Within you is flesh. Flesh is drawn to sin. It sees a sign that says “Wet Paint Do Not Touch” and immediately WANTS to touch it. It is defiant and rebellious and continually wants it’s own way – and the way of flesh is never the right way.

But did you know Jesus offers an end to this battle? That rebellious nature in you can die and the voice you hear within can change. You can go from inner turmoil to inner peace, from always messing things up to getting it right. The way has been made for you. Let me tell you about it.

3 chapters within your Bible tell of this battle and reveal the true solution. Romans 6, 7 and 8. Take 5 minutes today and read those 3 chapters for yourself. Let God’s word get into you and rewrite your narrative. When it does, something changes about you!

Sin has power in our lives. It chains us and holds us captive. We become a slave to sin, constantly doing things our flesh desires and then paying the price for it. But the chains of sin are broken in one thing … BAPTISM.

Baptism is so much bigger than we have made it to be. It’s not a ceremony or show. It’s not a ritual. It’s a breaking of chains and a changing of a life. Romans 6:4, “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”

This is how we have a shot at a new life. A life no longer bound by sin. A life no longer stuck in doing the old things. We go down in the water and we come up free! Only Jesus can do that, and I’m telling you, he does!

I was born to a very young mommy and daddy who both had hard childhoods. My dad never knew love. He never knew family, although he was part of a very big one. Dad’s life had been nothing but poor choices and messes. But when I was born, my dad went to a church and said, “I have a baby girl now, I’ve got to get my life right.” And he was baptized. Let me tell you, he became the best dad a girl could ever ask for.

Sin no longer held him. He gave up alcohol, partying, other women and every bad habit. And he never went back. He was forever changed and I forever benefited from that choice. He lived a radically new life after dying to his sin. And let’s be clear, that’s what is available to every single one of us.

Romans 6: 6-7 says, “Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.”

Sin is our master until we let Jesus set us free. When Jesus sets us free, sin is NO LONGER YOUR MASTER. You live under the freedom of God’s grace, and God’s grace is what changes you. Not hating yourself. Not wallowing in regret and shame. God’s grace covers you and changes you.

Verse 16, “Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.” Verse 18, “Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.”

You see, something dramatic and life changing happens in the life of a believer. When you accept God’s grace and you’re baptized with Jesus, your inner voice changes. Your thoughts change. Your impulses change. Your desires change. You no longer want what you used to want. That happens because you’re dead to the pull of sin and you’re alive to the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Slavery is only broken by death. In biblical times, if you were owned by someone as their slave, you would be theirs until you died. It was your life sentence. God knows sin gets into your flesh and holds you as it’s slave. You live a life far short of his promises. You settle for far less than is possible. And your whole life you can fight, but you will be stuck there because you are it’s slave. Slave to sin until you die. And my friends, THAT IS BAPTISM. Baptism is dying to self and being raised to new life in Jesus. The old is washed away. The old sin that held you as it’s slave. The old chains that kept you stuck in that old life.

That’s dead. And when you’re dead to sin, that sin knows there’s nothing more it can do to you. You’re worthless to that sin when you’re dead to it – so it moves on. You’re left free to live a new life in Jesus! That’s how it works!

But first, you have to die to that sin. You have to let it go, surrender it, crucify it, bury it. Ephesians 4: 22-23 MSG, “Everything, and I do mean everything, connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! Then take on an entirely new way of life – a God fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.” This is how your life is made new. You let that old life die and you allow God to make you new.

In this new life offered by Jesus, you become instinctively obedient and pleasing to God. Your priorities begin to change. When Jesus changes you, you actually WANT to do better and now you have the power to do it.

BUT ….

But what about when you don’t have the power to do it? What about when you want to do good, but you end up going back to the old bad ways? What about when you fall back into old bad habits? Oh Paul knows about that. He’s a sold-out follower of Jesus, and yet he admits he’s struggling with old sin creeping back in. And I am so grateful he’s honest about this struggle so we know we’re not the only one.

Do you hear that? YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY CHRISTIAN TO STILL STRUGGLE! It doesn’t mean you’re not saved. It doesn’t mean you never really gave your life to Jesus. It means maybe your focus has gotten a little off.

Paul writes in Romans 7: 15-23, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. When I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. There is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh what a miserable person I am.”

Sound familiar? You want to do good, but you screw it up. You start strong but never finish. You have great intentions but your follow through sucks.

The problem here is not your desire to live well – the problem here is your focus. This is all self-focused. Over 40 times in this scripture Paul says “I and me”. And the truth is YOU can’t save yourself. You versus your sin always leaves you losing.

But something completely flips when Paul shifts his focus. Watch this. Verse 24, “WHO WILL FREE ME?” This is his shift away from self-focus. He’s looking for a savior outside of himself. He’s come to the realization that he can’t will himself into change.

Have you come to that realization too? You just can’t make yourself good enough. You can’t make yourself change, you always seem to eventually slip back into the same old stuff. Yip, that’s because you don’t hold that power. You can’t save you. You need someone else to free you. That someone is is Jesus, and only Jesus.

Paul says, “Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Now he’s Jesus focused.

And something happens when you stop focusing on yourself and you start focusing on Jesus – you’re free! Free to change and live a radically new life. Your inner voice changes. Your habits change. Your impulses change. You actually WANT to do the things that please God. You don’t HAVE to, you WANT to. You start craving time with God. You hunger for his word. You are repulsed by the things that are not of God. And you don’t have to force that, it just starts happening when you stop focusing on yourself and start focusing on Jesus.

As simple as it may sound, Jesus really is the answer. Always. Forever.

Have you died to that old sin and accepted the new life Jesus is offering? Maybe you’ve been baptized before but you didn’t know what could really happen. Girl, do it again! Focus on Jesus this time. Let him set you free. Let him wash you clean. Let him change you from the inside out.

Romans 8:12, “You have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.” You died to that. You’re no longer it’s slave. You have a new master, and that master is Jesus. You have a new guide, and that guide is the Holy Spirit. And the Spirit will take control and change you.

Even as a seasoned Christian with a whole lot of years of faith under my belt, I’ve learned the Spirit wants more of me. And the more I obey the Spirit, the more he changes my desires. I’m repulsed by what I used to do. I’m literally offended by my own old self. I cringe over things I used to say. That’s all a result of Jesus making me new and continually working on me.

Let him do that in your life. It’s possible and honestly, it’s not even hard.

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