Devotion #2: Free Indeed

“What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Romans 3:9-12 

When I was a teenager, a lot of the kids I hung around smoked cigarettes, so I thought I would try it, too. Truthfully, I did not like smoking, but to fit in, I continued doing it anyway. Eventually, my body began to crave cigarettes. I was addicted! I tried to quit several times, but when I did, it seemed impossible. I felt as though I was under the power of my addiction. 

In Romans 3:9, Paul explains that every one of us is under the power of something. He says we “are under sin.” Paul is not just telling us that we commit sin; he is saying sin is our nature, and we are under its power. According to Romans 3:10-12, the power of sin controls every aspect of our inner being: 

Because we are controlled by sin, no one is righteous. Notice how many times Paul says “no one” or “none” in this passage. Paul makes it clear that according to God’s standard for righteousness, none of us even come close.  

I was eventually able to overcome being under the power of my smoking addiction on my own. However, when it comes to being under sin, we cannot overcome it on our own. That is bad news, and it even gets worse. Sin has a cost. Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death.” Death means separation from God. Because of the power of sin in our lives, we are not only separated from God on this earth, but if we die in that sin, we are eternally separated from Him.  

However, there is great news! The second half of Romans 6:23 says, “But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Listen, God sent Jesus, His only Son, to this earth to pay the cost and die in our place. Jesus died on the cross so we could be set free from the power of sin. When we put our faith in Jesus, we will be set free. 

Romans 10:9 says, “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” 

Do you believe Jesus died for your sin? 

Do you believe God raised Jesus from the dead? 

Have you made Jesus the Lord of your life? 

John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”