For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

I was thinking about Romans 6:14 the other day and trying to figure out how to explain that to myself.  Often I read a verse or section of Scripture and really like it but cannot seem to explain it to myself in a way that makes sense.  This is one of those verses for example.  I understand that sin is no longer my master, and I understand I am no longer under the law but why does sin keep bothering me, and why will it not let me alone?  

Have you ever had a job that you were really good at?  I mean one where your employer and co-works were really impressed with you and your performance?  The kind of job that was hard to leave because you knew it so well and they knew you just as well.  I am talking about the kind of job that even after you leave they contact you every once in awhile to ask for help and see if you want to come back.  That is what this is like.  You used to work for sin, it was your boss and you worked hard for your wages.  You would come in early and leave late.  You gave up family time to do what it wanted.  It knew just how to get you motivated and although the job was hard you really enjoyed it at times.  

The Greek word in this verse for master is kurieuó and it means to be lord of, or rule.  The definition goes further and says “properly, to exercise rights over”.  That means sin was your boss and knew it.  When you left it was mad, it was not happy to lose such a great employee.  So like that old job it keeps calling, like that old relationship you should not have had it keeps calling.  Just come back, just come over, lets just connect on Linkedin, lets just connect on Facebook.  Lets just get coffee.  I miss you.  It will pull at your strings, it will push those buttons that have always worked so well because it wants you back.  It wants what it used to have returned to it.  

But and this is the beautiful thing sin does not have rights to you anymore.  You are now under grace.  You are now dead to sin and hidden with Christ in God.  He has purchased you and is now Master over your life.  He now has kurieuó over your life.  You have a new Master and He does not want you playing around with other job opportunities.  He does not want you entertaining other employment options.  He wants you wholly as His own.

How do we fight it though?  You worked for sin for so long it knows how to get at you.  It knows how to entice you back into service.  The answer is simple you must change.  You must embrace the new man you are and learn to walk in Him.  When you walk in the newness you have received sin cannot tempt you with things you have put off.  We must understand the new man we have put on and walk only in it.  Galatians 5:6 says if we walk by the Spirit we will not gratify the desires of the flesh, what that means is simply if you are doing one you cannot do the other.  Think of it this way you cannot sit and jump at the same time.  If you do one you do not do the other.  Being under grace is the same way; if you are under grace you are not under the law.  You can only serve one master I suggest you chose the one who wants to give you an abundant life.
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