Thumbing through the pages of the Wall Street Journal, it’s obvious to me that regional and global companies all chase after ever-increasing sales and profits.  If they miss an expert’s financial target, ooh, how the stock market slams them big time.  I’m also reading God’s Word!  Good balance, wouldn’t you agree?  The Bible still trumps all those business things which still interest me.

So, let’s turn to Romans 6, which also makes reference to something that’s ‘ever-increasing’.  Not gross revenue.  Nor net income.  But sin, which is nothing to fool with.  Only fools do.  Am I looking in the mirror?

Sin goes from bad to worse.  From flirting to flitting down dead-end streets, offering nary an exit.  However, I’ve noticed something strange.  The closer I get to the Lord, the farther away I move from sin.  As in none at all?  Hardly.  Fat chance.  Sin daily.  But it’s getting tougher.  With Jesus nearby, conscience sears red hot.  Catches me almost immediately.  Almost.

Makes sin harder and harder to pull off effectively.  It doesn’t seem to work for me as it used to.  Thank God!  Thought we’re going to look at Romans 6?  Here goes–‘…to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness’ (v.19).   Closer to Jesus, we escalate ever-increasing holiness.  That’s more like it!

Now don’t imagine this happens the very moment you believe in Jesus.  Didn’t for me or any other Christian I’ve ever known.  Not one.

For we’re on a journey.  The closer we get to our Lord, the closer we’ll be to heaven.  The scent of hell blown farther away by the refreshing winds of heaven and the Holy Spirit.  Some sin-scent still lingers on my flesh.  But less.  Ever-decreasing.  Stronger cleansing winds in God’s forecast.

Get closer to Jesus.  Drop sins at His feet.  Confess and repent.  Let it all out with Him.  Don’t carry any on your shoulders.  Will wear you down.  His are much stronger and will carry them farther away.  As in forever gone, and good riddance!

Lord, we want to be all you created us to be.  For Jesus’ sake.  Amen.