Romans 6:12-14
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Welcome back to Delving into the Scriptures! Today we will continue our study in Romans 6 with verses 12-14.
Firstly, what does it mean to ‘reign’? We are told not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies, so how do we interpret this? To reign is to have authority, or control – and to exercise that authority. So quite simply we are not to let sin run our lives! It no longer has any authority over us – the temptations of sin will remain with us while we are here in this life, but it no longer owns us, it no longer has the authority to take us over.
And only we can allow it to retake that authority – so don’t let it!
Secondly, we are told not present our ‘members’, that is, parts of our body, be it hands, eyes, mouth or tongue, as instruments of unrighteousness. Another translation of the original language here is ‘weapons’ or ‘tools’ of unrighteousness, and certainly helps give us the picture of what is happening here. Do you want to allow yourself to sin, and be a weapon of unrighteousness, or do you want to commit your whole self to God, and therefore be a weapon (or instrument, tool) for Him?
A hammer is just that – a hammer. It can be a weapon, it can be a tool. It can be used to build a house, and in the same day, tear that same house down. In the end it is just a tool in the hands of its master, to do what he or she wills.
The choice is clear. We can be weapons, instruments or tools for one of two things – God, or sin. God can use us – and use every part of us to His glory and for His purpose, to bring about His will in this world. Or, we can choose to allow parts of us to be used as weapons against God, for that in the end is what they are being used for.
A great example here is our tongue – or even our fingers when working online in this modern world! We can choose to use them for instruments (weapons, tools) of unrighteousness, and pull down people, gossip, slander, spread hate, anger, and more. Or we can use these same things as instruments (weapons, tools) for God, and spread His word, His love and His work in this world through Jesus Christ!
So, don’t allow yourself, or any part of yourself to be a involved in sin, but use these things which God has given you as instruments of righteousness to God. Let Him use them to further His glory, rather than using them to sin!
And lastly, it is a reminder, for sin has NO dominion over us – sin has NO place to reign in our lives, unless we let it. Our bodies, our lives, our gifts and our abilities are all tools that can be used for one of two things – to build God’s kingdom or break it down. To be in God’s toolbox or Satan’s.
Which toolbox are you in?
Lord God, give us an understanding of Your grace. Teach us to know that sin has no dominion, only temptation. Teach us it has no place in our lives anymore and we can choose to use ourselves, our parts, our gifts, and the things you have given us for your glory, rather than against you. Help us to always find the way out of sins temptation and into your grace. In Jesus Name. Amen.
God’s Toolbox – Romans 6:12-14