If the Lord is to have full authority, all
rival rulers must be dethroned. The Spirit
will not fill believers who tolerate sin in
their lives. The grace of God covers the
guilt of our transgressions, but it cannot
be used to excuse continued disobedience
(Rom. 6:1). We grieve the Spirit by saying
yes to sin (Eph. 4:30) and stifle Him by
saying no to God (1 Thess. 5:19).Do not be discouraged by the magnitude
of this call to submission. We can’t attain
sinless perfection on earth, but with each
step of obedience, sin’s hold will lessen.
Press on—you’ll soon begin to live in the
freedom of enslavement to the most amazing
Master you’ve ever known.