been brought from death to life and your body (yes, the parts of your body) as instruments to produce righteousness!” (6:12-13, 17-19)!
And the result? Apostle Paul’s declared, inspired by the Holy Spirit… “Sin will NOT have dominion over you!” You’ll be living by God’s enabling grace, not simply trying to keep a list of rules in your own human effort! (6:14)
Coffee With The Lord 