The topic of sin is very important, and today we will look at the similarities with John 8 and Romans 6. If you have your Bible open, please open up to these two chapters. First, let’s see what Jesus said, and then compare it with what Paul said. Speaking to the Scribes, Pharisees, and Jews, Jesus reminded them of the reason to not cause harm upon people who have been caught in sin, like adultery. He said, 1“he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7) Then to the woman in adultery, Jesus said, 1“woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:10,11) And to the Jews that remained he said, 1“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24) 1“Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36) So we learn some valuable things here about sin from the lips of our Lord and Savior. Number one being that nobody is sinless. Number two is that we are called to sin no more. Number three is that without strong faith and belief in Jesus, people will die in their sins. And lastly, number four is that we become servants to sin when we commit them. So we are told to call upon Jesus and He will set us free from all our addictions and bad habits.
So how does this compare to Romans 6? You will soon see how similar Jesus’s teaching is with Paul’s. Paul taught, 2“what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.” (Romans 6:1-8) We learn here that nobody has a license to sin who is saved by the blood of Jesus. Going into the waters of baptism is when we die to our sins, which is likened unto Christ’s death on the cross. Then, as we rise up out of the water, it is into newness of life, which is likened unto Jesus’s resurrection. Our old man is crucified in the water and we come out a new person in Christ. Our natural inclination to sin is done away with and now our desires are to serve God, and not to sin. Jesus sets every person free from their sins, as He said in John 8. This is how we are born again and when He is able to come inside of us. Then we can now live our lives with Him leading us to make good choices.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I love You and treasure every moment I have to be with You. The moment I was baptized is when the fire of the Holy Spirit entered me those many years ago, and it has not subsided yet. This was because You wanted to do more than be a part of my life, but to light it up also. There was so much darkness in me in times past, before I gave my life to You. I was on the road to destruction because of my lust, which caused me to commit adultery, fornications, and be addicted to pornography. Surely, I was a slave to sin for most of my life. It wasn’t until I humbled myself and cried out to You in prayer and forgiving me. Something has changed within me. You saw my intentions were real and that I desired to be transformed, and then started a wonderful work in me. Thank You for hearing my prayers and for doing something that I never thought was possible. I thought I was supposed to live a life where I have no control over my flesh, but just feel guilty each time I sin. However, everything is different now. You have put in me a hedge of protection and a sword of faith. I have armor in my life now, and it is because You are with me. My guard is no longer down but raised up to fight against the enemy at all costs. Surely, I did not know how to defeat my addictions and bad habits, but with the Holy Spirit in me, my desires are for You now and not against you. Therefore, I can withstand evil temptations that the devil throws at me, for You are with me. I am not a perfect person, but a person who loves You and wants to only do Your will at all times. Therefore, keep leading me on Your righteous path. I am incapable of walking it on my own. I love You, Lord. You are the way the truth and life. Therefore, I will follow You until the end of my days. Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.