| Romans 6:13 13 Neither yield your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but yield yourselves to God, as those that are raised alive from the dead, and your members for instruments to be used for righteousness by God.3 [Because of Adam, we all are dead in our sins, dead to the life of God, Gen 2:17,3:24, having been cut off from the tree of life. When you have been delivered (freed) from the sins and evil in your heart, God will guide your thoughts, words, and works. We are then a fit instrument for his hand to show the world the love of God, to shake the nations, and to hold out the word of life. Walking under the Spirit's total control, we walk as Jesus walked, and we do works of righteousness as Jesus worked righteousness; then, and only then, are we righteous. Little children, let no man deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. 1 John 3:7] | |||||||||
3 yield yourselves to God, as those that are raised alive from the dead, and your members for instruments to be used for righteousness by God. In order of importance the below explains this very revealing verse:
your members to be used for righteousness by God
This shows that righteousness is to do works under the direction of God, just as Jesus did the same. Jesus only spoke, judged, and did as He was prompted and ordered by God; to practice righteousness we also must be able to only speak what we hear Him order us to say and only do what we are ordered to do by God. This ability only comes after we have crucified our selfish spirit, as sin has been destroyed by the Spirit through bearing the inward cross of self-denial; then we are walking the same way He walked and in the world as He was with perfection, purity, and holiness. Then our works are perfect, virtuous, and righteous because they are ordered and energized by God; until then, any works we have done are dead works because we are dead to the life of God. The first works that God will order are works of repentance, which lead to our salvation; and even those works are God-directed for it is God who brings forth in you, both the desire, and the work according to his good pleasure. Phil 2:12-13]
raised alive from the dead,
This is not being raised from the grave after a normal physical death. This refers to the final step in your crucifixion where your undergo the baptism of fire and death, buried with Christ, (but not buried in this dimension), and then called forth from the grave by Christ to be raised to a new life and raised to heaven with Christ; but you still walk the earth too, as Christ guides your every word to be spoken and every deed to be done.
This is further testimony to the fact that while alive on earth Jesus can be resurrected in us, and we can be raised into the heavens together with Him. From the Word of the Lord within:
- "Do not be misled; you must enter the kingdom while on earth.
- Seek first the kingdom, and all else will be provided — provided you stay on course.
- You can live in heaven and still walk the earth.
- I will come again to the elect; I will be a crown to lead and guide them.
- Happy are they who serve God in His kingdom.
- You are raised to a new life, not just an imitation; He is one with us and ever-present."
yield yourselves to God
How can you yield yourself to God unless you are hearing what he commands from you? We must expose ourselves to his commands; then we must obey what he commands, and obey completely. To hear and obey is to yield.
From the Word of the Lord within:
"Whatever God commands, whether it be dying on the cross, we obey; however financially strait, however it affects our reputation, however ruinous."
"Jesus did not die so you can continue to sin. I would just as soon have avoided that horrible death. I did it to show you the extent of obedience required for your own salvation."
Each person's cross will stretch them to yield beyond what they think is their limit.
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