"For Freedom, Christ Has Set Us Free"

In reading through Romans 6 the other day, I realized a very important truth that I was ignoring that has been costing me dearly...

I tend to be an anxious person. Anxiety and fear come naturally to me. At times I feel downright enslaved to it. Yes, I have learned to overcome and recognize most it, to cope, and to learn when it is illogical. There are even times when it is not a struggle- by the grace of God. But I had been missing what it really is at the root. It is sin. I was reading this passage from Romans 6 - "our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin." - when I was struck with the reality of anxiety.

The well known passage Philippians 4:6 states "do not be anxious about anything." I have never so clearly seen that when I choose to let anxiety rule my life, I am choosing to let sin rule my life. I am choosing not to trust God, to diminish His character, to make God too small and to magnify my worries. I "justified" it as being just who I am and something to work on. I was not viewing it as a rebellion against God. After all, it wasn't what I naturally thought of as sin-slander, sexual impurity, stealing, cheating etc.

What a relief and breakthrough it was to hear the truth earlier in Romans 6 "just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." This perspective has given me new motivation for putting aside my old self "anxiety" and putting on the new self in Christ- peace, joy, faith. Christ died to set me free from my sin, not so that I would continue to live in it! I will type out this last passage in Romans 6 which deeply speaks to me.

"for the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. Let NOT sin therefore REIGN in your mortal body, to make you obey its PASSIONS. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for RIGHTEOUSNESS. For sin will have NO DOMINION over you..."

You have your own tendencies and know its never a breeze to put aside "self". It is a daily dying to sin and self. But we can always claim God's promise in 2 Corinthians 12:10. "My grace is sufficient for you, Carolyn." (carolyn added) :)

I grew up in the D.C. Talk era, and I can definitely relate with this line from their hit "In the Light"

"What's going on inside of me? I despise my own behavior. This only serves to confirm, my suspicions, that I'm just a (wo)man in need of a Savior."