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Picture in your mind a walk you took that brings the word “misery” to mind. You wish you had never taken it. What made it so miserable? Why did you choose to take it? Was there a better one you could have chosen instead? Choices have consequences—in your family life, in your work life, and certainly in your spiritual life. Your new identity in Christ sets you free to live a radically different kind of life with a new relationship between you and Jesus. You are dead to the old “you” that was controlled by sin and alive to the new “you” in Christ. You are on the right path. And it is looking pretty good. But the old “you” is still hanging around, trying to distract you away from serving Jesus. Choosing to serve your old self will lead to misery. Pathway #4 is “Choose Whom You Will Serve.” This is post #5 in our “Joyful Walk” series.

Listen to this post as a podcast from our Pathways to a Joyful Walk Bible Study:

We can get so busy with life that we neglect to think about the consequences of our choices. If you don’t check the forecast before taking that 2-mile walk, you could get stuck in a storm. When you are hiking without a map and come across 2 trails, you could take the wrong trail and end up in a totally different location than planned. Choices have consequences. In the last article, we learned that how you see yourself directs how you live out your faith walk. Knowing your identity in Christ is the foundation for how you see yourself. This is a familiar walk that you know well and can repeatedly enjoy.

In this blog, we will learn that how you see yourself results in how you live out your faith walk. The choices you make determine whether your faith walk is going to be a joyful one or a miserable one. Let us look at the pathway that will keep you from having that miserable walk. The first steps along this pathway involve understanding your changed relationship to sin.

You must know whom you are serving.

In the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas called The Count of Monte Cristo, a man named Dantes escapes from a cruel captivity and lands on a beach occupied by smugglers. The smuggler captain forces Dantes to fight a man named Jacabo to the death. When Dantes has the chance to kill his opponent, he spares his life and plants the knife into the sandy beach instead. Jacabo’s immediate response is, “I am your man forever”—implying today, tomorrow and the next day—not knowing what would be ahead for him. He was grateful for his freedom.

That is what Jesus did for us. He set us free! And, out of gratitude, each of us should choose to serve the very One who did it. Not knowing everything ahead of us, we can declare, “Lord Jesus, I am YOUR woman”—today, tomorrow, and the next day. But is that really possible? And are you willing to do that? What would it look like to serve the one who set you free?

Christ sets you free to live a radically different kind of life with a new relationship between you and Jesus. You are dead to the old “you” and alive to the new “you” in Jesus. You are on the right path. And it is looking pretty good. Like Jacabo, there is a new master to serve—Jesus Christ. But the old master called “Sin” is still calling your name. Listening to the old master will distract you away from your joyful walk and leave you confused or disappointed.

What it is like to serve the old master

While we as redeemed and justified believers have new life in Christ, we retain our old bodies in which sin dwells. The Bible calls this “the flesh.” The term “flesh” (NIV: “sinful nature”)refers to the unredeemed portion of our humanity—our bodies and souls through which indwelling sin assaults us. The flesh sends messages to the mind that demand a response. And our flesh is influenced by the world around us.

The flesh is in constant conflict with the Spirit. That conflict is fed by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. This opposition is with us every day. That is why we must recognize the signals our flesh gives us and make the choice every day how to live. The bad news is that the flesh does not improve or change its nature over time, as long as we are in our bodies! At the moment of salvation, we are born again of the Spirit. Our bodies are not born again, and our souls (mind, emotions, and will) arenot instantly transformed. The flesh does not improve, but the good news is that our choices can change over time as we learn to live by the Spirit instead. Living by the flesh is sin.

Sin as the slave master

In Romans 6, Paul personifies “Sin” as a power that enslaves us—a slave master. Every human is born into bondage to the slave master Sin. It does not matter how much money or status you have. It does not matter about your skin color or family history. You were born into bondage. You have a master and are a servant to something—either God and His righteousness or sin and its wickedness. There is no neutral ground. You might think you are your own master, but you are not! Self is really following the voice of master Sin (the flesh) within you.

The rest of Romans chapter 6 reveals that there are choices to make. Your identity and all those benefits that God gives to you are His choice. How you let Him work in your life is your choice. Being set free would be like dying to that old slave master and being given a new life to live.

You are dead to sin but alive to God.

That is what the Bible tells us in Romans chapter 6,

For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:9-11)

Because we have died with Christ, every believer everywhere can count herself as dead to sin but alive to God. What does that mean?

The Holy Spirit is your new master.

All of your life before Christ, the old slave master sin called the shots. When you believed in Jesus, a greater power moved in—the Holy Spirit. He sets you free from the power of that old slave master to become what God intended you to be. But you are not set free to be your own master. That is not what it means to be set free. Your options are still to serve sin or to serve God.

Sin is still calling your name.

You are dead to sin, but sin has not died to you. That old slave master is present in you until the day you leave your mortal body. It does not reform or go to sleep at any time. In fact, it yells pretty loudly sometimes. Yet, you don’t have to listen or carry out its orders. You are freed from sin’s power over you because a greater power lives in you who woos you to do right. You have a new master, Jesus Christ, who set you free.

The Bible confirms this in Romans chapter 6:

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, (Romans 6:12-14)

I like Romans 6:12 in the New Living Translation:

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. (Romans 6:12, NLT)

You don’t have to listen! You don’t have to give in!

When it comes to your letting sin influence you, you need to ask yourself some questions, “What do I want out of life anyway? Do I want what sin offers?” That ol’ sin master talks a good talk but cannot deliver anything worthwhile. What does he care? Once you are gone, he will work on your kids and your grandkids. That is a sobering thought, isn’t it?

God’s Spirit teaches you to say “No” to Sin.

Sin can no longer enslave you unwillingly because you have a super power in you—God Himself. You are continually being wooed to do what is right. Titus 2 says this,

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, (Titus 2:11-12)

When sin says, “Do this!” You can say, “No thanks. I don’t need that. I am good.” You have Holy Spirit super power in your heart to set you free to serve God instead of sin. He teaches you to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions. He reveals to you through the Word of God (the Bible) and through prayer what sins are in your life and helps your repentant heart follow through with your desire for change.

That reminds me of a news report from the 1990s when Johnny Oates was manager for the Texas Rangers baseball club. During a game, Dick Bosman, the pitching coach, visited the mound to talk to a struggling young pitcher. After that chat, the pitcher amazingly started throwing nothing but strikes. Afterwards, a reporter asked Bosman what he said that made such a change. “I told him, ‘Johnny doesn’t like what you are doing; do something different.’”

I think the Spirit convicts us that way. “Jesus does not like what you are doing.” You begin to notice that something does not seem right. That is living by the Spirit.

When your heart is open to Him, God helps you recognize the temptations, and He gives you the way of escape—not through yourself but through the Spirit’s empowering presence within you. This is what is promised to us in 1 Corinthians chapter 10:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Whether or not you are presently tempted in a given area, you are capable of committing any sin mentioned in the Bible, given the right set of circumstances, time, and temptation

The progression of sin

The progression toward sin may be like this:

A received thought produces familiarity.
Continued pondering leads to curiosity and loss of repugnance.
Desires are generated to experiment, sometimes coming as a total surprise. The most dangerous are the ones that blindside you with a desire you didn’t even know you could have!
Having tried the activity, the flesh can learn to like, and even grow dependent on, any sensual stimulus.

Here is the truth we need to know: We never outgrow our need to depend 100% upon Jesus Christ. Recognizing this should lead us to have compassion on one another (Galatians 6:1) and to not take risks with sinful behavior!

Make pre-decisions to protect yourself

A habit is easier to maintain than it is to start. Faith can be a habit—a good habit. Make wise decisions to protect yourself and to protect your mind. Desires of the flesh do not go away. But just like a fire, they can burn hot or burn down, depending on whether you are feeding them. Don’t feed the fire. Protect yourself by making policy decisions ahead of time to keep your distance from what tempts you. And continually pray, “Lord, protect me from myself!”

Martin Luther was the priest who initiated the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s. He described it this way,

I cannot keep the birds from flying around my head; but by the grace of God I can keep them from building nests in my hair. (Martin Luther)

That is true. What decisions are you making or should you make ahead of time to protect yourself from what tempts you?

A close friend shared this with me years ago.

My flesh always takes over when I have to sit in traffic or wait in a line. I have no patience at all for that! When I have to sit in traffic, and I find myself crossing the line, I turn on Christian radio really loud and pray hard. (Joan Floyd)

That is a pre-decision.

In Christ, you have options for living you never had before. And, you are free to choose daily to serve sin or to say, “Lord Jesus, I am YOUR woman today.”

You know what that means? You must make up your mind. No person can serve two masters. You and I know the old slave master does not stop calling our names. Jesus says you have no obligation whatsoever to listen to sin. You have options now. So let us look at your two options.

Option #1: Actively serve my new master Jesus.

What would that look like as a life decision? You would see yourself as fused with Christ. You would see sin as awful. You would commit yourself to being Jesus’ woman every day. You would make the daily choice to submit to the Spirit’s transforming power in you to make you more like Christ.

Because of your faith in Christ, God does not hold your sin against you any longer, and His grace is continually forgiving you of sin. But don’t be deceived. That does not give you permission to intentionally sin. Intentional sin does not fit with who you are as a forgiven Christian with a new life to enjoy.

Yet, old habits die hard. As long as we live in these earthly bodies, we will be tempted to sin. Sin will happen—whether intentionally or unintentionally. So as an already forgiven Christian, you might ask, “How do I deal with sin when I recognize it in my life?”

That is a great question. Here is the biblical process for dealing with recognized sin as a believer:

How to deal with recognized sin as a believer:

Step One: View yourself rightly.
Your identity is not “______________” (coveter, greedy, gossiper, whatever that sin is). You are in Christ, a child of God, who sometimes “________________” (covets, is greedy, gossips).
Step Two: Recognize the truth regarding your sin. That is confession.
To confess biblically means to agree with God about what you and He both know to be true. Confession is not a formula, a process, or dependent on a mediator. Regarding sin in your life, it is not saying, “I’m sorry.” It is saying, “I agree with you, God. I blew it!” You see your sin as something awful!
Using sexual immorality as an example:
While reading 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, the Spirit convicts you that sexual immorality in any form is not pleasing to God. You are instructed by God to “flee/avoid immorality.” You recognize this sin in your life. You agree with God that your immoral sexual behavior doesn’t fit someone who knows God. That is confession.
Step Three: Confession is incomplete without repentance.
Repentance means to change your mind about that sin, to turn away from it, to mourn its ugliness, resulting in changing your actions. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 that godly sorrow brings repentance. It’s saying, “I recognize what I am doing is wrong. This fills me with sorrow because it hurts You, God. Please help me to live differently.” And, that’s how our lives get transformed.
Using sexual immorality as an example:
You want to live in order to please God, and God wants you to avoid sexual immorality. So, you pray, “Lord Jesus, please have your Spirit nudge me when I am not holy and honorable with my body. Help me to say no to temptation and to give up any relationship that is not honorable to you. By faith, Lord, I want you to do that in my life.” That is repentance.
Repentance isn’t repentance until you change something. You can confess “until the cows come home” (daily, habitually) and never change anything. Jesus called for people to “repent” not to “confess.”
Step Four: Repentance leads to dependence.
Depend on the living Christ inside you for that change to take place, whatever it is. Our Lord Jesus Christ is not interested in our compliance or outward conformity as much as He desires our obedience from the heart.
Using sexual immorality as an example:
Memorize 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 and any other scriptures that deal with staying pure and not rejecting God’s instructions. Be sensitive to the Spirit’s nudging when you are tempted to do otherwise. And, choose to desire a life that pleases God. It’s okay to say, “Lord Jesus, I can’t do this on my own. I trust you to do this in me and through me.” Then, watch what He does!

That is actively serving your new master Jesus and living by the Spirit instead of the flesh. Download this process as a bookmark.

But what if you don’t want to listen to the Spirit. What if you would rather hang onto your favorite sin? That is option #2.

Option #2: Be passive to your new master and say “yes” to the old master sin.

That might look like this:

You think to yourself, “I’m saved and going to heaven when I die. So I don’t think I have a problem with that sin.” That makes the old slave master “Sin” perk up its ears.
You don’t acknowledge or care about your identity in Christ. You don’t see how doing that sin affects Him.
You refuse to acknowledge your sin even though your pastor or Bible Study makes you aware of it. It is more fun to keep doing it, which makes the old slave master sin just smile with glee.
You don’t want to change. So you don’t ask the Spirit to nudge you when you are doing that behavior. Even if He does, you ignore Him. You are not interested in agreeing with Him. This makes the old slave master “Sin” laugh victoriously. Gotcha!

The result is you actually become in bondage to THAT sin.

Note three things about choosing this option:

You are not free to choose when or how the consequences of that sinful behavior will hurt you or those you love. Living passively or pursuing a sinful lifestyle as a believer does not change your identity. But it does change your usefulness to God and definitely the enjoyment of your benefits in Christ. You are not going to have a joyful walk.
You are not free to not have the Holy Spirit indwelling you, working in you to make you like Jesus —the easy way or the hard way. And He will!
You are free to finally come to your senses, agree with God that you have been sinning deliberately, and allow Him to change your behavior to match up to your identity in Christ and what pleases Him. It is never too late to say, “Lord Jesus, I am YOUR woman” again.

Being passive to your new master Christ and saying yes to the old master “Sin” is not your best option, is it?

Actively serving Jesus as your master is your best option.

Actively serve Jesus. Yet, even while actively serving Him, you may be trusting Him with some aspects of your life while not doing so in others. Over a lifetime, the Lord reveals areas of your life that you need to surrender to Him. When you do so, the greater power within you—God Himself—changes you. You experience being set free from the power of sin in that area of your life. This is the best lifestyle to choose.

You can have victory over any sin. Our Graceful Living Bible Study will teach you more about that.

Dear believer in Christ, are you experiencing the freedom from slavery to sin in your life right now? If not, do you have confidence that you do not have to listen to the voice of your old slave master sin? You have a new master with greater power living inside of you, the Spirit of God Himself. He can give you freedom from any entrapping sin. Claim that freedom now.

Choose to say this with me, “Lord Jesus, I am Your woman today.” Will you say that tomorrow and the day after that?

To have a joyful walk, you need to know Christ, to bask in God’s wonderful grace, and to grasp who you are as a Christian. You must choose whom you will serve every day. And you also must claim your freedom in Christ from any kind of bondage. That is Pathway #5 and the next article in the “Joyful Walk” series.

Let Jesus satisfy your heart with joy so that your daily walk with Him will be a joyful one.

Learn more about having a rewarding spiritual life through our Pathways to a Joyful Walk Bible Study (6 lessons).

Related Resources:

Image credit: photo by John Newton, accessed at flickr.com (8162179887_0c6797557b_o.jpg).