Sitting at the feet of Jesus: “Let me see thy face so sweet”.
”As I turn My face to you, it represents a manifold meaning and power. Hence the blessing in Numbers 6: “The Lord make His face shine on you”. Let Me set your mind at the rest, you don’t have to be someone special or do something remarkable for My face to shine on you in blessing. My face is always turned to you waiting for you to seek it and in that way to plumb the immeasurable blessings I hold for you. So many live far below the possibilities that are held in the blessing of a relationship with Me. So raise your expectations and receive every blessing that you need and far, far more. Let that spur you on to love Me more and explore My love more and more.
Please read Romans 6: 15 -23. There appears to be quite some repetition in this section, dealing with the same subject in the previous half of the chapter in different ways. Clearly this aspect of living the authentic Christian life is important to Paul and should be to us too.
Verse 15 echoes vs 1 and as Paul unpacks it again, his reply to his imaginary opponent reminds us of Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters……You cannot serve both God and Mammon.. Rom 6:15 Do you not know when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slavers to the one whom you obey. The point is clear. The option to offer is a choice. The difference between a Christian and someone who is unsaved is that the latter is enslaved and actually does not really have a choice, as hard as he may try, he is enslaved. On the other hand the Christian has been set free from slavery. However the lure remains, yet he is free to choose. Paul wants every person to be aware of this unfettered choice we have and not let ourselves slide back into slavery. The argument, at this stage does not include the work of the Spirit in this regard.
The concept of “freedom from slavery to sin” may not always be so obvious to us in our Christian life experience. Yet it is there. Sometimes we may need to ask God to help us as we are faced with a fierce temptation. A friend of mine was deeply addicted to alcohol, drinking as much as a bottle of brandy every evening (at the age of about 21). Even though he thought he was a Christian, he continued to drink. One night he almost caused a fatal motorcycle accident. When he got home the reality hit him and he went on his knees and confessed his absolute need for release from this slavery. From that moment God took all the desire for alcohol away from him.
But slavery to sin is not always that obvious and that is why Paul keeps harping on the subject. We need not only to be aware of our initial slavery and subsequent release, but to act on it. We are all faced continuously by choices and we need to be aware of them and be careful to make the right ones in the light of the gospel.
The final vs 6:23 of this chapter summarises this argument succinctly and is also my favourite verse to share in any testimony I make. It involves all the key elements: The effect of sin being universal and fatal, the remedy is via a free gift, no amount of action is required and the result is completed through Christ Jesus our Lord who is the heart of the gospel.
Bless you all.