Notes of Faith March 28, 2026
Pastor’s Pen Pulpit
January 20, 2002
Series: Romans Chapter 6
“GETTING OUT OF THE BOAT”
in Romans 6:12-14
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.
In Romans 6:11 the fact was established that we are connected with the crucified and risen Christ which allows us to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
So what responsibilities do we have as a result of that wonderful fact? We are to “walk on water!” “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you may obey its lusts.” We are to take vital action (and get out of the boat) based upon what our Lord has done. We are to exercise our wills and give sin no place in our mortal bodies.
Sin is still present in our bodies but we are not to let it call the shots for us. The way we do this is to remember that sin has its outlet and expression in and through our body members. At the first hint of yielding to temptation we need to ask the Holy Spirit for the strength to resist. We are no longer to yield or present the members of our body to sin’s demands as instruments of unrighteousness, but present or yield our members to God “as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
Our eyes are to focus upon that which pleases God. Our minds are to concentrate and dwell on material that is oriented to our God. The same is true with the rest of our bodies. Why? “For sin shall not be master over us” as in the past. “For we are no longer under law but under grace!”
Grace is the ruling factor in our lives now. What a glorious reality! That should put gas in our tank and give us spizerinctum!! But how do we do this, beloved? We do it by faith. We get out of the boat (not easy but oh, so rewarding!) and do a water walk.
God bless you and happy water walking!
Love to you all,
Pastor Charles Covington
When you awake in the morning, put on the full armor of God…
Eph 6:10-17
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
I pray for all true followers of Jesus that we might be prepared each day for the battle(s) that await us. Those of you that God has blessed me with during my years on earth are prayed for every time He brings you to my mind. I pray that God has used me to bless you as you have blessed me. May we walk together with Christ, now and forevermore!
Pastor Dale