Using Your Super Power

Life is anything, but predictable. It has its moments of sameness, but then something unexpected–and sometimes unwanted–happens, and we’re off into the unknown. That’s where I’m going–into the unknown, the frightening, the place where I fight religious tradition. But then…it’s not me fighting. I’m getting ahead of myself. Read on to understand.

It’ll sound weird to some of you, but I feel a deep burden to write this post today. Maybe someone among you needs to read it, or maybe, it’s completely for my personal benefit. I don’t know. I do know it will be long and full of Scripture.

My topic today: SIN or more correctly FREEDOM FROM SIN — the ultimate SUPER POWER

I grew up–like many of you–with the mantra, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.”

Except, if we are saved by grace, by the redeeming blood of Jesus, we ARE no longer sinners, we ARE the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:21). We WERE sinners. And then we were saved. And NOW we are the righteousness of God.

Over and over in the New Testament, we see–and gloss over–the power we have in Jesus to not sin.

  • Romans 6:1-2 – What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 
  • Romans 6:5-7 – For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,  knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.
  • Romans 6:14 – For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
  • Romans 6:16-18 – Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
  • Romans 6:22-23 – But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Lest you think I only looked in Romans 6, let’s move on to some other instances… These first few are commands to people Jesus healed. I asked the question on Facebook a few days ago, “Does God command us to do anything He has not equipped us to do?” Not very many people answered because I think they knew I had an ulterior motive in asking. The answer, of course, is no. So keep that in mind as you read the following passages.

And now we move on.

  • 1 John 3: 6 – Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
  • 1 John 3:5-9 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
  • 1 John 5:18 – We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

Some of you will read this and, maybe, remember the verse before all these that says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) We all HAVE sinned. But that doesn’t mean we continue to do so.

Here’s more:

  • 1 Cor. 15:34 – Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
  • 1 John 2 – My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
    • my note: notice the IF here… it’s not a when.

Remember one thing, these are NOT my words. All of these Scriptures are taken from the New King James Bible via Biblegateway.com, although the bold is mine.

So what do I mean by the title, “Using Your Super Power”?

We have the super power from the Holy Spirit to choose not to sin.

God does not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle, and He also makes a way to escape the temptation. (1 Cor. 10:13) Temptation is not sin. Giving in to temptation is. Run. Flee. Don’t sin. You are ABLE for He has called you to it.

Blessings,

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