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“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
Did you ever try to hold water in your hands? It is difficult! The water will find a way to seep out between your fingers, and as soon as you close off one leak, you realize another one has developed. You might be able to squeeze your fingers together and hold it in for a moment or two, but then your fingers get tired and the water starts dripping again.
This is what it is like when people try to hold in the sinful nature which we are all born with. Despite their best efforts to be good and do what is right, the old sin nature always comes out and causes trouble. Some people might be able to hide it for a little while, and perhaps even convince others that it is under control, but the struggle to conceal that natural instinct is a never-ending battle. Somewhere in their lives, the sinful nature is bound to seep out and reveal itself again.
If we are saved, Jesus has forgiven the sins we have committed, and He gives us power to live every day without committing any more sins. However, there still remains in our hearts that inclination to sin—the nature that caused us to commit acts of sin in the first place. The good news is that Jesus has provided a solution to this problem. As indicated in our focus verse, God wants to destroy the sin nature, removing it from our hearts. This is called sanctification, when God takes out the sin nature entirely. If the water we were trying to hold in our hands was gone, there would be no more trouble with its leaking out! And if the sin nature is taken out, the devil cannot tempt us through uprisings within our hearts. From then on, any temptation that comes our way does not originate from a desire within because our hearts are pure, desiring God’s will above all else. The battle against a sinful nature can finally end when God changes our very nature!
When we have been sanctified by God’s divine power, our everyday actions prove it. Having pure motives and living a holy life daily is the evidence that we are sanctified. Has the sin nature been removed from your heart? It is a blessed way to live!
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