Archives for 2023

Good morning, 

In light of the Hamas invasion of Israel, this week we will look at groups who tried and failed to exterminate the Jewish people. Then focus on why Israel has a God given claim to the land. 

Today, we will look at HAMAS. When they invaded Israel on 7 October, 2023, they killed, raped, pillaged, and to death God’s chosen people, Israel. Their violence was pure evil. The messengers of Satan.

Hamas 

The Hamas massacre that took place over the weekend was not the result of decades of “occupation.” Israel left Gaza in 2005, uprooting families and wrenching the country into an impassioned debate along the way. Not a settler, nor single IDF soldier, nor any type of Israeli personnel has remained in the Gaza Strip.  

No, this massacre was a function of hate—the kind of toxic intolerance in its purest form. 

It was years in the making, and just as it took sophisticated military and logistical planning, it also took years of ideological planting—sowing seeds of antisemitism. Indeed, one cannot look at what Hamas did without understanding their thinking about Jews. 

Hamas and its co-conspirators in the Muslim world had been vilifying Jews for decades, starting with their founding charter, which is full of antisemitic bile. They constructed an entire architecture of antisemitism that spanned the world and spanned spheres from academia to religion, politics and culture. There were many people who should have been pushing for a just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but instead had adopted an ideology of hate that did not see Jews as worthy of a piece of land or even as equal contestants in a historical struggle. It saw them as subhuman. 

From the pulpits of mosques to the pages of op-eds to the stands of bookstores across the Arab world, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Hitler’s Mein Kampf and other timeless fictions and hateful works were peddled, updated, and perfected to the point that large swathes of the public stopped seeing Zionists or Israelis or Jews as human long ago. School children are taught to hate Israel, Jews are demonized as part of official curriculum, and “summer camps” involve learning how to fire automatic weapons and kidnap Israelis. 

And this is how the massacre took place.  

A world in which you see an entire tribe of people as lesser—as roaches, as vermin—this is how you justify gunning down hundreds of unarmed teenagers at a concert, how you rationalize men going house to house and murdering parents at point blank range in front of their children, how you legitimize intentionally setting houses on fire with infirm, elderly people trapped inside, unable to escape; how you explain kidnapping toddlers still not old enough to speak and mocking them in front of the camera; how you excuse desecrating corpses, stepping on their faces while grinning for the camera. 

This is not normal, not by any standards. 

However, it is normal in a historical context. There have been other times over the centuries where one people saw the other as anything but human. From Europeans and American slave traders who enslaved the people of an entire continent, to genocides in Rwanda and Cambodia, and, of course, in Nazi Germany. (Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League) 

Hamas will not succeed. God has the nation of Israel’s back.  

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

In light of the Hamas invasion of Israel, this week we will look at other groups who tried and failed to exterminate the Jewish people. Then focus on why Israel has a God given claim to the land. Today, we look at Nazi Germany. Six million Jews were killed, but not eradicated. They live today in their own land as free people.

Nazi Germany 

The Holocaust was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe, around two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population. The murders were carried out primarily through mass shootings and poison gas in extermination camps, chiefly Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, Belzec, Sobibor, and Chełmno in occupied Poland. 

The Nazis developed their ideology based on racism and pursuit of “living space” and seized power in early 1933. In an attempt to force all German Jews to emigrate, the regime passed anti-Jewish laws and orchestrated a nationwide pogrom in November 1938. After Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, occupation authorities began to establish ghettos to segregate Jews. Following the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, around 1.5 to 2 million Jews were shot by German forces and local collaborators. 

Later in 1941 or early 1942, the highest levels of the German government decided to murder all Jews throughout Europe. Victims were deported by rail to extermination camps where, if they survived the journey, most were killed with poison gas. Other Jews continued to be employed in forced labor camps where many died from starvation, abuse or exhaustion or used as test subjects in deadly medical experiments. Although many Jews tried to escape, surviving in hiding was very difficult due to factors such as the lack of money to pay helpers and the risk of denunciation. The property, homes, and jobs belonging to murdered Jews were redistributed to the German occupiers and other non-Jews. Although the majority of Holocaust victims died in 1942, the killing continued at a lower rate until the end of the war in May 1945. Not all victims were Jews however, with millions killed for ethnic and ideological associations. (en.wikipedia.org) 

The Nazi’s were not able to eradicate the Jews. Their thousand-year Reich lasted 12 years.  

On a personal note, my mother was born in Czechoslovakia in 1919. She was Jewish. She was the only one of her family who escaped. Her family, my grandparents, uncles, aunts, were all executed in the extermination camps. 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

In light of the Hamas invasion of Israel, this week we will look at other groups who tried and failed to exterminate the Jewish people. Then focus on why Israel has a God given claim to the land. 

Haman 

Haman desired all the Jews of his time to be slain. The book of Esther, chapters 3-9, tells his story. 

Haman: The king’s vizier (chief adviser). Haman wants everyone in the kingdom to bow down to him, but Mordechai refuses. This leads Haman to decide to kill all the Jews, and he convinces the king to allow the plan. Only the intervention of Esther prevents Haman from carrying out his plan, and Haman is instead hung on the gallows he had erected for Mordechai. 

Haman is one of the most villainous characters in Jewish history. A greedy, vengeful, and vicious advisor to King Ahasuerus, he only seeks to increase his own wealth, power and influence (generally at the expense of everyone else around him). Haman is also said to be a direct descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites. The Amalekites attacked the Israelites as they were leaving Egypt and have become symbolic of all the enemies of the Jewish people, so for Haman to be related to Agag connects him directly to centuries of violence and persecution of the Jews. (ReformJudaism.org) 

The Book of Esther tells the tale of the rich and powerful, the weak and powerless, and the sovereignty of God. It gives us a clear picture of an anti-Semite, Haman, bent on destroying the Jews. It shows the courage of a young Jewish girl, Esther, who gave up everything to save her people the Jews. It shines a light on the wise Counsel of Mordecai.  

What a great story. Although God is not named in the text, God is in every event. God allows all the plot lines to fit His will and purposes. We serve a great God! 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning,

Romans 7 teaches about the law. Specifically, the law no longer has dominion over the believer in Christ; the law was instrumental in bringing us to Christ, and the current battle between the law and grace.

The spiritual conflicts between corruption and grace in a believer. (7:14-25)

THE PROBLEM (7:14-17)

¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵ For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. ¹⁶ If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. ¹⁷ Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

“The conflict Paul felt is universal among Christians—the pull of the flesh against the Spirit, of the old man against the new.” (v 14) (The Rice Study Bible, 1981, Dr. John R. Rice, D.D., Litt. D., S.T.D., pg. 1217) 

The problem is sin dwelleth in us.

THE CONFLICT (7:18-22)

¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: or to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. ¹⁹ For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. ²⁰ Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.²¹ I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. ²² For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

Each day we battle right versus wrong. It is our desire to do good, but sometimes we choose to do wrong. We know that we are saved individuals because we delight in the law of God. the unsaved do not care about God.

THE SOLUTION (7:23-25)

²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? ²⁵ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

We must realize that this battle is real and waged by the forces of evil. Ephesians 6:10-12 states, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The solution is Jesus Christ who died for our sin, was buried, and rose from the dead. Jesus won the victory over sin and death. So have we. When we sin, and we will, we repent of our sin and move on.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Romans 7 teaches about the law. Specifically, the law no longer has dominion over the believer in Christ; the law was instrumental in bringing us to Christ, and the current battle between the law and grace.

Why was the Law important in bringing Paul to salvation? Does God denounce the Law? What was the purpose of the Law?

The use and excellence of the law (7:7-13)

⁷ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. ⁸ But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. ⁹ For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. ¹² Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. ¹³ Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

“Each child, before coming to know God’s Law and God’s commands, is kept safe until he does wrong and knows wrong. First Corinthians 15:22 indicates all the sin one inherits from Adam is cared for by the death of Christ, but known and recognized sin is forgiven only as one comes to trust in Christ. A person who perfectly kept all the commandments of God would have earned salvation (cf. 10:5, Lev. 18:5); but since all are fallen, tainted, and depraved, no one has ever been able to keep the commandments (cf. Acts 15:10)” (v7, 9) (The Rice Study Bible, 1981, Dr. John R. Rice, D.D., Litt. D., S.T.D., pg. 1217)

Paul would not have known what sin is without the Law. So the Law pointed out Paul’s sin. It is the same today. No one can keep the Law. Only Jesus was able to do that. When we see our sin and the Holy Spirit convicts of our sin, then we must decide whether to forsake our sin or continue to disobey God.

As we have stated before, the consequences are life or death.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

ROMANS 7

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. (7:6)

Believers are united to Christ, that they may bring forth fruit unto God. (7:1-6)

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? ² For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. ³ So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. ⁴ Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. ⁵ For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. ⁶ But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

What fruit are we bringing forth? Does our daily conduct and manner of living exemplify that we are believers in Christ? Are we continually maturing in our walk with the Lord? As we minister to others, are people coming to know Christ, coming to church, and growing in their relationship with God?

Is our service out of love for our Savior or a requirement we must fulfill? Is going to church an opportunity to worship, pray, serve, and be challenged by the Holy Spirit of God to grow spiritually?

Meditate on these questions. Allow God to speak to you. Follow His lead and move forward!

The use and excellence of the law (7:7-13)

⁷ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. ⁸ But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. ⁹ For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. ¹² Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. ¹³ Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

“Each child, before coming to know God’s Law and God’s commands, is kept safe until he does wrong and knows wrong. First Corinthians 15:22 indicates all the sin one inherits from Adam is cared for by the death of Christ, but known and recognized sin is forgiven only as one comes to trust in Christ.A person who perfectly kept all the commandments of God would have earned salvation (cf. 10:5, Lev. 18:5); but since all are fallen, tainted, and depraved, no one has ever been able to keep the commandments (cf. Acts 15:10)”(v 9-10) (The Rice Study Bible, 1981, Dr. John R. Rice, D.D., Litt. D., S.T.D., pg. 1217)

Paul would not have known what sin is without the Law. So the Law pointed out Paul’s sin. It is the same today. No one can keep the Law. Only Jesus was able to do that. When we see our sin and the Holy Spirit convicts of our sin, then we must decide whether to forsake our sin or continue to disobey God.

As we have stated before, the consequences are life or death.

The spiritual conflicts between corruption and grace in a believer. (7:14-25)

THE PROBLEM (7:14-17)

¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵ For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. ¹⁶ If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. ¹⁷ Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

“The conflict Paul felt is universal among Christians—the pull of the flesh against the Spirit, of the old man against the new.” (v 14) (The Rice Study Bible, 1981, Dr. John R. Rice, D.D., Litt. D., S.T.D., pg. 1217)

The problem is sin dwelleth in us.

THE CONFLICT (7:18-22)

 ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: or to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. ¹⁹ For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. ²⁰ Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.²¹ I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. ²² For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

Each day we battle right versus wrong. It is our desire to do good, but sometimes we choose to do wrong. We know that we are saved individuals because we delight in the law of God. The unsaved do not care about God.

THE SOLUTION (7:23-25)

²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? ²⁵ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

We must realize that this battle is real and waged by the forces of evil. Ephesians 6:10-12 states, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The solution is Jesus Christ who died for our sin, was buried, and rose from the dead. Jesus won the victory over sin and death. So have we. When we sin, and we will, we repent of our sin and move on.

CONCLUSION

• We are dead to the law
• We are married to Jesus Christ
• We know we are sinners by the Law
• We learn that the Law is holy
• We delight in the Lord
• We sin
• We know that there is a war between the flesh and the Spirit
• We know that Jesus delivers us from the body of death

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Romans 7 teaches about the law. Specifically, the law no longer has dominion over the believer in Christ; the law was instrumental in bringing us to Christ, and the current battle between the law and grace.

Verses 1-6 explains that the law no longer has dominion over the life of a believer in Christ.

Believers are united to Christ, that they may bring forth fruit unto God. (7:1-6)

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? ² For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. ³ So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. ⁴ Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. ⁵ For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. ⁶ But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

What fruit are we bringing forth? Does our daily conduct and manner of living exemplify that we are believers in Christ? Are we continually maturing in our walk with the Lord? As we minister to others, are people coming to know Christ, coming to church, and growing in their relationship with God?

Is our service out of love for our Savior or a requirement we must fulfill? Is going to church an opportunity to worship, pray, serve, and be challenged by the Holy Spirit of God to grow spiritually?

Meditate on these questions. Allow God to speak to you. Follow His lead and move forward!

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning, 

This devotion reminds us what God has done for us. It tells of His love, devotion, and power. It is God centered. We need to thank God every day for His goodness to us! 

God-pardoned, God-reconciled, Sin-delivered, God-arrayed, Heaven-entitled souls! 

(Archibald Brown, “What Christ Has Done for Me!” 1872)  LISTEN to audio!  Download audio 

(You will find it helpful to listen to the audio above, as you read the text below.) 

“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul!” Psalm 66:16 
 
No one word can fully express all that God has done for my soul, though in general it may be described as saved. Saved! Ah, that is a grand word worthy of being written in letters of gold! A saved soul includes many things–I can only mention them: 
 
1. A saved soul is a God-pardoned soul. All its sins are forgiven, and its iniquities are drowned in that deluge of pardoning love that rises high above the topmost peaks of all its mountain sins! 
 
2. A saved soul is a God-reconciled soul. Once at enmity, God and the sinner are now at peace. All differences are at an end. The prodigal sinner has been embraced and kissed by the father. The rebel has thrown down his weapons, and bent his knee to the Monarch–and the Monarch has raised him up, and with a smile of love, has put him among His children. If I may so express it, God and the sinner have met and shaken hands beneath the shadow of the cross! They are at at-one-ment there. 
 
3. A saved soul is also a sin-delivered soul. This is something more than pardon, or reconciliation. It is a higher blessing. Pardon remits the punishment of sin, but leaves the guilt of sin. But justification acquits the person of every charge. Believer, your sins are not merely forgiven–but they are done away with, put out of sight, removed from you as far as the remotest east is from the extreme west! In the eye of God, you are as guiltless as His spotless Son! “You are altogether beautiful, My love; there is no flaw in you!” Song of Songs 4:7 
 
4. A saved soul is also a God-arrayed soul. This is higher still. The former blessing was a negation of guilt, this is a possession of righteousness. A righteousness, mark you, that is not capable of improvement, but a righteousness that is superlative in its quality–it is the righteousness of God Himself! A saved soul, even to the omniscient eye of Deity, is not only without spot or wrinkle or any such thing–but it is altogether lovely and glorious, robed in the splendor of “Jehovah Tsidkenu”–“The Lord our Righteousness!” 
 
5. A saved soul is a Heaven-entitled soul. This crowns all. Not merely am I delivered from Hell, but in my hand is placed a title-deed to eternal glory! This is no fiction or flight of imagination, but a blessed fact. Possessed by every saint, is a title to Heaven that God Himself will declare to be valid to all eternity. 
 
Now believer, if all these things are included in what God has done for our souls, then did I not say rightly that many words were necessary to describe the work? Let us then, as God-pardoned, God-reconciled, Sin-delivered, God-arrayed, Heaven-entitled souls–call on all, far and near, to come and listen to our joyous tale. 
 
God looks upon His redeemed people as the masterpieces of His love and power; and He will before assembled worlds exhibit us as the grandest trophies Heaven contains! 
 
   ~  ~  ~  ~ 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

It is amazing what God has done for us. This devotion plus the “Something to ponder” should be an encouragement to all of us. 

Christ takes the garbage! 

(Charles Spurgeon)  LISTEN to audio!  Download audio 

(You will find it helpful to listen to the audio above, as you read the text below.) 

Jewelers can only prepare and polish the choicest diamonds. 
But Jesus Christ polishes a common pebble, and makes a jewel of it! 
 
Jewelers make their precious treasures, out of precious materials. 
Christ makes His precious things, out of dross! 
 
He always begins with bad material. Christ takes . . . 
  the despicable, 
  the vilest, 
  the scum, 
  the off-scouring, 
  the filth, 
  the garbage of the world, 
and out of such stuff and matter as that, He builds up a holy temple, and gathers to Himself trophies for His honor and praise! 
 
“Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were! But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 
 
~  ~  ~  ~ 
 
Something to ponder 
Don Fortner: “All true doctrine entirely rests upon the Word of God–upon the plain statements of Holy Scripture; and not upon history, religious creeds, religious traditions; or human inferences, logic or reason of any kind.” 

~  ~  ~  ~ 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning,  

Salvation is the first act of obedience for all individuals. Second is baptism. Scriptural baptism is by immersion and pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. But what does that mean in the life of a believer?  

Romans 6 answers that question. Verses 1-15 teach us about what baptism means to us. When we received Christ as Savior and were baptized, we identified ourselves with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. That means we are dead to sin, we walk in newness of life, and are freed from the dominion of sin. Do we still sin? Yes, but that is not our lifestyle. We repent and move on. 

Read and reflect on what Jesus has done for us. 

1) Believers must die to sin and live to Christ (6:1-2) 

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ²God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  

“That is, we are dead to the dominion of sin. Christ died for our sin, in our place. Now sin cannot take a believer to Hell. We have a new Master-Christ. This official separation from the lordship of sin over doomed slaves is pictured in baptism (v 3,5). Counting the old man dead, we had a funeral for him in baptism; but as Christ died in our place and arose, we can also claim Christ’s resurrection power (cf. Phil. 3:10). We should live as taking Christ’s place in righteousness and service, as he took our place as sinners.” (The Rice Study Bible, 1981, Dr. John R. Rice, D.D., Litt. D., S.T.D., pg. 1216) 

2) Believers identify with Christ in baptism (6:3-10) 

³Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ⁴Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: ⁶Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ⁷For he that is dead is freed from sin. ⁸Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ⁹Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. ¹⁰For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 

“The unconverted man has a tainted, fallen, sinful nature. When one is saved, he is given a new nature. Therefore, we are exhorted to “put off” the manner of life of the “old man” (cf. Eph. 4:22, Col. 3:9), count him crucified with Christ, and never allow his control. Still the flesh “lustiest against the Spirit” (Gal. 5:17); and Paul, like all Christians, experienced the conflict between the “inward man” and the flesh (cf. 7:15-25).” (The Rice Study Bible, 1981, Dr. John R. Rice, D.D., Litt. D., S.T.D., pg. 1216) 

3) Believers are made alive unto God through Christ Jesus (6:11-15) 

¹¹Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ¹³Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ¹⁴For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. ¹⁵What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.  

“We are to count self dead, that is, with no right now to control. We are to take up the cross daily (cf. Luke 9:23). We are to resist the old nature, not yield to it (vv. 12-13). (The Rice Study Bible, 1981, Dr. John R. Rice, D.D., Litt. D., S.T.D., pg. 1216) 

Tomorrow we will look at verses 16-23. 

Good morning, 

God made us with a “free will”. That means we are able to choose to do right or wrong. We may yield ourselves to righteousness or wickedness. We will be servants to whomever we choose. Each choice has a consequence. The two choices are righteousness, resulting in eternal life with Christ in Heaven or wickedness, resulting in death and separation from God for all eternity in Hell. 

Romans 6:16-23 deal with yielding and its results. 

4) Believers are freed from dominion of sin (6:16-20) 

¹⁶Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? ¹⁷But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. ¹⁸Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. ¹⁹I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. ²⁰For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 

“The Christian has a constant battle against the pull of the old nature. He must consciously and continually yield his members as servants to righteousness.” (The Rice Study Bible, 1981, Dr. John R. Rice, D.D., Litt. D., S.T.D., pg. 1216)  

5) The end of sin is death and of holiness everlasting life (6:21-23) 

²¹What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. ²²But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. ²³For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

“Though the child of God has escaped the doom of the lost man, sin pays its hateful wages: death to peace, to fellowship with God, and to fruitfulness. To the unsaved, the wages of sin is eternal death; but to the Christian redeemed, sin still brings deadly wages. Salvation is a free gift, unearned, offered to all, and to the Christian it is a well continually flowing (cf. John 4:14)” ((The Rice Study Bible, 1981, Dr. John R. Rice, D.D., Litt. D., S.T.D., pg. 1217) 

The choice is ours. Life or death. 

CHOOSE LIFE 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com