Great grace and responsible response (2)

God gives us hope for the future, but He also wants to transform the way we live until we attain that hope of final salvation. The Apostle Paul makes this clear in the rest of the chapter.

Romans 6:3-14 answers the question, “how do those of us who are under grace live without being characterised by sin? How are we to live lives of victory and practical holiness?

Paul discusses a three-step approach to this. Firstly, by understanding the nature of our new identity and status in Christ.

Secondly, by reflecting on and accepting our new identity and status.

Thirdly, by putting our new status into action – obedience to the will of Christ, the teachings of Christ with whom we now are wonderfully united to.

We must put our new status into action.

Our new identity and status in Christ

 The Apostle Paul says “we died to sin”. What does he mean by this? It does not mean Christians are not tempted by sin or that they are incapable of sinning – his teaching in Romans 6:11-14 make this clear.

We are united with Christ in His death and resurrection. We died to sin. We who are Christians no longer live under the power of the dominion of sin. We cannot, therefore, go on sinning. Sin should no longer characterise our lifestyles.

 We also rose with Christ. While our bodily resurrection is in the future, we even now enjoy the benefits of Christ’s resurrection.

Christ conquered death. We now have the assurance of conquering death too. Christ in His resurrection now lives to God. We too who are raised with Christ now live to God.

The point being made is this: “through faith in Christ and baptism in Him, Christians have a new essence, a new status or standing, a new being.

This is an accomplished feat. It is the new beginning of a process which must be worked out in appropriate and holy behaviour.

Genuine Christians have been set free from the power of sin and the wages or punishment for sin. Sin shall no longer be our Master to serve.

And when Christ comes at the end of this age, we would be free completely from the presence of sin.

Reflecting on and accepting our new identity

“You should also consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11 NLT).  Christians are to “consider”, “count yourselves”, “reckon” yourselves as “dead to sin”.

Post into your account your new status in Christ, the two new priceless credits: we are “dead to sin” and we are “alive to God in Christ Jesus”. This reckoning to our account is something we are to do constantly.

It says “keep on counting yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Dr. Douglas Moo, a Bible teacher says, “Only constantly looking at ourselves as people who really have died to sin and been made alive in Christ will we be able to live out the new status God has given us.