I invite you to turn with me to Romans chapter 6 verses 19 through 23.

I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.

For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness.

So now present your members as slaves to righteousness,

resulting in sanctification.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Therefore, what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed.

For the outcome of those things is death.

But now, having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit resulting in sanctification

and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Father in Heaven, I ask for your help now to open

verses 22 and 23 of this chapter faithfully so that we can understand them in their biblical sense and intention and

proportion and import and magnificence and power.

Guard me from error and pride.

Help me to be true to the scope of your word.

Lord, these are weighty things we're taking up here

eternal life and holiness, sanctification, please come.

I need your help, guard us from the evil one who would distort and deceive and distract.

May the spirit rest with weightiness upon us

as we look at your word, a most precious, precious gift this Christmas.

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Well, it's Christmas Eve and our hearts are brimming with 2 Corinthians 915.

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