“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).
Someone rightly said it’s better to light a candle than to curse darkness, how true. It’s no use talking or complaining about darkness when you can simply turn on the light. This is the reason it’s no use preaching and talking to God’s people about sin all the time. What God sent us to preach is the gospel, not sin, and gospel is good news. Thus, the gospel to the sinner is that by virtue of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he’s been made righteous.
Righteousness is the cure for sin. Your life can’t get any better than what you talk about. Sin-conscious people spend their time talking about sin, so both the speaker and the hearer remain in the same boat. The Bible says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). In other words, sin is no longer a factor. The sin problem has been eradicated; that was why Jesus came—He was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
So, rather than preach sin, preach its cure—righteousness. Jesus Christ has made us free from sin and sin consciousness. Christians who still have problems with sin and sin-consciousness are those who are dominated by their senses. So they think God always talks about sin. They think that’s all God’s Word is about. But God isn’t that concerned about sin, for sin has been dealt with: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6).
For the new creation, sin is not a problem anymore and should no longer be the focus. You can live as righteously as you decide to, it begins with being conscious that you’re the righteous and not a sinner, and then talking and living that way.
Confession
I’m the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, my old nature was crucified with Christ, thus I’m dead to sin, but alive unto God, having put on the new man, which is created in righteousness and true holiness.
For Further Study
Romans 10:6 “But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)”
(Taken by permission from Christ Embassy Church , aka Believer’s LoveWorld Ministries , Lagos, Nigeria. www.ChristEmbassy.org )
