Crucified...

Paul talks about being crucified with Christ. He discusses it in Galatians and in Romans (probably other places, but these are the ones that come to mind). He tells us we are dead to the law and dead to sin.

"How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer therein?"
"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me..."

If I am dead to sin, why do I sin?

There might be several answers to that. The first, of course, is a diminished view of God. If I really understood, as Paul did, the greatness of our God, I wouldnt choose to please myself so often. This body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. As 21st century believers, we dont really get the picture of the temple. We want to think of it like a church building. It wasnt. God gave the blueprint for the temple. He dictated the exact dimensions and materials for everything from the support beams and columns, down to the cups and bowls. It was His design. So is my body.

"Would you take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot?"

This body belongs to Christ and is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. It is honestly ridiculous to think that I have a right to use it as I wish. Still, we do it all the time. Perhaps because we live in it, too, we think these bodies belong to us. "...and ye are not your own..."

All of that being said, it remains that I am crucified with Christ and dead to the power of sin.

Another reason we choose to sin is that we dont have a good understanding of what it means to be "bought with a price". Think about it. We try to rationalize our sins by saying things like, "Oh, the temptation was just sooo strong." "I just couldnt help myself."

Here's the key, "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lusts...!" Oh, so that's it. I draw myself into temptation? Yup. Something catches my eye and I think "That would please me." I turn aside for a better look and before long I'm in the middle of something.

People - pa-lease! All we have to do is say "no". It isnt difficult or complicated. Just "no". Will I do that?

Sometimes. I hope it will be most of the time. Is this my excuse to sin? Not according to Paul - "Only use not this liberty for an occasion to the flesh..."