Topic: GRACE ELIMINATES SIN – Bishop Mike Okonkwo Devotional 26 June 2021 [The Redeemed Evangelical Mission]
Click HERE for Previous Devotional
GRACE ELIMINATES SIN
“And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”
1 John 3:5 KJV
When Apostle Paul was teaching on grace, they asked him: “Are you saying it is good to sin so that grace will work for us? Paul answered: “God forbid!” How can grace that helps to remove sin be the same thing that will cause you to keep sinning? It doesn’t work that way.
According to Romans 6:10-11: “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (KJV). What that means is that Jesus died unto sin once and for all; it was final and never to be repeated. Thus the Bible says that in the same manner, we should put it into our account that we are also dead to sin. But then, you can’t put it into your account if you don’t know what He died for and how He died to sin. So, the question is: how did Jesus die to sin?
Did Jesus die from the power and influence of sin? No, because He was never under the influence of sin. Sin had no dominion over Him. He was perfect. Jesus said, “the prince of this world cometh and has nothing in me.” However, man was under the power and influence of sin. That is why you see yourself gravitating towards sin. That is why you want to do what is right and you see yourself doing wrong, even though you know the right thing to do. Yet, the Bible said Jesus died to sin. Since He didn’t die under the influence of sin; what did he die to? He died to ensure we are free from the imputation of sin. He died to remove from us the penalty and punishment for sin and also to remove from us the guilt and condemnation of sin.
Right believing is what causes right doing. You can’t do right when you believe wrongly.
Further Reading: Romans 6:1-16
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Job 5-7; Evening- Acts 8:1-25