Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness. –Romans 6:13

Separation from sin is the practical side of holiness; if holiness can be defined as the Holy Spirit taking up residence in the Christian’s heart, regenerating him to a new life of righteousness (Romans 6:4), by faith in the atoning work of Christ on the cross:–then separation from sin is the practical outworking, both inwardly and outwardly, of that moral drive which saving faith put in the heart, “according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). “Sin is the transgression of the law” of God’s Word, the Bible (1 John 3:4, KJV); therefore, to live a life that is separated from sin, is to push towards an ever more perfect obedience to God’s Word. That the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, and all the moral commandments of Scripture, may be more conformably the rule of the Christian’s life, under the grace of the cross. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). The Word says to all who are genuinely saved by faith in the forgiveness of sins by the cross: “Sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). So, the responsibility of the Christian to obey God’s law is greater, because of the grace extended to him in the cross, and of the immediacy of his conscience being cleansed by faith: “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Hebrews 9:14). However, “how much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:29). The grace of God is a responsible grace, there is personal responsibility that comes with it; it is freely given by God to man through the cross, on the condition of repentant faith (Mark 1:15). Yet this grace is not cheap, but costly—it will cost you all of your precious, lovely sins; it is not carnal Christianity, or easy-believism, whittled down to an A-B-Cs gospel tract, but demands full repentance of the life from all known sin, and a missionary zeal to “preach the Gospel to every creature!” (Mark 16:15). “The grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12). Separation from sin says, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes” (Psalm 101:3); so whether it is a movie, or porn, or a magazine, or a book, or a music album, or any other form of recreation or evil entertainment—I trust the Holy Spirit can give a Christian the power to set nothing that is wicked in front of his eyes! In Jesus’ Name! Amen! Separation from sin takes Paul’s direction seriously: “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness” (Romans 6:13).