Dead to Sin and Alive to God

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:1-11 ESV)

The popular gospel message permeating the American church at large today teaches the opposite of what Romans 6 teaches in reference to the gospel of our salvation. For it teaches that Jesus died on that cross to forgive us all our sins so that we can go to heaven when we die, but regardless of how we live. And it teaches God’s grace as permission to keep on sinning, only now without having to feel guilty for one’s sins and without the fear of hell.

Are we going to be perfect people? Not until we get to heaven, and only providing that we are walking in obedience to our Lord, faithful to the end, and that we are no longer walking in sin, i.e. that sin is no longer our habit. For where God “draws the line in the sand” has to do with what we practice, our habits. Are we people of God who are walking (in conduct, in practice) in righteousness and holiness? Or are we those giving lip service to the Lord while we continue in habitual and deliberate sin against our Lord?

And this is the subject matter of Romans 6. For right from the start it asks this question: “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” And the answer is: “By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” Exactly! But the problem today is that many are bypassing the whole thing of dying to sin and being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. And they are going right to “saved, secure, no worries.”

But please pay careful attention to the wording in Romans 6, because it does not teach what many are teaching today as the gospel. For Romans 6 teaches that we must die with Christ to sin and follow him in obedience, and if sin is what we practice, i.e. what we obey, and not obedience to our Lord, we will die in our sins, and we will not have eternal life with God, regardless of what faith in Jesus Christ our lips profess. We need to take this seriously!

For our new lives in Jesus Christ are not to resemble our old lives of living in the flesh. Our new lives in Christ put sin to death in our lives daily, by the Spirit, as we now walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands under the New Covenant, and in walks of moral purity, honesty, and faithfulness to our Lord Jesus, in his power, strength, and wisdom. For we know that our old self was crucified with Christ in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we will no longer be enslaved (addicted) to sin.

So, Jesus Christ did not die that horrible death on that cross just to free us from the punishment of sin. He died to free us from our addiction (bondage) to sin so that we will no longer be slaves of sin but now slaves to him and to his righteousness in holy living. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So we must also consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Amen and Amen!

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]   

Just a Closer Walk with Thee  

Hymn lyrics by Anonymous/Unknown

Music by American Melody

“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you” (2 Co. 13:4 NASB).

I am weak, but Thou art strong;

Jesus, keep me from all wrong;

I’ll be satisfied as long

As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,

If I falter, Lord, who cares?

Who with me my burden shares?

None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,

Time for me will be no more;

Guide me gently, safely o’er

To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,

Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,

Daily walking close to Thee,

Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6Ks49apflE 

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