As I was finishing digging the raspberry bushes out of my yard and lamenting over my laziness in letting them take over my yard, I was still thinking about how similar to sin those raspberry bushes were. However, my thoughts were now moving in a different direction. I have heard people say, “Well, everyone has a sin that so easily entangles them. This is mine.” I have to confess it makes me sad and as I was digging and cutting down the raspberries, I realized why it makes me sad. I had the power over the bushes. I didn’t have to let them stay in the yard, I chose to let them stay in the yard. Then I started getting excited because I realized that I have the same power over sin that I had over the bushes. Sin is already defeated!! We no longer have to let it say in our life. Praise God! We can say no to sin and yes to “God-likeness." In fact, we are commanded to “throw off the sin that so easily entangles." There is no need to live defeated and in fear of sin. Staying in my house and refusing to come out would not have kept the thorns and thickets from invading the only way to keep them from occupying the yard is to take steps to make them leave. Sin may from time to time enter our life, but we don’t have to be afraid if sin or wallow in it. In Christ, sin is already defeated, we have only to make the choice to stand in the power of what Christ has already done! God's plan is for you and I to live a life victorious over sin. Now that's worth getting excited about. Who does wants to live defeated and beaten if we can live confident and victorious? I want to live confident that sin has no hold on me. I cam master sin, but it can not master me!!
