The Blood and the Power of Sin
Scripture Reading: Romans 6
“… knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Romans 6:6
“… To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” Revelation 1:5
In Romans 6 the Apostle Paul is driving home a truth: As believers in Jesus Christ, as those who have been justified through faith, we no longer have the same relationship to sin we once had. In other words, when a person comes to Christ, not only are we acquitted of our guilt of sin, but we are transformed into a new person who does not continue to live in sin.
Salvation is not just being released from the penalty of sin; but also from the power of sin. Before we came to Christ we were slaves to sin, it ruled over us. In John 8:34, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”
In Bible times, the way out of slavery was either redemption or death. As believers in Christ, we have both. Romans 6:6 again says, “… knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” When we were saved what we used to be died with Christ. Our old life of slavery to sin ended so that we died to sin. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17).
Furthermore, not only are we now a new person, but we also belong to a new Master. Peter writes, “… knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19). The word “redeemed” relates to slavery. It means that someone paid the price to buy a slave out of bondage and set them free. Peter says two things about our redemption: first, the blood of Jesus was the purchase price of our freedom, and second, we were redeemed, not just from hell, but from our aimless conduct, our empty way of life!
So Paul writes in Romans 6:22, “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” Redeemed people don’t think, “It’s my life” or “I can do what I want” or “It’s my own body” or “It’s my choice” … because they know it isn’t. In Heaven, the redeemed saints sing this to Jesus, “You are worthy … For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood …” (Rev. 5:9). The ownership issue is settled. We have been bought with a price and freed from sin!
One verse of Charles Wesley’s great hymn, O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing, praises Jesus our great redeemer with these words,
He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.
Read through Romans 6 today and see how Christ has freed you from the power of sin by His blood.
