In the fourth chapter of Genesis we read about the first murder. And even though Cain’s works were evil (1 John 3:12), even before he killed his brother Abel God warned Cain about sin. The Lord made clear His intention that man should not be ruled by sin; but that man should rule over it.
- Genesis 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Since God intends for us to rule over sin, He made a way for us to do just that. But when (if) you honestly evaluate your own life according to what the Bible has to say about sin, you will find that you fall short of sinless perfection in your daily living because everybody sins.
- Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
- 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- see also 2 Chronicles 6:36 and Psalm 14:1-3
The way He made for us to rule over sin
is for us to accept His rule over us!
We do that by:
Relying on His Restraint
- Psalm 19:13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
- Pray that God keeps you from arrogantly sinning against Him; exalting yourself before God will have serious consequences (Numbers 15:30).
Trusting in His Truth
- Psalm 119:133 Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
- Allow the eternal truth of God’s Word to guide your life; this is a strong defense against a sinful lifestyle (Psalm 119:11).
Dying with His Death
- Romans 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
- ‘Therefore’ tells us to look back at what was just said. In Romans 6:1-11, Paul makes clear that Christians have died to sin (Romans 6:7).
Gaining from His Gift
- Romans 6:13-14 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
- God made a way for us to overcome sin through Jesus Christ. We are saved from sin by God’s grace through faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Read the Romans 6:15-23 to see how Christians have gone from being slaves of sin to slaves of God!
There is a difference between sin controlling your life (Dominion) and sin contaminating your life (Dirtying).
- Dominion – Ongoing sin without reluctance, regret or remorse.
- You sin more and more as you continually reject the truth of God’s Word.
- Your sinful lifestyle defines who you are and what you do (Galatians 5:19-21).
- Dirtying – Occasional sin that offends the Holy Spirit of God that indwells you.
- You sin less and less as you draw closer and closer to God.
- God’s Spirit defines who you are and what you do (Galatians 5:22-24).
Those who do not know
Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord
are under the rule of sin.
And even though Christians still sin,
they are under the rule of God.
When you accept Christ as your Savior: the blood He spilled on the cross pays your sin debt to God; His resurrection makes your eternal life in Heaven possible; and the indwelling presence of His Spirit is your guarantee of the permanence of your salvation.
If you don’t know Christ as your Savior, pray that He will deliver you from the control of sin and permanently wash away its dominion over your life.
If you are already a Christian, thank Him for what He has done for you and continue to confess and repent of any sin in your life so you maintain a healthy relationship with your Savior.
Prayer
Precious loving Father, thank You for delivering me from the dominion of sin in my life. I pray dear Father that You will see the broken hearts and hear the desperate prayers of those who need forgiveness of their sins through salvation in Your Son Jesus Christ. I praise and trust You! I love and need You! You are my God and my King. I pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
