Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Silly, isn’t it? We get one inch of liberty and we want to go crawling back from life into death, to take grace for granted and sin to our heart’s content. Even after a taste of sweet fellowship with Christ, we still long after fellowship with the world at times. Even after experiencing His mercy, we look back over our shoulder to see what we’re missing in the world we should have left behind. Are we really so foolish to continue on in sin just because we’ve been forgiven?

When a person dies, their body is left behind, an empty shell that once held a vibrant life. While their soul enters eternity, their body decays in the earth. And when we trust Jesus as our Savior, the living part of us is to leave the body of sin behind and dwell in Christ instead. We are to leave that former body decaying in the ground while our heart, soul, and spirit enter a new life. Obviously one day we really will leave these fleshly bodies behind, but while we still dwell on the Earth, we are to live as if that body is dead.

The sin in us should no longer be in control. The sin in us should no longer be dictating our choices or guiding our motives and actions. That nature has been replaced with the very Spirit of God, and it is He who should now be in control, guiding us in the ways of righteousness, instructing us in His truth, enabling us to overcome those old desires that used to ensnare us so strongly.

Yes, God is full of grace. He abounds in grace, and nothing is beyond it. But that does not mean we take advantage of it. It is there whenever we need it, and we have that hope. His forgiveness knows no bounds. But sin’s grip on us should lessen each day as we walk with the Lord. Those old things that used to entice us should lose their luster as we gaze upon our Savior. The ways of the world should increasingly look foolish and be out of place in our lives as we surrender to His leading and pursue His path for us. Let’s leave that body of sin buried in our past and rise up into new life in Christ.