Dead to Sin, Alive to God

Sin. It's ugly. It's consuming.  It's destructive.  And God hates it.  If this is so, why do I often let it control my life? It brings only temporary pleasure and separates us from communion with God.

This past Sunday, my pastor preached a message on Romans 6 and it completely blew my mind.  It's one of those passages that I seem to have read multiple times but never meditated upon.  As a daughter of the King, why do I let sin take precedence in my life? Its easy to keep our sins hidden and private so no one can see. I know this too well. 

During the service, I sat there completely overwhelmed with how great my sin is.  A heart with sin that is not confessed is heavy.  Sometimes I have felt like the more I sin, I move farther and farther away from God.  I'm ashamed to come back into His presence because He sees me for who I truly am. 

But though my sin is great, God's grace is abundant:

"Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. "  Romans 5:20-21

God always forgives the sins of those who confess. ALL of our sins.  So why do we beat ourselves up over our sins? If we confess and turn away, He is faithful to forgive us.  I understand that I can't continue to live the way I want.  It's amazing to think that Christ only had to die once for the sins of all mankind! He didn't have to die over and over again! We cannot lose our salvation.  Being dead to our sins should be part of who we are after receiving Christ. There is victory over sin because as child of God, I am no longer a slave to sin!

Why am I so surprised that I would hear this message exactly when I needed to? It's no coincidence. God is faithful.  I cannot begin to comprehend His steadfast love.  I fail constantly, yet His grace covers my sin.  When He looks at me, He sees His son. So here's to claiming the victory over sin that Christ has won.