For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Romans 6:6-7, NIV

 

Many believers struggle with the same question: If I truly belong to Christ, why do I still struggle with sin? Sometimes it feels as if the old patterns in my life are still strong – wrong words, wrong thoughts, and wrong habits that keep appearing again. It can make a person wonder whether real transformation has truly taken place.

 

But Romans 6 offers us an important truth: In Christ, our relationship with sin changes radically.

 

Paul says that our “old self” was crucified with Christ. This means that the power sin once had over us has been broken. Before we came to salvation, we were like slaves under a harsh master. Sin controlled our thinking, our desires, and our actions. We could not truly choose to serve God freely.

 

But through Jesus’ death and resurrection, something fundamental changed. The chains have been broken. The old master no longer has the same authority over us. That is why Paul also says: “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)

 

This does not mean that believers now live sinless lives. We remain people who must struggle daily against our old nature. The difference, however, is that sin no longer has the final word. We are no longer slaves. In Christ we have received a new identity and renewed strength through the Holy Spirit.

 

Therefore, Paul calls us to offer our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness. In other words, the victory Christ has won must now become visible in the way we live. Every time we choose to obey the Lord, something of this new freedom becomes visible.

 

Gratitude for victory over the power of sin does not mean that I am perfect, it means that I know I am no longer trapped. I can rise again when I fall. I can return to the Lord. I can grow in obedience, because Christ has already won the decisive victory.

 

The gospel therefore says: not sinless, but no longer a slave.

 

And that is reason enough to have deep gratitude.

 

Prayer: Lord, thank you that through Jesus, you have broken the power of sin. Thank you that I no longer have to be a slave to sin. Through your Spirit, give me the strength to live for you each day and to offer my life as an instrument of your righteousness. Amen.