Not this...THAT!

From Romans - Finding the Faith

Romans 6:19

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.

Not this…THAT!

Next, we get a clarification of the analogy with another clear, “Don’t do this anymore…do that instead.”  Paul is setting up the dichotomy very clearly.  There are certain cases where two things are possible (like walking and chewing gum) and other situations where two things cannot be done simultaneously (like being in Denver and in Fort Collins at the same time).  Paul is saying that presenting our members to Sin and presenting our members to God cannot happen at the same time.  Here again, the exhortation of Scripture is not simply to “not sin” but rather telling us to put our focus (present our members) toward God rather than the Sin Nature.  The two are opposites and we cannot continue to offer ourselves in obedience to the Sin nature and Offer ourselves in Obedience to God through Jesus Christ.  It is a one or the other, moment by moment, act of our will.