Have you ever gone to put on your favorite jeans and thought, “Oh – a little tight”?  Ever had those last couple Oreos and then felt the guilt settle in?  Remember that comment that slipped out and you knee the regret even before the last syllable sounded?  Me too!

Yes, we all sin.  We all fall short.  And we are all under God’s grace and love too!!  Paul writes in Romans 6 of our making the choice to die to sin and to live for Christ.  In crucifying the old self that lived sin, we are choosing to live differently.  We are choosing to begin to live a life of live, joy, and hope.

And they lived happily ever after….  You neither?  Although sin and death continue to be realities of our human existence, once we live for Christ they lose their ultimate power over us.  Christ controls our eternity.  We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to resist the pull of sin.

As we live into our relationship with Jesus Christ, we are always being changed to be more and more Christ-like.  Our love of Jesus and our desire and will to live for Him works in us to continue to diminish the pull of sin.  Yes, I may still want those last few Oreos and occasionally I will want to eat my words, but Christ continues His work in me.  None of us are complete.  But with Jesus’ love, joy, and hope we grow more and more like Him each day.

Scripture reference: Romans 6: 1b-11