How can we apply "offer your members" to resist sin today? Living the Command: Romans 6:19 “Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.” Recognize the Transfer of Ownership • You once handed every faculty over to sin; now every faculty belongs to Christ (Romans 6:13). • Because you are “brought from death to life,” your body is no longer neutral ground; it is God’s instrument. Remember Who You Are • United with Christ in death and resurrection (Romans 6:4-5). • Indwelt by the Spirit (Romans 8:11). • Purchased at a price; therefore glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Identity fuels obedience—offerings flow from belonging. Take Inventory of Your Members Eyes, ears, mind, tongue, hands, feet, appetites, time. Each can be either a weapon for sin or a tool for righteousness. Practical Offerings for Each Part • Eyes – Refuse worthless visions (Psalm 101:3). – Seek pure beauty: Scripture, creation, faces in need. • Ears – Filter music, podcasts, conversation (Ephesians 5:4). – Welcome preaching, praise, wise counsel. • Mind – Capture thoughts “to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). – Meditate on what is true, honorable, just, pure (Philippians 4:8). • Tongue – Stop deceit, gossip, coarse talk (James 3:6). – Speak grace, truth, encouragement (Ephesians 4:29). • Hands – Reject actions that exploit or indulge (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4). – Serve, give, create, comfort (Colossians 3:23). • Feet – Flee temptation spots (2 Timothy 2:22). – Go where people need the gospel (Isaiah 52:7). • Appetites – Discipline food, sex, screens (1 Corinthians 9:27). – Feast on Word, fellowship, wholesome joys (1 Timothy 6:17). • Time – Redeem the days, they are evil (Ephesians 5:16). – Schedule Scripture, prayer, rest, service. Draw Strength from the Spirit and the Word • “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) • Store Scripture for instant recall (Psalm 119:11). • The Spirit uses the Word as the sword against temptation (Ephesians 6:17). Build Guardrails and Community • Confess quickly; keep accounts short (1 John 1:9). • Invite accountability—eyes on your screen, ears to your words (Hebrews 3:13). • Assemble with believers; isolation weakens resistance (Hebrews 10:24-25). Practice Ongoing Renewal • Daily present yourself as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). • Replace old habits with new (Ephesians 4:22-24). • Fix your gaze on Jesus, “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Offering your members is not a one-time gesture; it’s the rhythm of a life set free. Each conscious surrender turns former tools of sin into instruments of righteousness—till holiness marks every part of you. |
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