Romans 6:12-13 CSB "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. [13] And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness."
While waiting for your seafood platter, how often have you said, "I shouldn't have eaten all those hush puppies"? The apostle Paul reminds us how easily something as small as a hush puppy can rule over our mortal body. The secret to not filling up on hush puppies and spoiling your meal is to remove them from the table.
"Therefore," in verse 12 marks the result of everything Paul has said in verses 1–11. Paul says Jesus died to sin's reign over our mortal bodies. Jesus' resurrection made Him alive to God. If we are united with Christ, we can say no to sin's rule over our human bodies and enjoy living God's new way.
Filling up on hush puppies prevents us from enjoying the actual meal.
Our relationship and trust in Jesus prevent us from being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice" (Romans 1:29). Consider the sin of gossiping. We don't become a gossip by accident. We first indulge in greed and fill up on envy, deception, and bitterness. We can indulge in sin's lure or say no thank you; I have an order of right living coming.
Paul uses a military metaphor to compare our body to a weapon. We can reach for the butter and basket of hush puppies, or with the same hand, we can set them on another table. Bad behavior quickly satisfies selfish desires. Living God's way requires we wait for benefits to materialize. We avoid indulging in unjust behavior by intentionally committing to what God says is right. Psalm 34:8 says: "taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" Waiting for God to prove His way is best for us increases our faith in His promises. I have learned that my worst day with Jesus has always been better than my best day without Him.
Lord Jesus, thank you for changing my appetite. I am constantly tempted to indulge in things I know are not pleasing to God (e.g., Romans 1:29–32). Thank you, Lord, for giving me new desires. Help me today to say no to all injustices and feast on the pleasures of right living before God.
Lord, comparing hush puppies with sin reminds us of the weakest of our flesh.
We once presented our members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness, resulting in further corruption, but now help us offer our members as servants to righteousness, resulting in sanctification (Romans 6:19). I have been freed from sin and enslaved to God. Holy Spirit, I beg, please help me stay committed to living God's way in Christ Jesus, resulting in sanctification and eternal life (Romans 6:17; 22). Sin no longer rules me because I am now feasting in the grace of King Jesus (Romans 6:14). In Jesus' name, amen.
Daily Devotion
Indulging in sin is like eating hush puppies.
Verse of the Day, June 1, 2022
Romans 6:12-13 CSB "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. [13] And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness."
While waiting for your seafood platter, how often have you said, "I shouldn't have eaten all those hush puppies"? The apostle Paul reminds us how easily something as small as a hush puppy can rule over our mortal body. The secret to not filling up on hush puppies and spoiling your meal is to remove them from the table.
"Therefore," in verse 12 marks the result of everything Paul has said in verses 1–11. Paul says Jesus died to sin's reign over our mortal bodies. Jesus' resurrection made Him alive to God. If we are united with Christ, we can say no to sin's rule over our human bodies and enjoy living God's new way.
Filling up on hush puppies prevents us from enjoying the actual meal.
Our relationship and trust in Jesus prevent us from being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice" (Romans 1:29). Consider the sin of gossiping. We don't become a gossip by accident. We first indulge in greed and fill up on envy, deception, and bitterness. We can indulge in sin's lure or say no thank you; I have an order of right living coming.
Paul uses a military metaphor to compare our body to a weapon. We can reach for the butter and basket of hush puppies, or with the same hand, we can set them on another table. Bad behavior quickly satisfies selfish desires. Living God's way requires we wait for benefits to materialize. We avoid indulging in unjust behavior by intentionally committing to what God says is right. Psalm 34:8 says: "taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" Waiting for God to prove His way is best for us increases our faith in His promises. I have learned that my worst day with Jesus has always been better than my best day without Him.
Lord Jesus, thank you for changing my appetite. I am constantly tempted to indulge in things I know are not pleasing to God (e.g., Romans 1:29–32). Thank you, Lord, for giving me new desires. Help me today to say no to all injustices and feast on the pleasures of right living before God.
Lord, comparing hush puppies with sin reminds us of the weakest of our flesh.
We once presented our members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness, resulting in further corruption, but now help us offer our members as servants to righteousness, resulting in sanctification (Romans 6:19). I have been freed from sin and enslaved to God. Holy Spirit, I beg, please help me stay committed to living God's way in Christ Jesus, resulting in sanctification and eternal life (Romans 6:17; 22). Sin no longer rules me because I am now feasting in the grace of King Jesus (Romans 6:14). In Jesus' name, amen.