Skip to main content

Romans 6:14: For Sin Will Have No Dominion Over You, Since You Are Not Under Law But Under Grace


Romans 6:14
[14] For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (ESV)

As you read this verse it is easy to find encouragement in the idea of sin not being allowed to have dominion over us. The initial recipients of this letter were still having a struggle with the rest of the verse. Paul says that because we are under grace sin has no dominion. For some of his readers they would have argued that we are under law and that is why sin will have no dominion.

Let's consider for a moment what Paul is saying here. First of all, we need to talk about this idea of sin not having dominion. Does this mean that true believers will never sin again? We would have a hard time reconciling that with the rest of Scripture. In fact, Romans 7 would dispute that claim. Sin will still be a struggle for us, but Paul is saying that sin will not overcome us and rule us.

For those who believed that it was the law that enabled a person to not be overcome by sin one needs to only look at the fact of Jesus coming to Earth. If the Law was able to give one victory over sin than there was no reason for Jesus to come. The only thing the Law did was to point out just how sinful we were. The Law shined a spotlight on people who were in the dominion of sin.

Thank God for his grace. Because of the grace of God I know that I have right standing with God. It is given to me, not earned. This gives me confidence in the battle with sin. The Law brings a curse for all those who disobey it. The grace of God covers my sin and gives me hope in Jesus Christ. Sin is a struggle, but it has already been defeated at the cross. It need not defeat me.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by sin? Do you feel like it has dominion over you? Reach out to Jesus. Ask him to forgive you. Place your faith in the work he accomplished for you at the cross. Thank him for his grace that covers your sin.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co

James 2:18: I Will Show You My Faith By My Works

James 2:18 [18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (ESV) There are certain things in life that go together. Peanut butter and jelly. Double stuff Oreo cookies and milk. Faith and works. James raises the point that someone might argue that faith and works can be separated. "One will say, "You have faith and I have works." Is it ok for works to be separated from faith? James is making the argument that faith and works are not to be separated. James is saying to the one who has faith only, with no works, that he wants them to see his faith by his works. In other words, if you are going to claim to have faith, but have no works, you have no evidence of faith. If I am to believe that a person has genuine faith I can only see that by their works. Faith brings action. There are so many people to claim to have some kind of faith, yet when it comes down to it, their