“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But 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. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:20-23 (NIV)
Habitual and willful sin wrecks much havoc in a life, Amen? Follow it all the way out to the end before delving into it. Most (if not all) will not like the ensuing consequences. While the power of sin has been broken for the believer in Jesus, its lingering effects often continue and continue – sometimes generational unless the bents are broken. We want to be set free from its grimy grasp. Remember, there is a way that seems right to man but the end thereof is death.
The way to break habitual sin is through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit within every believer. Fleshly willpower will fail us. And our humility is the gateway to this Holiness. James 4:10 tells us: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” King David adding in Psalms 55:22: “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” As we humble ourselves taking every thought captive to Christ and keeping our accounts short with Him – running to Him in quick repentance when we fall, we will discover ourselves becoming more and more free from the deadly clutches of sin’s grip and being conformed more to the image of Jesus. This, of course, is God’s desire for us as His Son was to be the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:29).
Holiness is God’s command for His children and He has left us the deposit of the indwelling Holy Spirit giving us the power to achieve this great desire. He wants us to walk as Jesus walked – through His power and for His glory. And He loves us too much to be indifferent in regard to this great task. When Holiness occurs in a saint, it points others to Jesus as it is totally other-worldly in its nature.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:23-24 (NIV)