Every human being is naturally under the dominion of sin. The Word of God shows us that by nature we are even slaves of sin. But it should not stay that way! Through Christ as our sin offering, we can rule over sin.
Due to the fall of Adam, sin dwells in the flesh of every human being. So, as long as we dwell in this body, we will face the problem of sin. Paul recognized the strong effect of the sin in our flesh. This is why he writes in Romans 7:24:
“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
The problem with sin is that when it is fully grown, it produces death. In James 1:15, we see how sin works in us:
“Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
Our flesh is susceptible to all kinds of desires and lusts. No one can change this, and no one is free from this. A Christian, however, is faced with the decision of whether or not to give in to these desires and lusts. James shows that when a person gives in to lust, sin comes forth. It is like giving birth. The result of sin is death.
Every time we sin, we can confess our sin, ask God for forgiveness and apply the blood of Jesus. Then God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9). He will always accept Christ as our trespass offering. Moreover, if we have sinned against a person, we should clear the matter with that person.
But, God does not only want to forgive us our sins. Instead, He wants us to resist sin before it is “born,” that is, before we commit the act of sin. When Cain was angry with his brother and wanted to sin against him, God commanded him to rule over sin (Genesis 4:7). But, Cain did not rule over his anger and envy, and killed his brother.
However, Jesus Christ resisted every desire and temptation throughout His life and never sinned. That is why He can help us, so that we too can rule over our lusts.
Christ is also the reality of the sin offering that deals with the root of sin. Since Christ lives in the spirit of every born-again person, we can all claim Him as the sin offering and thus resist our lusts and desires. God has given us a will for this. We need to use this will and lay hold of Jesus in faith when lusts arise in us. If we want to serve God as a holy priesthood, we must experience Christ as the reality of the sin offering more and more. It is an exercise of faith. Whenever lusts come, we can claim Christ for ourselves and confess that in Him we are dead to sin! As Christians we have a choice. We can give in to our flesh or we can live Christ. However, it is still a battle (Galatians 5:17).
So let us fight the good fight of faith!
Maranatha!
