Simple lessons from Romans – part 6
Dead to Sin
Sin created separation between us and God. Our only solution: a sacrifice. But not our sacrifice, since it wouldn’t have been accepted because of our sin, and second, it would have meant the end of our existence. Thanks God for Jesus Christ! Through faith in his sacrifice we are reconciled with God, and we receive eternal life.
When Jesus died, he took our place. So we didn’t suffer physical death, but for the purpose of our relation with God our old self died along with Jesus. In the same way, we received a new life with Jesus’ resurrection. This process is symbolized in the baptism.
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. – Romans 6:3-4
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. – Romans 6:11
Before Jesus’ sacrifice we were slaves to sin. But now that our old self is death we are free from the slavery of sin.
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. – Romans 6:6-7
There is no more sinning just because it is our nature. We can now live our lives controlling our decisions and actions. To submit ourselves again to a sinful life is like giving up our freedom.
We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? – Romans 6:2
Remember: sin brought separation between us and God, so if after being freed we return to sin, we are just returning to were we begun: condemnation without hope.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. – Romans 6:12-14
Does that mean that a Christian will never sin? No. God knows our nature. So he asks us not to live in sin (verse 2), and not to let sin reign in our lives (verse 12). That is, not to practice sin. The apostle John also recognizes this fact in his writings:
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. – 1 John 1:8-10
So, if we want to keep what Jesus won for us let’s do our best to keep our lives free from sin. Is it difficult? I can’t say it is not, but let me leave you with a two steps secret to victory from the word of God:
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – James 4:7
Comments
Simple lessons from Romans – part 6 — No Comments
HTML tags allowed in your comment: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>