NO COMPULSION TO SIN

 

NO COMPULSION TO SIN

Rom. 8:12-14 So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. NLT

As a child of God, you do not have to sin. No one is making you sin. No matter how compelling the urge may be to sin, you do not have to do it. When the Lord takes up residence in your heart, He overpowers your sinful nature and takes control over it. Therefore, if we sin it is because of choice not compulsion. We are no longer driven by our sinful nature, and we can't make the claim any longer that "the devil made me do it."

Sinful choices lead to spiritual death. If we insist on living in sin, we will be held accountable for it. If however, we choose to let the Holy Spirit control us and lead us away from the urges of our sinful desires, we will live. We will not be perfectly pure, but we will win far more battles with sin than we will lose. The more we immerse ourselves in the life of the Spirit, the more we will live in victory. The Spirit has all the power we need to be overcomers. He guides us into all truth and teaches us the ways of God.

If you are a child of God, you have the Spirit of God within you, and you will be influenced by His presence. You will noticeably change from being a slave to sin to being a slave to righteousness. You will notice a change in your desires. You will notice a change in how you react when you do sin. The Spirit will not let you get away with it. There will be guilt and shame that will lead you to repentance. You will be moving closer to God instead of away from Him.