Romans 6:15-23

 15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no
means! 16Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him
as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin,
which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks
be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed
the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from
sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
 19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you
used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing
wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.
21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed
of ? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin
and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the
result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Meditation
1. Search myself for an area where I don’t walk in freedom but continue to
struggle with sin.  When do I easily give in to temptation?  What comfort,
relief or pleasure does the sin give me?  What pain or discomfort does it
bring?  What do I fear I would lose if I gave up the sin?
2. Read this passage with this specific sin(s) in mind.  Read the passage through
my life experience.  Do I identify with “Shall we sin because we are not
under law but under grace”?  What about “now offer (your body) in slavery
to righteousness”?  Take time to identify what my do and don’t agree with.
3. Pray and ask God to take over my struggle and unresolved problems.  As I
determine to obey God’s command, I will ask God for my freedom.

Personal Note:
Like the topic of the workshop I will give in TC2012, three areas of struggle for myself and most guys (if they are really honest) are money, sex, and power.  I give in to temptation when I feel lost and hopeless.  I could be struggling at work, at a relationship, at ministry, over my self-esteem.  Giving in could take the form of not being generous towards God in offering, dwelling on thoughts of how to get rich fast, checking out lustful media, dwelling on memories of lustful images, create plans and execute actions that promote my own status, dwelling in thoughts of how to become like those successful people I read about.  There seems to be temporary comfort, relief, or pleasure that result from the actions mentioned above.  Realistically, the discomfort increases as it fuels more worries, envy, lust, insecurity, anxiety... I asked why myself why do I keep dwelling on the sin.  I realized that the sins mentioned were my coping mechanism.  I fear that if I live in faithful submission to God's leading, I would not be in control and having the comfort I desired.

I am totally convinced that I am under grace (getting a gift I do not deserve) instead of under the law.  I should not think that I can sin all I want because of God's grace and mercy.  I have a new heart and mind thanks to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.  I no longer desire to engage in the sinful activities, which may appear to be pleasurable, but they ultimately leads me to death.  I agree that I am to offer my body including my eyes, ears, mouth, hands, legs, heart, brain...  to be slave for righteousness.  I trust God that He is faithful and will walk with me to overcome my struggles.