September 13, 2026, Morning Service
Do Not Let Sin Reign In You
Pastor Greg Isom
Paul in making his case of Christ to the Roman church has established that we are justified by faith which brings to us the grace of God. He asked the question to start this chapter; “shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound?” In other words, should we sin as much as we like to showcase the wonderful grace and forgiveness of God? Certainly not! He went on to explain that in the waters of baptism we spiritually died out to our old sinful self and have arisen to walk in the newness of life. We have been given a chance to start over. Our “old man” has been crucified with Christ on the cross and now we have arisen (been resurrected) from the waters of baptism to live with Christ and for Christ. We closed with this verse:
Romans 6:11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We need to understand that spiritually we have died out to our old sinful selves and are now alive to God “in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It is Jesus that has allowed us this chance to start over and Paul is now going to challenge us to change our perspective as we move forward in the “newness of life.” We start today with verse 12 and again he points us back to all that we have discussed so far to build upon it.
Romans 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
Paul is instructing us that to walk in the newness of life, we must not let “sin reign in our bodies.” That means we cannot allow sinful actions to be a normal part of our life. How do we do that? First things first, we have to identify sin as sin. Here is where we turn to the word to guide us. Read the word and identify what actions or lack of actions constitute sin. Sin is defined clearly in five different scriptures in our Bibles, so let’s start there. As we venture down this path, I challenge you to be honest with yourself as you look into your spiritual mirror and see if there is sin reigning within. Jesus taught this type of self-awareness (looking inside of ourselves) throughout His ministry. It can be painful, but it is vital for us to identify if there is sin “reigning” in our lives. The first one comes from Solomon in Proverbs.
Pro 24:9 The devising of foolishness is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
To “devise” foolishness is to plan or invent ways of doing it. Sin is defined not in the doing of foolishness, but in the planning or thinking about it. Simply allowing our mind to wonder into “foolish” thoughts is the first thing we must look for in our lives. Jesus also magnified this in His teaching telling us that looking lustfully or with hatred at someone is as bad as committing adultery or murder. As we define sin in our lives we have to begin even with our thoughts. Paul again challenges us to take control of our thoughts.
2Cor 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Don’t let sin reign in your mind or thoughts, stay focused in on the things of God. Next we jump forward in our study of Romans to chapter 14 where Paul again gives us a “is sin” statement.
Romans 14:23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
We all are aware of actions that are clearly forbidden by scriptures that we should not be doing; lying, stealing, and worshiping idols. But here Paul is referring to areas in our lives where the scripture is specifically silent. At those times we must trust our conscience, which is the Holy Spirit within us to guide us. If the Spirit convicts us not to do certain things, then if we do them it is sin. Everything we do must be based on our faith and we can be our own worst enemies or our own best friend in showing discipline to follow the Spirit’s guidance.
1Cor. 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
By keeping a close eye on our own actions, we can keep ourselves out of practicing sins that we are convicted to avoid. Next James reveals to us another type of sin.
Jam. 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
James shows us that there are two types of sin the one of doing evil, and the one of not doing good. Doing evil is a sin of “commission,” choosing to do wrong. Not doing what is right is a sin of “omission” in choosing to not do the right thing. It is a sin to lie and it is a sin to know the truth and not tell it. We again must be in tune with the Holy Spirit within us. If He prompts us to act or speak and when we choose to ignore Him, we are allowing sin to reign in our body. Trust God when He calls you to action knowing He will give you the words or ability to be His voice, hands and feet.
Philp. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
It takes courage and faith to step out of your comfort zone and be used by God, but you can do it through Christ. It is a promise, believe it and act on it by faith. Keep sin out of your life by following the Sprit’s bidding to do the right thing. Next John gives us a wide view of sin.
1John 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
John here is not speaking of those sins we do in ignorance, but he is showing us that direct disobedience, knowing and willfully is sin. A good example of that is when we drive, do we go the speed limit or not? If we know we are speeding and see a police officer we have a fear come over us because we have chosen to disobey the law. When disobedience becomes a common part of our life, we are practicing lawlessness and that is sin. When we recognize sin and sinful practices in our life we must act to remove them, not find ways to justify them. Living in lawlessness is allowing sin to reign in our bodies. Peter tells us that this applies to God’s laws and mans.
1Pe 2:13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,
We as Christ followers should also be good citizens of the country and community where we live by abiding by the laws in place. John magnifies this to obeying God’s commands.
1John 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
Righteousness is acting morally right in God’s eyes. Therefore unrighteousness would be acting contrary to His ways. Much like the one before this, John is showing us that living in any way that we know is contrary to what God has instructed us is sin. God will not bless disobedience so as we walk against what God’s commands we allow sin to reign in our bodies.
Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Our Bible is our roadmap to obedience. So now that we have defined sin, what next? James tells us this:
James 4:7-8 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (8) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
So going forward lets first identify the sin that is in our life and the areas in which we struggle. Where am I most vulnerable to the devil’s attacks? First lets work on the resist the devil part. Put up spiritual guard rails for yourself to keep you from places and people that tempt you to sin; just don’t go there or associate with them for your own protection. Failure often occurs when we go against the bidding of the Spirit to not go somewhere and we go anyway. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way. Here it is very helpful to get someone who will hold you accountable, a friend that you trust and will call you out when you detour off course.
Eccl. 4:9-10 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. (10) For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.
Next lets looks at how James commanded us to “submit to God and draw near to Him.” You are doing that this morning. Attending services is a great way to show God your commitment and also to draw near to Him through songs of praise, laying your needs at His feet, communing with Him, being encouraged and encouraging others, and hearing His Word. This cannot be only a Sunday thing though. We must establish a daily routine of walking with Jesus by reading His Word, praying and sharing with others His love for them. Seek to deepen your relationship with Jesus and He promises to draw near to you. Finally James tells us to cleanse and purify ourselves. John has given us that process to follow.
1Jn 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.