I have a friend, I will call Brandon. Brandon called me a few nights ago confessing that he had just sinned – again. It was the besetting sin. Just when he thought he had it beat, it came back. The guilt in his voice was heavy, unbearable almost. I quoted scriptures to Brandon: that there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ, that yesterday is gone and today is a new day. That God’s mercies are new every morning, great is His faithfulness. I asked Brandon to pick himself up, repent and keep moving forward. I asked him to reckon himself dead to the world and alive to righteousness. Dead men do not sin do they?
Job purposed in his heart that He will not sin against God. He made a stern resolution using the free will God had given him. A resolution that never again… Sometimes you fail, but you will be surprised at how far a firm human resolution can take you. Human will is what caused world war two and human will is also what brought us the useful iPhone. The human will is powerful. Scripture is then asking you to RECKON yourselves dead to sin and alive to righteousness. It’s not by might neither is it by power but you ought to, by brute human will, convince yourself that you are dead to sin.
There is something human about revenge, and something divine about forgiveness. There is something ordinary about retribution and something extraordinary about letting go. There is something natural about taking an eye for an eye and something supernatural about turning the other cheek. The difference many times is in your resolution, in your will, in reckoning yourself dead to sin
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 6:11