Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Romans 6:15-23
Set – 1 Kings 10; Romans 6
Go! – 1 Kings 10-11; 2 Chronicles 9; Romans 6
Romans 6:15-23
15 So what do we do now? Throw ourselves into lives of sin because we are cloaked in grace and don’t have to answer to the law? Absolutely not! 16 Doesn’t it make sense that if you sign yourself over as a slave, you will have to obey your master? The question before you is, What will be your master? Will it be sin—which will lead to certain death—or obedience—which will lead to a right and reconciled life? 17 Thank God that your slavery to sin has ended and that in your new freedom you pledged your heartfelt obedience to that teaching which was passed on to you. 18 The beauty of your new situation is this: now that you are free from sin, you are free to serve a different master, God’s redeeming justice.19 Forgive me for using casual language to compensate for your natural weakness of human understanding. I want to be perfectly clear. In the same way you gave your bodily members away as slaves to corrupt and lawless living and found yourselves deeper in your unruly lives, now devote your members as slaves to right and reconciled lives so you will find yourselves deeper in holy living. 20 In the days when you lived as slaves to sin, you had no obligation to do the right thing. In that regard, you were free. 21 But what do you have to show from your former lives besides shame? The outcome of that life is death, guaranteed. 22 But now that you have been emancipated from the death grip of sin and are God’s slave, you have a different sort of life, a growing holiness. The outcome of that life is eternal life. 23 The payoff for a life of sin is death, but God is offering us a free gift—eternal life through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
To Me the choice I give you is simple, eternal life or death. Become a slave to sin or live obediently to Me. Live a life of shame or a life filled with hope and joy. The choice seems so simple. Why would anyone choose death over life, sin over obedience, shame over joy? I don’t understand. Everyone since Adam wanted complete control over life. The only problem is that it can’t happen. You’re not God. The only thing you can control is yourself and you can’t do that very well.
You think you were free to do whatever you wanted, but you were a slave to sin and disobedience, that selfishness that drove you every moment. But when you come to Me, I free you from that path. I give you the hope and joy I intended for you when I created you.
Paul got it right when he said you will serve as a slave to either sin or Me. Which do you choose? Slavery to sin leads to guilt, pain, suffering, and death. I won’t tell you that you won’t suffer in this world if you follow Me. You will, just as I suffered. But the suffering is only for a moment of time compared to eternity. Just a flash, and I’ll be with you to help you through it. I won’t let you go through it alone.
Still having trouble with your choice? I dare you to make a list of the pros and cons of each choice, following Me or being in control of yourself. See how your assets and liabilities fall out. See what benefits you gain from Me or from your selfish path. Discover what you can do on your own or what you can do by following My advice. Be honest in your appraisal, though. Remember to take into account what you can really control versus what I control as you make your assessments.
For instance, you have little or no control over your health. You can’t control accidents that might injure you or cause irreparable damage to you. You cannot control the economy and so your ability to gain or sustain wealth or material goods. You have no control over your friends and relatives other than what little they might allow you to have. You can’t control politics or society and how it affects your life. When you really think about it, you have relatively little control over life.
You can, however, choose whether you will follow Me or your own selfish whims. So which will it be? You know the best choice. Will you be wise enough to make it?
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.