Instruments. There are different kinds of instruments–brass, stringed, woodwind, and percussion–designed and built “for” different purposes. Use a clarinet for percussion and you’ll end up with splinters. You can’t blow a guitar or pluck a tuba. Different instruments “for” different purposes.
With that in mind, notice what the Holy Spirit communicates in Romans 6:12-13:
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
Your members–the members of your body–weren’t created “for” unrighteousness any more than a flute was created “for” drumming. Think about that.
Your mind wasn’t created “for” jealousy. Your heart wasn’t created “for” idolatry. Your eyes weren’t created “for” sexual immorality. Your ears weren’t created “for” impurity. Your mouth wasn’t created “for” gossip. Your hands weren’t created “for” stealing. But present the members of your body “to” sin as instruments “for” unrighteousness and sin will reign in your body.
There’s a better way. What if we actually harmonized our use of the instruments with the original intentions of the Creator?
Your mind was created “for” worship. Your heart was created “for” joy. Your eyes were created “for” kindness. Your ears were created “for” goodness. Your mouth was created “for” love. Your hands were created “for” serving. Present the members of your body “to” God as instruments “for” righteousness? That’s life, the way it was meant to be.
Violins don’t play themselves. Trumpets don’t sound on their own. They are just instruments–designed, built, presented, and used for a purpose.
Your body was given to you for a purpose. Romans 6 is teaching you to think of the members of your body as instruments and it begs the question: in whose service will those instruments be used today?