Wednesday, November 21, 2018

As Believers... SHOULD WE CONTINUE IN SIN?

Romans chapter6, Verse1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Verse2. God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Verse3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Verse4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death : that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Haven said that, Paul explained in chapter5 about grace been the supremacy in all that saves man and makes man right with God. In chapter 6... Then he ask a question generally and logically about the fact that since he had embraced grace over all things, does that means he is liberating believers to continue to live in sin and a lawlessness life? Reading from Romans 3,4,5... He had preached grace as only means to be right with God and be at peace with God to make heaven! In continuation in chapter6 starting from verse 1... *"He said shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?"* The word continue there in Original Greek translation means *epimeno*... Epimeno means, to tarry, to be dwelling in sin, to stand still in sin, to be swimming or engrossed in sinful ways or lifestyle... That is to journey in sinful lifestyle... to remain in a position of sinning. So Paul then asked, should we then be engrossed in sin? He said,God forbid! such knowledge denied, that is to be living and engrossed in sin is wrong! Then he explained further that don't they know that, since the time they came to Christ, don't they know their old life had been put to death, the old life he was referring to was life that was inherited from Adam in which was contaminated with sinful nature. He said don't they know that life that inspires sin within us had died, that now we have received the new life through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit through our identification with him through faith by raising us with him from the dead to have new life,
that has freed us from the power of hell, or darkness at work in the heart of men(the unsaved) through faith in him, he said we should likewise should *walk in the newness of our life*...
To walk in the original Greek translation means *peripato*, peripato means, to conduct oneself in way he ought to be, that is to regulate oneself in a way it ought to be, and he make a prepositional statement (in) ... That's to show relationship between to objects in a sentence, he said, "we should conduct or regulate ourselves (in) the newness of life. The newness of life we are to conduct oneselves in his the state of being the Holy Spirit had made us. The word newness in the original Greek word is *kainotes* in which means the new state in which the Holy Spirit has made us. Life there means *Zoe* in the original Greek word, which means the operating life of God in a believer, this life vitalize our spirit man through the Holy Spirit and makes us alive! This life is a Life of God.. Which comprises all things about God nature that implies the fruits of godliness. As peter would say, he had given us all things that pertains to life and godliness.
So Paul taught believers how to start to walk in this newness of life!

Romans chapter12.
Verse2. And be not conformed to this world : but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good , and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Paul explains that believers should not be fashioned, that means should not be comfortable living like the unbelievers, and there conduct of living, but rather believers should be transformed - (transformed which comes from the original Greek word, *metamorphoō*, which means to change ones appearance of doing things from his previous ways of life of living which is not after the knowledge of God).. Then he explained how they can be transformed he used the preposition word - (by) the renewing of the mind. The original Greek word for renewing is, *anakainōsis*, it means the renovation of the state of the mind, intellectual to a new beautiful mind of intellectual reasoning... Or you can say,a process of complete changing of ones mindset from old bad life for the better mindset which should be after the newness of life!  The mind is the positional place of reasoning in which a man thinks to act, the mind is a state or position in which you imagine, you discern to make judgements, and also stores information... The mind actually has connection with the function of ones brain. To renovate the mind or perhaps we could say the renewing of the mind then we would mean to redesign the mind the way it ought to be. This goes in the process of educating the mind with a new information which is applicable to the newness of our nature in Christ. That is why Paul said,
Philippians chapter4
Verse8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Verse9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
That is why peter spoke that believers should add up virtues upon virtues to themselves. They should continually add up virtues... to be improved in their dealings in life!
2Peter 1:3-7.
Verse3. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Verse4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust .
Verse5. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
Verse6. And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
Verse7. And to godliness brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly kindness charity (love).
Verse8. For if these things be in you, and abound , they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That means as believers we are meant to keeping adding good virtues to ourselves by this we are renovating our minds in the best way it should function from without...
Note at the point of reprogramming your mind in the new state it should which is after the knowledge of the meekness of the new life.., old information will want to get in as you walk in their direction, that is why the journey of a believer is the journey of discipline, to be rigid with intent to adopt right information, to live with and turn down wrong information which could come up or develop wrong desires or emotion or altitude towards doing things! Our mind already have been illuminated by the Holy Spirit through our inner man and it is at this condition we receive the truth. You bear witness while you are about to walk in an unjust way... So we need to grow our minds to renovates it with right information to make it an healthy one through which we can make good discernments and make good judgements in the journey of life.
So the question is should we continue to conduct our mind to live in sin, or assimilate the wrong knowledge that is not of God... Then we should say God forbid! We are to see ourselves grow and improve in the knowledge or state of the newness of our nature.
This can be achieved when we study Christ and imitates him in the knowledge in which the apostles had made available to us.
Ephesians 5:7-11.
Verse7. Be ye not therefore partakers with them.
Verse8. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord : walk as children of light:
Verse9. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth
Verse10. Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Verse11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove.
Christ is Lord.. Jesus is our Saviour!
I hope I made myself clear enough. Any observation will be welcomed.

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