Romans 6:14–15 says,
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace.…What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Elohim forbid!
What is Paul saying here? Paul is saying that sin (i.e., Torahlessness, 1 John 3:4) shall not have dominion over those who have faith in Yeshua and who have died to their old sinful nature as pictured by the baptism ritual (Rom 6:1–10). The Bible is clear: the wages or sting of sin is death (Rom 6:23; 1 Cor 15:56), for sin is the violation of the Torah (1 John 3:4), and those who are spiritually alive to Elohim through Yeshua (Rom 6:11) not only have had their sins forgiven, but they’re not continuing in habitual sin (1 John 3:4–9). They are walking under YHVH’s merciful grace, so that if they sin (i.e., violate the Torah), they can repent and receive his grace (1 John 1:9) instead of death. This is why Paul can say that the redeemed believer is no longer under the (penalty of) the Torah, but is under grace (Rom 6:14).
Because we are under grace and we have been spared by Elohim’s mercy from the penalty for sinning (i.e., violating the Torah), which is death, does this mean that we can continue in sin (i.e., continue violating the Torah, Rom 6:15)? Certainly not! Paul strongly affirms this in verse fifteen. Elohim’s grace doesn’t give us a license to sin (i.e., to violate the Torah, 1 John 3:4). If a saint sins, he must repent of his sin and not continue in his sin (1 John 1:9), so that the mercy and grace of Elohim will cover his transgression.
Paul then goes to say (Rom 6:16–23) that since we are no longer slaves to sin because of our relationship with Elohim through Yeshua, we now have become slaves to righteousness (i.e., Torah obedience, see Ps 119:172 where righteousness is defined as Torah-obedience). The Torah not only defines what sin is, but also shows us how not to sin. It is the grace of Elohim that not only gives us grace or unmerited pardon for violating the Torah (i.e., sin), but the same grace divinely enables us to live in obedience to the Torah, so that we will not come under the (penalty of) the Torah through sinfulness. This is why Paul can go on to declare that the Torah is holy, and the commandment holy, just and good (Rom 7:12). It reveals to us the path of righteousness and how not to sin by showing us how to love Elohim and our neighbor.
We cannot keep the Torah without the Torah giver…His grace empowers us to keep it. Hallelu-YAH!
I just found out a friend of mine from church is full-on addicted to porn. He hates it, and is repentant. But how can I help/pray for/edify/lift up this brother? How do I pray for a miracle?
I used to struggle with it too, but it never goes away…
If he truly recognizes that viewing porn is sin, repents of it, and makes the determination that he doesn’t want to view it any longer, then all he has to do is to cry out from the bottom of his heart for the power of Yeshua’s Spirit to take the desire away from him, and that desire will leave. It’s that simple. This is the case with any sin.
He also either needs to put the computer away, or lock it down so porn sites can’t come up. He also needs to be accountable to someone else in this matter. That helps to put the fear of YHVH and man into a person. If he’s married, he also needs to pray for a new love from YHVH for his wife, so that he won’t feel the need for porn.
Also, instead of watching porn, when the carnal urges arise to do so, he needs to have other activities to do with which he can fill his life. How about reading and studying his Bible for starters?
The most important point is to truly repent and to cry out to Yeshua for help and to keep doing so until the urges to view porn are conquered and obliterated.