Contemplative Bible Reading

Romans 8:12 (New Living Translation)

12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.

Hear ye! Hear ye! You (we) are not obligated to your sinful nature.

The word obligated (oblige) means to bind morally or legally, as by a promise or contract. If I am obligated to something, I have a binding contract with that something. I must do what the contract says.

Paul writes to the Christians in Rome. Hey, we have a sinful nature. Here, however, is the good news: we are not obligated to the sinful nature. We don’t have a binding contract with the sinful nature. We are not forced by some sense of law or morality to do the things the sinful nature urges us to do.

We are free from the sinful nature and we can do the righteous things God encourages!

Wait a minute. We live in a dog-eat-dog world. Look out for number one. Don’t take any gruff from anyone. Don’t get even, get ahead. All that stuff. Nope. No obligation to any of that worldly wisdom from the sinful nature.

Great news. We are free. Let’s live like it. Please God, help me to live like it.