From the picture above we can see that the plant is tilting towards the direction the wind is blowing it to.
Stop and ask yourself, what is driving me?
What is pushing me into that business?
What is making me sing in the choir, is it pride or to serve God?
What is controlling my life?
What am I yielding myself to?
If you can answer this questions then we are Good to go.
Reading passage:- Romans 6:12-23.
12.Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.
13.Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.
14.Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15.And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16.And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17.Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18.And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty
From the passage above we can see how the words "yield" (KJV) and "offer" (NIV) occurs frequently (vs 13,16,19).
Now let's take a good look at what yield means and what offer means too.
Yield :-To pay,give in payment,repay,recompense and reward.
Offer :-To present or place something.
Trying to blend how the words are use in the passage with their meaning we can see that what ever we succumb to,what ever we allow to over shadow or overpower us,what ever we surrender to, submit to,give way or give in to, present our bodies to or place our lifes for, is what will definitely control us.
The body is not sinful;the body is neutral. It can be controlled either by sin or by God. But the responsibility to decide who will have the control lies with each one of us.
Note the specific instructions in vs 12 and 13,which says we should not dare try to give in,give a vote or throw ourselves wholeheartedly and fulltime to sin, that if we do so we are obeying and fulfilling the lust of the flesh, but rather we should bear in mind that we have been raised from the dead into God's way of doing things.
It Also shows that apart from knowing what God has done(vs3) and believing that it is true in our lives(vs11), victory over sin also requires that we deliberately refuse to obey the suggestions given to us by the flesh, or sinful nature while we yield ourselves to God.
In verses 16-23 Bro Paul uses the illustration of master and servant to explain that we cannot serve God and sin,we can also see it in (Matthew 6:24) which quotes thus:-
KJV:No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
It is very important to bear in mind that our actions are not neutral. The things we do daily are actually pointers to who our Master is. Notice the benefits or rewards of serving sin(vs21 and 23) and serving God (vs 22 and 23)?
It is pertinent to know that it is better to serve God than Sin.
If you continue serving Sin you will end up in death just as verse 23a quotes:-
For the wages of sin is death
But if you give your all to God this is the reward:-
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What encouragement do you have in verse 14.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Sin can never control us again or exert dominion on us any longer,we are no more living under the old tyranny any longer,we are free indeed,we are living in the freedom of God.
I pray God gives us the grace to say no to the power exerted on us by the old man(sin),but rather we should live Up to God's own standard of living in all facets of our lifes. Amen.
I am *****@prettyglo****