Day 11: By No Means!

a servant who sins is not a servant who doesn’t care about sin. It’s a servant who knows how to put sin in its place.

Warm-Up:

Pray:

“Heavenly Father, throughout scripture, the people of God struggled to follow You. At their best, God’s people obeyed for a season. At their worst, they didn’t view their sin as a problem. It became part of the fabric of their culture. They justified it. They even ignored it. They grew cold, calloused and close fisted. Have I learned from them? Oh, Lord, may I never make sin my friend—and never let it make me think that I’m disqualified from Your plan.”

Round 1:

Read Romans 6:1-14.

Round 2:

Set a timer for 5 minutes and contemplate this painting:

Crucifix with scenes of the Passion, Pisa, Italy, ca. 1175–1225. Tempera on wood. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. Left: Christ before Pilate, the Mocking of Christ, the Flagellation, Christ Carries His Cross; right: the Descent from the Cross, the Entombment, the Resurrection, the Supper at Emmaus.

Round 3:

Write out Romans 6:1-2:

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
—Romans 6:1-2

Burn Out:

Get real with God in prayer. Confess some things if you need to. Turn away from the things that are harming your soul. Thank Him for His grace. Tell Him how much His sacrifice means to you. Declare that the power of sin over you has been broken because of Him. You are free to follow Him. Let Him know how you will not let failure stop you from following Him. Ask Him for perseverance to keep doing good. Trust that in due season you will see a breakthrough if you do not give up. Pray that the unique mission He has for you will become clear.