DOMINATING SIN
(week 04/12)
Olubi Johnson
Romans 6:14 KJV: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Here, the scripture tells us that sin will not have dominion over us, or, we should dominate sin.
Now it is crucial to understand that we are to dominate sin at two levels:
1. The nature and power of the sin-nature (in our souls: will, mind and emotions, and bodies) and in the air.
Ephesians 2:2-3 KJV: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
2. The acts or deeds of sin in our conduct.
It is instructive to note that if you do not release the power of God in sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9) measure to dominate the nature and power of sin in the soul, body and air (circumstances), you will not be able to dominate the acts of sin in your conduct.
To further clarify this, we need to remember that Adam did not have any sin-nature in him or in the air around him, yet he committed an act of sin by eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen.3:1-8). This tells us that even when we have overcome the nature and power sin, our freewill, if not diligently applied to righteousness can still cause us to commit acts of sin.
Furthermore, it is instructive to see that had Adam obeyed God and eaten first of the tree of life, he would have obtained the knowledge of good and evil by revelation through the light of life instead of by experience. For instance, we all know eating or drinking a poison like cyanide kills, but we do not have to eat or drink it to get this knowledge: we get the knowledge by revelation, NOT by the experience of the evil it brings. So as we pray to overcome the nature and power of sin by the life of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we get the revelation of the evil of sin without experiencing the sin and this further motivates us to avoid it by praying to overcome the acts of sin.
The Lord Jesus, the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45) in contrast to the first Adam, had the power over sin in the air constantly assailing his soul, body and circumstances yet by diligently using the mercy, grace of God through the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit never committed any act of sin:
Hebrews 4:15 KJV: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
In our article next week, we will see in more detail how He did this.
