Check the fine print – Pete Briscoe

Check the fine print – Pete Briscoe

“He that falls into sin is a man; that grieves at it, is a saint; that boasteth of it, is a devil.”--Thomas Fuller

To someone who struggles with habitual sin, all the talk about being “dead to sin” might sound too good to be true—kind of like the late night TV infomercial that promises to clean your dog and restore worn out leatherand take inches off your thighs with one application and no effort if you buy by midnight on Friday. Yeah, right! Maybe it’s time to read a little of the fine print.

This is really important—don’t skip this paragraph! Being “dead to sin” doesn’t mean that sin is dead, or that we are immune to sin. In Romans 1-5 sin is a generally a verb, actions we do. Starting in Romans 6, sin is a noun, an entity. Indwelling sin, that internal voice that tempts us, is still alive and active in our lives even after we trust Christ. It is in us, but it is not who we are (like a sliver in my finger, it is in me, annoying, painful, but it is not “me.”)

The “voice” of indwelling sin is very real and because it comes from inside us, it leads many to believe we still have a sin nature. Our flesh (our desire to do things in our own strength, independent of God) is still responsive to sin. So even though we are in Christ and have His Spirit in our spirit. when the world, Satan, the flesh, and indwelling sin team up on us, the allure of sin is still a powerful force! Anytime we don’t choose to walk in the Spirit, BAMMO!—sin will follow. So yes, it’s going to happen, but this is the cool part:

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. —Romans 6:14

There is a huge difference between being vulnerable to sin and being mastered by it!