^“3 So then if, while her husband lives, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

⁴ Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” Romans 7:3-4

Because of Adam’s fall, each and every person born of man is born with a sin nature.  We are married to this sin nature and the sin nature rules and reigns in the heart of the unregenerate man.  The “good” which the lost may do is not done to glorify God but mostly themselves in one way or another.  It is the leaven which leavens.  The result is a hardened heart is always and without fail a hardened heart.  Their righteousness is self righteousness and motive evil because it is done for the wrong reasons.  Please don’t misunderstand, often these are lovely people and their good works are indeed beneficial but if they are not born again Believers, their good works are working death in their heart because they are ruled by their sin nature which is driving them constantly to do that which appears good in their own eyes…irregardless of what the Word of God says. It is the lusts of the flesh which the sin nature seduces and our emotions become our moral authority instead of our God give conscience.

Once the believing sinner accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they (we) are buried into His Death at Calvary’s Cross and are now dead to our sin nature.  To be sure, our sin nature is not dead but we are dead to it AS LONG as we are IN Jesus Christ; buried with Him through faith in His Atoning work which gives the Holy Spirit latitude to do that which He is commissioned to do – isolate our sin nature and breaking it’s power.

Being dead to sin through the Cross of Christ, we are now alive unto God; married to Jesus and not to our sin nature.  Because of our union with Christ, we are afforded the ability to partake in God’s Divine Nature through the Cross of Christ.  This is the cross of which WE bear; our cross which is laden with liberty from sin.

Sadly, after Salvation many will quickly turn to methods of man for victory over sin and that to which they were once dead (their sin nature) they quickly become alive to again.  One stumble in our walk with God and we tend to make a “law”; a rule or a method to avoid that stumble again.  Because we have now placed our faith in that “law” and not the Cross of Christ to break the power of that sin; our sin nature is quickened and that to which we were once dead now revives and we die (spiritually).

^“9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

¹⁰ And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.” Romans 7:9-11

When we stumble, and we will stumble, we do not make a rule not to stumble again but we look unto our Lord, Jesus Christ, and ask forgiveness for our transgressions.  The repentant Saint will ask the Lord to remove that evil desire from our heart.  We cannot produce fruit unto God through self will or foolish discipline but the Spirit of God, Who dwells in us, produces His fruit in our heart and God is glorified.  Not by that which we have done through a man made method being taught as biblical doctrine but by the power of the Holy Spirit through faith in the Son of God Who came to die on Calvary’s Cross to give us power over sin.  We say yes to His Will and His Way and He orders our footsteps.  There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus but there is conviction of the Holy Spirit which continues to lead us unto Holiness and Righteousness through out our entire Christian walk.  As long as we draw breath, the Holy Spirit will continue to lead us unto Christ-likeness.  If we find ourselves comfortable in that which God has declared sin, we are not being led by the Holy Spirit but by demon spirits.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

² For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death.” Romans 8:1-2

I ask you this morning to examine yourselves; each and everyone of you (myself included).  Are you alive unto your sin nature? Is there something in your life that needs to be given to the Lord and buried with Christ Jesus?  Every born again Believer should be consecrated to the Word of God.  Do not mistake ambition for consecration.  Many a preacher called by their Mama’s or man but not God have ambitiously pursued ministry under the banner of “consecration”. Not so.  The excuse given by the laity that they are not called to preach so they do not have to be consecrated to God’s Word is ignorance.  The truth is they do not WANT to be consecrated to God’s Word because they would have to turn away from the sin which they love.

^“23 For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: ²⁴ For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was.” James 1:23-24

Those who have ears to hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the churches; they hear Jesus knocking on the door and are led by the Holy Spirit unto Righteousness and Holiness are coming back to their First Love – Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done.  They are being set free from the bondage of sin.  Because they have heard the Truth through the preaching of the Gospel and Jesus Christ has been lifted up among them as the answer to the sin which has so easily beset them, they are doers of the Word and not hearers only.  They are doers not because of what they do but because of what He (Jesus) has done.

“But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

Hear and you will do.  One cannot do without first hearing.

-Donna Clark Warren