Dominion Over Sin Series

Romans 6:9-14

“Because we know that Christ, having come back to life, is no longer liable to die. Death no longer has any power over Him. For by the death in which He died He became, once and for all, dead in relation to sin; but by the life which He now lives He is alive in relation to God. In the same way you also must regard yourselves as dead in relation to sin, but as alive in relation to God, because you are in Christ Jesus. Let not Sin therefore reign as king in your mortal bodies, causing you to be in subjection to their cravings; and no longer lend your faculties as unrighteous weapons for Sin to use. On the contrary surrender your very selves to God as living men who have risen from the dead, and surrender your several faculties to God, to be used as weapons to maintain the right. For Sin shall not be lord over you, since you are subjects not of Law, but of grace.” (WNT)

It is both exciting and thrilling to know that the believers in Jesus Christ have been justified by faith. Every one of us who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ has peace with God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Also every believer has access by faith into the grace of God. We stand in a place of blessings and favor. But more than that, we have hope of a glorious future with God and we can glory in our present tribulations. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” When Paul opens chapter six of Romans, he admits that one of mankind’s most difficult challenges is sin. Paul informs us of what God has done about the sin problem. God has given us a new life in Christ Jesus. Sin’s power over our lives has been broken through the power of Christ. Our sin loving nature has been buried with Christ and we are no longer under sin’s control. God has given us a new nature; we share the very nature of Christ himself. We share the actual life of Christ. We are to “reckon” or look upon our old nature as dead to sin and our new nature alive unto God. We have been given a new life, a new nature and a new freedom. We are free to choose our own master. We can freely give ourselves completely to God. Instead of sin having dominion over us, we have dominion over sin. Today’s message is entitled, “Dominion Over Sin.” Dominion over sin’s control is an important truth because some Christians may be tempted to use their liberty in Christ as an occasion to sin. Paul knew that some might think, “If God loves to forgive sin, then I will sin more so God can forgive more.” The Christian that takes sin lightly has no understanding of the high cost of sin nor do they value the sufferings of Christ who paid the sin debt. If Christ has set us free, how dare we allow sin to reign in our lives anymore? Read the words of our text again in Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

Paul reminds us that sin shall not have dominion over the believer. He does not say that sin cannot have dominion for some believers may allow sin to have free course in their lives. Sin will reign in the life of the believer if it is permitted to. The believer’s choice makes all the difference in the world. The believer chooses his own master and yields himself to the lordship of Christ or the lordship of Satan. Since we have accepted the lordship of Christ, we have dominion over sin and sin’s power is broken. When the believer chooses to allow sin to reign, his lifestyle does not match his confession. How can we convince the world of the power of our Christ and the liberty He brings, if we allow sin to reign in our lives? Paul assures us that we have the power of Christ reigning in our lives. Christ won the victory at Calvary and gave it unto us. We can be sure and certain that sin’s power is broken because Christ’s victory was complete. Every believer must realize that sin’s power is broken and we are free.

Realize that Sin’s Power is Broken and We Are Free

Romans 6:6-9 “This we know--that our old self was nailed to the cross with Him, in order that our sinful nature might be deprived of its power, so that we should no longer be the slaves of sin; for he who has paid the penalty of death stands absolved from his sin. But, seeing that we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him; because we know that Christ, having come back to life, is no longer liable to die.” (WNT)