Dead and Alive

Rom. 6:11

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ.

 

The question that I often consider is addressed in Rom. 6, that is:  How can we who died to sin sill live in it? I am amazed at how strong the pull of my flesh is. At times it seems to have a mind of its own. Without a doubt, I know that I am buried with Him by baptism and just as Christ was raised from the dead so have I been raised in newness of life. It sounds so cut and dried! So what is the problem with me?

 

Farther down in the passage it says that my old self has been crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that I would no longer be enslaved to sin. Certainly, I agree that I am no longer a slave to sin, but still sin hangs around more often than it should. It is a far cry from being brought to nothing. How do I get this positional truth to match its practical outworking?

 

In addition when Christ died and was raised, he conquered death and its power. And the same goes for me, death has no dominion over me. When  Christ died, He died to sin, but when he rose again, He lived to God. So I also must consider myself dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ. This truth is glorious! Perhaps the issue is in the considering. Am I thinking enough about this truth? Do I let it become part of my everyday routine? Or do I read this passage and then go about my daily living without taking this great truth with me?

 

The command then follows: Let not sin reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your member to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your member to God as instruments of righteousness. Now it has gone from considering to living! I must not give sin an edge in my life, but instead I need to be consumed with righteousness. All that I do, say, think, and feel must be an instrument of righteousness. For this great task, I need the grace of God. His grace must be my sufficiency.

 

Father,

I see and understand these great truths. Help me. Strengthen me and fill me with Your power so that I may obey and be Your instrument of righteousness. Tune my ears so that I might hear the voice of Your Holy Spirit and follow His lead.

In Jesus name,

Amen