Background Story: The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Romans as a letter to the church in Rome to teach them the truths of the gospel.

Read Romans 6: 2-13

 We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.

Big Idea: Stop living as a slave and live as child of God.

We have this crazy, yet adorable Boston Terrier dog who is about the weirdest animal ever. She sleeps in a crate and one morning after I had opened her crate door to let her out, about 10 minutes later I realized she was still standing in her crate. The door in front of her was wide open, but she was choosing to remain. God spoke to my heart…each of us can be the same way!

Jesus said in John 10:9-10, “I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” A person who has put their faith and trust in Jesus has been set free from the power of sin to live a full, rich, satisfying life in Jesus. Even so, it can be easy to walk back into old addictions and feel powerless to get out. Do you want hear a powerful truth…the DOOR IS ALREADY OPEN! Jesus conquered sin on the cross. It is finished. And through His blood and resurrection, “our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”

How can I leave this cage of sin and walk through the open door of freedom in Christ?

Know your new identity! You are no longer a slave to sin. You have a new identity and have been adopted as a son or daughter of God. Romans 8:15 says, “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, Abba, Father.” You are not powerless! God is with you. God is for you. Christ is interceding for you. The Holy Spirit’s power is available for you. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” ALL is available to you. Press into Him today. In your struggle, temptation, and sin… cry out to your Father knowing that He hears you and is ready and able to help you in your time of weakness so that, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

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