(Romans 6:12-14) "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness."

Introduction

We live in a time accustomed to blurred gray fog that passes for doctrine. The pulpit used to be filled with unimpeachable truth. Now we have vague blurs of gray cloud from a mixture of science, psychology, human sentiment and current trends. But each ingredient cancels the other out. By definition doctrine is a beacon of light in this grayness. But it goes further than that. Doctrine has to be applied because it is not an end in itself. (John 13:17) "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." There is danger in a detached, intellectual, academic and theological interest in doctrine with no application. Paul makes reference to this to the church in Corinth saying, 'understanding all mysteries' is nothing on its own. Too many make intellectual hobbies out of God's Word. The evidence of this is a believer who studies the text 'you are not under law but under grace' and concludes that it does not matter how he lives anymore because he has been crucified with Christ, buried with him and raised with him. But when doctrine is applied it does matter how you live! Our text is a deliberate application of everything Paul has been saying about our born identity. It is the point of challenge where doctrine is applied.

You and your mortal body

Paul makes a clear distinction between who you are and your mortal body. "…do not let sin reign in your mortal body…" he does not say 'do not let sin reign in you.'

You

You were made in the image and likeness of God in fellowship with God. Because Adam sinned all have sinned because the nature of man was changed by sin to be a sinful nature. Scripture gives us this result. (Ephesians 2:1) "…you were dead in your transgressions and sins…" You were a sinner because of the sin of Adam that we call original sin. Scripture supports this. (1 Corinthians 15:22) "For as in Adam all die…" The hope of the gospel is that God has done something about it. (Romans 5:8) "While we were still sinners Christ died for us." You were a sinner but now you are made new. How are you made new? Your sinful nature was crucified with Christ and buried with him but because of his resurrection you have been given a new nature? What nature is it? It is the nature of Christ. A believer must never refer to themselves as a sinner anymore. Scripture supports this. (1 Corinthians 15:22) "…so in Christ all will be made alive." The first Adam made you dead but the second Adam, who is Christ, made you alive. This is who you are as a believer. (Galatians 2:20) "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God…" Paul made a clear distinction again between you and your body.

Your body

What does Paul mean by "Do not offer the parts of your body to sin…" The Greek language speaks of your body as a whole made up of many parts. Scripture supports this because the same is said for the body of Christ being made up of many parts. (1 Corinthians 12:12) "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body." It includes your flesh and blood but also your mental ability, your faculties and the propensities of the natural man. How you think, process information, where you go and how you spend time. It includes your imagination and creative ability with your emotions. This is what is meant by 'how we do life and meet with life.' The adjective 'mortal' means it is destined to die distinguished from the immortal and incorruptible that has been made alive in Christ. This is why you have eternal life now that Paul distinguishes "The life I live in the body…" The two are mentioned synonymously but they are separate.

Future body

There is another contrast that must not be left out. (Philippians 3:20-21) "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." The application of doctrine is not let sin reign in this present body. But it will not always be like that. This body will be changed to be like his glorious body. (1 Corinthians 15:42-43) "The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."

Conclusion

'You' have already been delivered from the realm of sin but your 'body' has not. Therefore you must not let sin reign in this mortal body or offer any part of it to sin. Paul is not saying that you must not let sin reign in 'you' but in your body that is mortal, corruptible, perishable and weak. Sin still remains in your 'body' but not in 'you.' Paul never said that sin was dead but that you are dead to sin. (Romans 7:17) "…it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me."

How sin works in the believer's body

Sin remains in the body and if it is unchecked it will reign in your body and dominate your body. While we wait for our bodies to be changed from mortal, corruptible, perishable and weak to immortal, incorruptible, imperishable and power sin will always seek to dominate through the body. It takes the natural desires of the body and turns them into lusts. There is nothing sinful about the desires of the body. The believer has to fight against sin and resist sin. As long as you live in this mortal body sin will be present. When a believer allows sin to reign in them we call this backsliding. (Romans 7:18) "For I know that in me (that is, in my body) nothing good dwells…" (Romans 7:23) "…but I see another law at work in the members of my body…" (Romans 7:24) "Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Romans 8:23) "…groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for the adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." (Romans 12:1) "…offer your bodies as living sacrifices…" (1 Corinthians 6:13) "The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." (1 Corinthians 9:27) "...but I discipline my body and bring it into subjection…" Paul realizes that sin is still in his body but will not let it master him. He implores believers to never offer this body to anything that will cause sin to dominate and reign.

Bad practice

Mortifying the body became a common practice in the Middle Ages that included whipping your own back, attached a spiked bracelet to your thigh, cutting or piercing the skin two hours a day, taking a cold shower, sleeping on boards on top of the mattress, sleeping with no pillow once a week, silence from evening dinner through breakfast or living a life of poverty by choice. The two main forms of mortifying the body in scripture are fasting from food and from marital sex. (1 Corinthians 7:5) "Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." The purpose for abstaining in both areas is for prayer and only for a period of time.

Sanctification

The whole process of not allowing sin to reign in your mortal body is the process of sanctification. I have died to sin therefore I have finished with it in myself. It cannot affect my eternity with Christ because I am dead to it. But it still lives in my body until Christ shall return and this concerns me because I have to deal with it. Sanctification is not a gift like salvation. It is not a 'once and for all' like salvation. As long as I have a mortal body sin will be present in it. Believers get themselves into a mess looking for a 'one time only deal' to be delivered from sin in their body. But this will only happen when we are changed in our bodies. They look for this deliverance, long for it, strive for it, believe for it but never get it leaving them dissapointed and the most miserable of people - and sometimes weird. Sanctification is not an issue of surrender, or being willing to be made willing, or to let go and let God, or just let the life of God be lived through you, or just look to the Lord. All this is an escape from the command "…do not let sin reign in your mortal body…" If we are told to do something about it then we can do something about it. (Philippians 2:12-13) "…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." It is all God's work but he works it out through you. God does not accomplish his purpose by telling us to do something and at the same time 'look to the Lord' or 'let go and let God.' Once you understand what the Word of God is saying there is something for you to do. This is the application of doctrine. The motivation to not let sin reign in you is not because you want to be good, or that you are afraid of hell but because you understand the very honor of God is at stake when you claim to be one thing but live like something else. The truth will set you free! But it is not the knowing of that truth alone but doing what you now know to be true. There is nothing more dangerous in the believer than allowing sin to reign in your mortal body because it sets you against the will of God to act according to his purpose. When you allow sin to reign in your body you invite the discipline of the Lord. (Hebrews 12:6) "…the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

Stop it!

God has given you a place in Christ with the ability to stop sin reigning in you. (James 4:7) "Resist the devil and he will flee from you…" (1 Peter 5:9) "Resist him, and stand firm in the faith…" This is not a passive action but something you can do because God invites you to. We are told to do it because we can do it. People say, 'give up the struggle and stop fighting because this is the Lord's work because he will do it for you and in you.' They are very wrong.

What do the scriptures tell us?

(Romans 6:13) "Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness…" He personifies sin as an evil enemy. In the same way Genesis personifies sin. (Genesis 4:7) "…sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Sin is the enemy that looks for the opportunity. Scripture tells us not to offer him anything. The word 'instrument' is translated 'weapon.' Imagine the believer offering sin a weapon to fight against the will of God in you. This is why the members of your body are against you. You have offered them to sin to work against you. The New Testament is full of expressions like 'be on your guard' or 'be watchful.' (Ephesians 6:11) "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." If sin cannot entice your body physically, it will try emotionally, or in your mental capacity and imagination. It is always looking for an opportunity. There are things you would never do in your physical body but you will imagine it in your mind. Your body can be used for good or bad and it's all your choice. It's like bidding on eBay where you will sell out to the highest bidder. Whoever will meet the subjective feelings wins. The Holy Spirit wants your talent, ability, giftedness, time, energy, money and efforts and so does sin. (Romans 6:19) "Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness…"

What do the scriptures not tell us?

(v13) "…offer yourselves to God…" The word 'yourself' is vital. Paul is not telling us 'do not offer yourself to sin.' You cannot do it if you wanted to because you have died to sin. (Romans 6:10) "…died to sin once for all…" Death cannot be repeated. Be careful to see what the Bible tells you and what it does not tell you. If we stopped at this point the gospel would be a moral message of 'behave well.' But it is spiritual. (v13) "…offer yourselves to God…" If God is asking you to do this then you can do this. You cannot offer yourself to sin but you can to God. You can put yourself at God's disposal and only the believer can do this. What a privilege to offer ourselves to God! The unbeliever is dead in his trespass and sin but you are not. (2 Corinthians 5:15) "…those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." You are presenting all yourself, abilities, talent, giftedness, money, mental capacity, creativity and imagination to God to be at his beckon call and disposal. All the propensities of the natural man should be offered.

Fight!

You are in a fight with sin. You struggle sometimes and sometimes are defeated and unhappy about that. But the church is not a clinic or hospital for all your struggles to be dealt with. I do not see a clinic in the Bible but a battlefield and a military center of operations. I do not hear the voice of a doctor with excellent bedside manners but the voice of the Captain of the hosts commanding. You may want a doctor feeling for your pulse feeling a little pale and weak but the commanding voice comes "…do not let sin reign….do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness…offer yourselves to God!" Like a sergeant major he tells you that you have no business acting like a wimp but to stand up straight and 'present yourself.' You can do this because God invites us to do it.

If you would like to see previous transcripts you can find them here: Teaching Series