Take a second to go through the file cabinet of your mind and find the ancient file titled “High School Science.” You should find some notes in the biology folder on OSMOSIS. If you’re thinking that you don’t remember it, I guarantee you, if you made it to high school, you did learn about it.
OSMOSIS is a process by which molecules of a solvent pass through a semi-permeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one, thus equalizing the concentrations on each side of the membrane.
Got that? In simpler terms, for example, it is the spontaneous diffusing of water through the porous membrane of one cell, seeping through the porous membrane of another cell next to it. The two cells have to be close to each other.
It is also used metaphorically, meaning: “the gradual, unconscious, assimilation of thoughts, ideas, and knowledge from something you have become close to.” If we position ourselves next to others who have different worldviews and religious perspectives that conflict with the Word of God, we can gradually, unconsciously, begin to absorb their ideas and beliefs.
We don’t realize that the membrane of our soul and spirit is becoming porous and taking into them the wisdom of the world that knows not, nor understands, nor believes the things of God.
A few weeks ago, I was in the middle of preparing my Sunday sermon, that included verses from Romans 6, when the Spirit of God dropped this word OSMOSIS into my spirit. Let’s look at verses 12-13: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
I want to draw your attention to the word “yield.” The meaning in the original Greek text is “to place beside or near so as to put a thing at one’s disposal.” It is written in the imperative voice, which is a command: “Don’t put yourself—the members of your body, beside or near or at the disposal of anything or anyone that is unrighteous!”—Don’t allow “spiritual osmosis” to take place in your mind and in your heart.
Paul said it this way in 2Timothy 2:22: “Flee youthful lusts!” In 1Corinthians 6:18: “Flee fornication!” Don’t put yourself in the vicinity of temptation where you could fall into sin. James said: “God tempts no one to do evil. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and enticed” (Js.1:13-14).
1Corinthinas 10:14: Flee idolatry!” Anything that usurps God’s place in your life, and His truth revealed in the Bible, is idolatrous. Don’t allow your spirit to absorb false doctrine and current ultra-liberal cultural trends that are invading the Church through spiritual osmosis.
Now I want to draw your attention to the word “instruments.” The Greek definition is “a tool or implement to prepare something.” Don’t prepare to sin by using your body’s members as tools for the flesh. Paul summed it up nicely in Romans 13:14: “Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.”
Rather, yield the members of your body and mind as tools for God unto righteousness. “For sin shall not have dominion over you…” (vs.14). We possess the will to yield or to flee. How do we exercise our will not to give into sin?
Sin Is Not Dead
Paul said in Romans 6:11: “Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God…” Two key words hold the answer: RECKON and INDEED. To reckon is “to consider, take into account, to determine, purpose and decide.” We have to pre-decide that we are going to say “no” to sin. And the term “indeed” intensifies it, meaning “truly, certainly, factually.” We see ourselves as factually dead to sin, and follow through with our actions by not parking near things that can permeate our minds with fallacious thoughts and worldly ideals, and entice our flesh with lusts.
We have to see ourselves dead to sin, because sin is not dead.
In verse 6, Paul said: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed; henceforth, that we should not serve sin.” The Greek word for DESTROYED (katagargeo) means “to render idle, inactive, inoperative, to terminate all influence and power.” It does NOT mean to annihilate—sin is not dead—but we are dead to sin.
I wear a headphone mic when I preach. It is connected to a battery pack on my waistband. As long as the battery is not drained and in place, the mic amplifies my voice. If I were to remove the battery, the mic would not be able to amplify my voice even though it is in working order. It has to be connected to the power supply. In a similar way, sin is alive and strong, ready to rise up, but we keep it disconnected to its power supply when we are crucified with Christ.
Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20). In 5:24, he said: “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” It is the daily reckoning oneself to be dead indeed to sin. Paul reasoned in Rom.6:2: “How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?” Those who struggle and keep falling into the same sins often lament, “I’m trying, but I can’t help it.” NO, they have not first reckoned in their minds—determined and decided that they are done with sin! You have to make up your mind that you are done with sin before you can follow through with actions.
Call It What It Is
I don’t think I will get any argument that it is not God’s will for us to give into and to live in sin. But a major problem in the Church today is people are re-defining what is sin. What the Bible clearly condemns as sin is now being sanctioned by ministers and even celebrated in churches as God’s newly interpreted will for this perverse generation. “If allowing fornication, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and abortion is a way to get people into church, then that’s what we should do” is their unapologetic agenda. The thing is, they don’t preach against these sins once they get them in church, and some even say it’s okay with God, because He loves them. Obviously, if you don’t see something as sinful, then you have no problem taking part with those who commit it, and may even indulge in it yourself without conviction.
This is why Paul pulled no punches when he commanded in 2Cor.6:14: “Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” Yoked animals are side by side. This allows “spiritual osmosis” to take place, because everything spiritual has a physical parallel.
Paul continued: “Don’t fellowship with unrighteousness.” This means to be in the same boat with someone. Again, this is a setting for “spiritual osmosis” to happen.
“Don’t have communion with darkness.” This means joint participation. “Don’t have concord with Belial (an appellation for the devil). This means to agree with. “Don’t have agreement with idols.” This means to vote with.
“Wherefore, come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing: and I will receive you” (vv.14-18). The Greek term for “separate” means “to mark off from others by boundaries.” In today’s churches, this would be considered unloving, Un-Christian, and intolerant.
But this prevents unclean spiritual osmosis.
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