I have come to realize that what once had power over me to do something has suddenly lessoned considerably and has caused me to wonder where that power came from and what caused it to diminish. The last several days, as I walk to and from lunch, I have thought about it and so today I decided I would look into the matter and see if I could come up with something.
As I prayerfully thought about this a verse came to mind; “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law” (1 Cor. 15:56 NASB). Have you ever told a child not to touch something and as soon as you did there seemed to be a power at work in the child urging it to go and touch the forbidden object. The law seems to be like that and releases power in one to push against it. If there was no law giving speed limits there would be freedom from the urge to drive just a bit faster. Where there is no law there is no violation (Rom. 4:15), but where there is law, sin is alive (Rom. 7:9) and its sting is death. We can put forth as much effort as possible, but we can never overcome the power sin derives from the law.
The law sets a boundary, but flesh is weak and unable to obey and so abides in death. God enters the picture and sends his Son to live in a body of flesh and has the strength to stand in the face of the Law and as an offering for sin He condemned sin in the flesh and provides us an opportunity to be set free from the power of sin and death (Rom. 8:1 – 4).
As we, in Christ, come under conviction of that power at work in us to sin and surrender ourselves to him in obedience, we will one day realize that which we had hoped for and that which we did not yet see will become a reality in our life. The battle of faith was real in my life concerning Jiajing’s visa. There are areas in my life where faith is struggling against this power that is still at work in certain areas of my life, bringing sin to the surface. But what joy there is when I realize that power which sin derives from the law has been greatly reduced. This is one more step in the process of God conforming me into the image of His Son.
As I prayerfully thought about this a verse came to mind; “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law” (1 Cor. 15:56 NASB). Have you ever told a child not to touch something and as soon as you did there seemed to be a power at work in the child urging it to go and touch the forbidden object. The law seems to be like that and releases power in one to push against it. If there was no law giving speed limits there would be freedom from the urge to drive just a bit faster. Where there is no law there is no violation (Rom. 4:15), but where there is law, sin is alive (Rom. 7:9) and its sting is death. We can put forth as much effort as possible, but we can never overcome the power sin derives from the law.
The law sets a boundary, but flesh is weak and unable to obey and so abides in death. God enters the picture and sends his Son to live in a body of flesh and has the strength to stand in the face of the Law and as an offering for sin He condemned sin in the flesh and provides us an opportunity to be set free from the power of sin and death (Rom. 8:1 – 4).
As we, in Christ, come under conviction of that power at work in us to sin and surrender ourselves to him in obedience, we will one day realize that which we had hoped for and that which we did not yet see will become a reality in our life. The battle of faith was real in my life concerning Jiajing’s visa. There are areas in my life where faith is struggling against this power that is still at work in certain areas of my life, bringing sin to the surface. But what joy there is when I realize that power which sin derives from the law has been greatly reduced. This is one more step in the process of God conforming me into the image of His Son.
