WHATWEMUSTKNOW&ACTUPON...

SIN'SPOWERHASBEENBROKEN GOD'SPOWERHASBEENPROVIDED Kenneth Wuest commenting on Romans 6 helps us associate the truths in that great chapter with Paul's command to walk bytheSpiritin Galatians5:16. Wuest writes that the believer (note that Scriptures and comments in parentheses are added for amplification)... is to take these facts intohis reckoning(Ed:Referenceis toRo 6:11notewhichis a present imperative or a commandtocontinuallyconsiderorrecalltomindthetruththat as believers we are now dead to the power of Sin as a ruling forcein our lives and aliveto God. Paul's command forcontinualreckoningcountersourhumantendencyto continuallyforget thegreatthingsGodhasaccomplishedforusthroughChrist'sdeath onthe Cross!)as hedealswithtemptationsthatconfronthim(cpHeb2:18notewhere "aretempted" ispresentpassive=wearecontinuallybeingtempted.CompareJesus' present tense commandcalling forcontinualwatchingandprayerinfaceoftemptation Mt 26:41note) orevilimpulsesthatcomefromwithin(James1:13note).Hisattitude should be that, inviewofthe factthatthepower of the evilnature(flesh) isbroken, he is under no obligation to obey its behests (Ro 8:12note). He has been emancipated (freed)fromsin (thepower ofSin),and theproperprocedureis toread God's emancipation proclamation to the insistent demands of the Adamic nature (flesh).The believer must alsorealizethat whereasbefore salvation,hecouldnothelp it when he sinned, yet since God saved him, should he sin, it is because ofhis free choice (Ed: The believer now commits sins because he wants to not becausehe is forced to!), since Sin's power has been broken. He is responsible for the sins he commits. This should make him thinktwicebeforehecontemplatesanactofsinatthe demand of the evil nature (flesh). (Ed: The evil nature canstill"bark" demands but it can't "bite", unless wechoose tolet him off his chainsoto speak. Assomeoneonce quipped "Before salvation I chased after sin. Now that I am saved, sin chases after me!" But nowI haveachoice to say "Yes" totheSpirit ofChrist,whichenablesmeto say"No"toSin.) Then, he must alsocountupon thefact ofhis possession ofthe divinenature (cp Col 1:27bnote Christ isnowinusintheformoftheSpiritofChristforthatNameseeRo 8:9note). Thiswill keephim from depending uponhimself and hisownstrengthinhis effort tolivealife pleasingto the Lord Jesus,andwillcausehimtothrowhimselfupon the resources ofGod.He will be trusting theLordJesustofill himwith the Holy Spirit (John 7:37, 38), with the result that the Holy Spirit will do two things for him. He will suppress the activities of the evil nature (Gal. 5:16note) and He will produce in the

believer a Christlike life (Gal 5:22note, Gal5:23note). Paul says in Galatians 5:16, 17, "This Isay then, Walk by theSpirit, and youshallnotfulfillthecravingsofthe flesh, for the flesh has a strong desire to suppress the Spirit, and the Spirit has a strong desire to suppress the flesh, and these are entrenched in a permanent attitude of opposition to one another,sothatyoushouldnotdothe thingsthatyouwoulddesireto be doing" and inGalatians 5:22, 23, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,gentleness,goodness,faithfulness,meekness,selfcontrol." Contrast this adjustment of the intelligent Spirittaught saint, with that of the believer who isnotawareofthefactthatGodhas brokenthepowerof sin in his life, with the result that heismore or less underits compelling power,tryashemaytolivefreefromsin. Since he is ignorant of the fact that God has placed within him His own nature, he depends upon himselfand hisown strength in an effortto defeat sininhislifeandlive alifepleasingtoGod.Thisbelieverislivingadefeatedlifebecauseheisnotinproper adjustment to the new mechanical setup of his spiritualbeing...Thetranslation ofRo 6:11follows Thusalso, as for you, constantly be takinginto accountthefactthatyouarethose who are dead with respect to sin, and indeed those who are living ones with referencetoGodinChristJesus. Aparaphrasemaymakethingscleareryet. Thusalso, as for you, constantly be takinginto accountthefactthatyouarethose who have hadthepowerof Sin broken inyour livesandthosewho havehad thedivinenatureimplanted. The words in Ro 6:12, "let not sin reign," are in a construction inthe Greek(present imperative + negative) which forbids the continuation of an action already going on. Theword "reign"is intheGreek"reignasking."Thepresenttensespeaksofhabitual action. "Thatyoushouldobey" isliterally, "with a viewtohabituallyobeying."Theword "lusts" (epithumia) isliterally"cravings." "Therefore" (term ofconclusion)doesnotgo backto "sin"butto"body."..."Luststherefore"referstothe cravingsofthehumanbody, whichcravingscomefromthesinfulnature.Thetranslationreads, Therefore,stop allowingsin toreign habituallyasking inyourmortal bodies,with aviewtoyourhabituallyobeyingthecravingsofthatbody. God is never unreasonable in His demands upon His own. What He asks of us is alwayswithinourabilitytofulfillasweappropriatethedivineresourcesofgrace.Since the powerto sinis broken andthe divinenature isimplanted (The HolySpiritiswithin us), we are well able to keep sin from reigning in our bodies (Treasures from the GreekNewTestament,pp.9698).