Month: September 2018

34. Freed from Sin

 Romans 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

 Being dead is the key to life. Sin is dead and I am dead to sin; Christ is alive and I am alive in Christ. If sin is dead it has no power and no control over me. Like a slave is emancipated so I am emancipated by proclamation from slavery to sin.

We are in Christ freed from sin in three ways: 1) I am freed from the penalty of my sin. I truly deserved the just penalty of sin, which is death. Without question or debate I am guilty and I justly deserved temporal and eternal punishment. The verdict is final. I am free from the penalty of all sins, past, present and future. Jesus Christ has borne the punishment and by His death suffered the penalty that was earned by us for every last sin. He paid the complete debt and set us free. If I truly believe that Jesus has done everything for me I do not have to do penance nor do I in any small sense need to pay for my sins. They are paid for. Past failures, mistakes and crimes have been drowned in the blood and are dead.

2) I am free from the power of sin in the present. Every day I am tempted to sin and with Christ living in me I have the power to resist the temptation and overcome. This daily struggle is ongoing; sometimes I win and sometimes I lose. But even though I give in to the power of sin from time to time I do not have to; I do not do what I want; sin wins. Repentance regains the power through faith in the Gospel. I can return again and again to a clean and forgiven freedom.

3) I will be free from the presence of sin in the next Age. In the new heaven and new earth living in the glorious presence of God sin will be completely absent. I will have gone through death and resurrection of the body and thoroughly changed into a sinless and innocent human being, just as God originally intended. Sin will not be a part of my life or of life in the New World whatsoever. Then I will know what Freedom is really like. For now the presence of sin still remains, but the penalty of sin is gone and the power of sin is constantly being overcome by a new power. I believe the promise and reacquaint myself with that power every day.

33. Body of Sin Destroyed

Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

 The promise that the body of sin will be destroyed may possibly be disturbing because we love our bodies and we do not want to see it destroyed. But this promise is really exhilarating and exciting when we realize the death and destruction that is caused by the body of sin. It’s not that the body is bad, but it is that the body of sin is bad and needs to be destroyed. Sin causes all the problems, and Sin as a power resides in the body.

There is nothing in the body that can be saved and improved because of the Sin that pervades it. The only thing that can be done with the old man is that it be crucified and that the body of sin be destroyed. This happened when Jesus, the Son of God, was crucified. This destruction of the body of sin happened to me when I was baptized and believed in Jesus. The result of repentance and faith is that we should not serve sin: sin is dead and it has no power any longer. Power over sin is activated and energized when the Gospel is proclaimed and believed.

Repentance means, in the first place, that I recognize and admit that it is my sin in my body that causes the problems. Faith means that I accept the crucifixion of Christ as the crucifixion of my old man. Then I will not serve sin; I am dead to it. The new man with a renewed spirit will not serve sin, but he will serve the new Lord of his life, the Lord of Love and the Lord of Life.

We are still responsible to preserve, protect and make healthy the body God gave us to live in. We don’t destroy health and life. But the body permeated with sin, which is actually in the selfish soul, is destroying us. The Gospel miraculously destroyed the body of sin without destroying the body. The Gospel saves the body and restores it to its original immortal intention. We can’t change it, but we leave it up to God to change this vile body to be like His glorious body through physical death and physical resurrection; then: “we shall be changed.”

32. In the likeness of Resurrection

 Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

Romans 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him.

 By faith we are together in the likeness of Christ’s death, and so shall we be in the likeness of His resurrection. The conditional promise: if we are dead with Christ (which happens if we believe in Him), then we will live with Him. The “if” condition is not really a condition for we have been planted in His death by faith; faith is the hand that receives the promise, the promise of death, death to sin and death to death. The truth is that we have been planted; therefore, we shall in truth arise. We are, not if we are, dead with Christ; therefore, we shall also live with Him.

It is in the “likeness” of Christ’s death and the “likeness” of His resurrection. Likeness means like, not same; we are created in the image and likeness of God; we are not God and we are not the same as God; we reflect God. Christ’s death is a one-time-only event since He died for the sins of someone else, not His own. Christ’s resurrection is a one-time-only event since there has been no other resurrection like His. By faith we share in His death = our sin is paid for and punished; by faith we share in His resurrection = we live because He lives. We do not die and we are not punished for our sin; and we will rise and live with Him. We do not deserve to rise again, but Jesus deserved resurrection to life for us. Because He lives we shall live.

Death comes to all sinners; Life comes to all believers. God shares His Life with us when we die and rise with Christ. We die and rise with Him daily when we repent and believe the Gospel in our remembrance of Baptism. Technically, it is not our death nor is it our resurrection; it is Christ’s death and resurrection and He shares it with us. He gives us His life. We are dead to sin and alive to God.

31. Walk in Newness of Life

 Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

 The promise is that we should walk in newness of life. We have been promised a new life: it is eternal life, it is God’s life, it is the life of Jesus in us, it is everything we hoped life would be. The newness of life is in contrast to the old man, the old life, the life of the sinful human nature, the kind of life that actually destroys life and brings us closer to death.

Life, real life, is always new and fresh, always curious and interesting, always joyful and exhilarating. It is likened to the analogy of a young child to whom almost every experience is new. When a created human person is open to the teachings and workings of God in creation, history and current experiences that person is constantly learning something new. When a child of God is opened to the revelations of Scripture taught by the Holy Spirit he experiences new insights, new understandings and new truths in his new life.

The most important and relevant aspect of “newness of life” is the spiritual life and faith affecting day-by-day words and actions; the new life actually motivates and empowers one to think clean thoughts and do good works. The new life in the believer is far superior in good works than the old life in the believer, which is inferior in sins. The believer comes into this new life and walks in newness when he is buried with Christ by baptism into death and resurrection. The old man really drowns and dies and the new man actually comes forth and arises. Newness of life is a promise we can live with.

30. Baptized into Death

 Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

 The promise is that those who have been baptized into Christ will be baptized into his death. The promise is that we are baptized into the death of Christ. The result of this baptism is that we are dead to sin, dead to self, and no longer connected to all that is not of God. So we are also dead to death. Death is separation; life is connection. Sin separates from God; grace connects to God. Connection with God is connection to life and everything that is good. Death gets rid of everything bad; the death of Christ takes away all sin; baptized into His death unites us with this event that gets rid of everything bad along with sin. This dying cuts us off from sin and unites us with God.

The issue we have to deal with every day is that we don’t want to die. “Dying to self” is the hardest part of living. “Dying to Self” means I am willing to give up every selfish desire and want, every right that I think I have, everything that would involve self-interest at the expense of other people. Faith implies dying with Christ and dying to self. The death of Christ is a big deal, always has been and always will be, obviously. Baptism also is a big deal, as it makes personal Christ’s death. Baptism places me personally into the death of Christ; that’s a big deal.

Faith in Christ means that I have died with Christ, I am buried with Christ, I am raised with Christ, and I am seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Faith identifies me with Christ and what He has done. Baptism puts me in that position. For this reason it is important that I remember my Baptism by daily repentance and faith. By doing so I will more readily do the impossible: die to self. By remembering my Baptism I affirm that I am willing to die, to take up my cross; and when the opportunity to serve others by surrendering my own wants and rights I will do so. My service and love for others arises directly out of Christ’s serving me in His death. God places me in a servant’s position by Baptism into His death. When I was baptized I died; when I remember my baptism I die daily.

29. Grace Reigns

 Romans 5:20 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

 Once sin reigned unto death; now grace reigns unto life. This promise comes into our life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace reigns through righteousness, that is, through the righteousness of God that was earned by Christ and given to us freely by God.

Grace is king. Grace is the Supreme Court. There is no overturning the decree of the king and there is no further appeal to a higher court. Grace is the final and the eternal authority. When Grace speaks everything else must keep silent.

Grace rules our lives. Sin is no longer the king, telling us what to do; Satan no longer has the authority of the prince of the power of the air, and Death is not the Final Verdict. When we do fall under the power of sin, the accusation of the Devil, and the fearful threat of Death, we have another court of appeal, we have a Higher Authority: Grace. Say what you want, but what does Grace say? Do your worst to me, and I will turn to Grace. Give me your best shot; I have Grace on my side. Grace is boss.

Grace tells me what to do, good things; grace gives me words to say, good words; grace leads me in the right way, a good path; grace does everything good. I gladly and willingly place myself under grace and follow grace, here, there, and to the ends of the earth, now, tomorrow, and to the end of time. I trust grace to always do and say the right and good things and to be a good ruler. I can believe and live according to the promises of grace. I can trust that giving grace always wins and never loses.

As a sinful human being I naturally resist rule and authority. But grace has gently, yet powerfully, coaxed me to willingly and gladly accept its reign in my life. Blessing is guaranteed to come to those who receive grace and also give it. Grace does a far greater and better job of running my life that I could. I surrender to grace, for it is good. God is good; the God of Grace is always good. It reigns unto eternal life.

28. Made Righteous

 Romans 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

 Many shall be made righteous by the obedience of Jesus the Christ, the Second Adam. The First Adam’s disobedience made sinners of many. “Many” does not mean most of the group but the entire group, and there are many in that group, the race of humans. “Made” sinners or “made” righteous” does not mean to change the substance or essence of the person; it does mean accounted, considered, reckoned or declared to be so.

The “sinner” that was made was so all-pervasive that the person was corrupted totally and to such an extent that the “sinner” in a man influences and leavens everything about him so much that nothing good remains. The good that God created in the image of God is so covered and distorted and darkened that it cannot be seen. In the same all-pervasive way the “righteous” in a believer influences and leavens everything about him so much that no sin remains in God’s sight. God sees the righteous man, not the sinner man. The evil that Adam made in his own image is so covered and enlightened that it cannot be seen.

However, the believer is still a sinner and sin still remains, and it still bedevils us constantly. By the way, the sinner is very perceptive and quite adept at seeing the sin in others, and we are pretty good at pointing it out. We are indeed completely sinner and completely saint at the same time and all the time, until we die; then the sin is gone, the sinner passes away, and we are changed in the twinkling of an eye. Meanwhile, flesh and spirit struggle. The Law energizes the flesh in this battle, while the Gospel empowers the spirit. So which should we emphasize?

Our constant focus is channeled by daily remembrance of Baptism in which the old man (the sinner) is drowned and dies and the new man (the righteous) arises to walk in newness of life. The Christian life is one of continually refocusing on Jesus, the One who made us righteous. Christ was obedient to the perfect Law of God and also obedient unto death, fulfilling the will of God (dying for people). Thereby the amazing promise comes true: I am one of the many who are made righteous. That righteousness is so pervasive that it covers and blots out the sinner; that is how faith looks at myself; that is what happens when I “die to myself” that Christ might live. When we take hold of the “made righteous” promise we view life and self in a whole new way.

27. Justification of Life

 Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

 Justification is Life; justification means declare righteous; righteousness is life. Once we are declared righteous for the sake of Christ by the decree of God we are made right with God; now that God is for us and with us and on our side we have life. We have the promise of justification of life: we are justified for life and for living; we have eternal life, and we have the joy of living this temporal life during this age as well, while we wait. Living right with God includes many great and wonderful blessings. God living in us and with us makes all the difference in the world, life or death; it means life that never ends, or without God it would mean death that ends life.

This wonderful free gift of life comes to us by the righteousness of One. Terrible death came upon all of us by the Offense of one: we were born with that Offense and its judgment unto condemnation of death. In other words, from the moment of conception we were under the sentence of death, and no one, myself or anyone else, can do anything to overturn that absolute verdict; I am a lost and condemned sinner and I can do nothing to undo that fact; I deserve the death sentence. Death is not a threat: “shape up or else; change your ways or die.” Rather, it is a settled truth and an unchangeable verdict, “DIE!”

But God still loves the condemned sinner, so He gave His Son. When you think about it there is no other way to lift the sentence of condemnation to death (eternal separation from God). The only way: the righteous God had to die for us and bear the just condemnation. Now death is turned into life, condemnation is turned into justification, the wrong is righted, and the offense is removed. The Greatest Reversal of All Time has happened to me, from the deepest depths to the highest heights I have been transformed by the justification of life. Now, today, in this minute I can live. Jesus is Alive = I am Alive.

26. Reign in Life

 Romans 5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

 Death reigns over history and man’s existence on earth because of the Offense, or Sin, of the one man, Adam. This is the human condition: all men are now mortal, that is, because of sin all will die. Since death is decreed and death comes to all, Death rules all of life because that Fate is certain. Death reigns even before the time of our own physical death; it colors and infects everything. Weaknesses, sicknesses and injuries incrementally and inexorably rob us of the rich and full life God created, eventually leading to the final end. People around us die regularly. In this sense death reigns.

But we have the promise of something greater than the presence of Death and its inevitable rule. The promise is that we shall reign in life and much more so. By faith we have received abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness by the other One Man, Jesus Christ. In that grace and righteousness we shall reign in life. We have eternal life and we have it now: in that life we rule over death. By the Overcomer we truly overcome. Death cannot threaten, scare, intimidate or rob us of life; Death has no power over us. The loss of loved ones or the loss of health cannot take away or diminish the full life we enjoy with God. Instead WE rule. We have been transferred from slaves to masters, from subjects to overlords, from serfs to lords, from peasants to bosses.

We have a different king, a different ruler, and a different boss. Jesus is now in control of life and He is responsible for us: He gives us life in place of death. Death has been removed and it has no place in us. In Christ we rule over and replace death with life; self dies and Christ lives, and He reigns forever. When we believe this promise of ruling in life there is no physical problem, no emotional disturbance, and no relational dysfunction that can bring us down into sadness, fear, trembling, doubt or despair. These temporary symptoms of death do not rule us, but we rule them, that is, in Christ’s grace and righteousness we Reign in Life. Life is in charge.

25. Grace Abounding

Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

 Grace is BIG, really big; Grace Abounds. Grace is bigger than the offense. Offense is a big deal, bigger and more offensive than we usually think. The offense is The Sin against God: the original sin of Adam and the original sin in every human being. The Offense is big because we have offended a big God; the sin is infinite because it offends an infinite God. Nothing can defeat it, overcome it, cover it, remove it or surround it, nothing except God Himself, who is even bigger. When the Law of God enters human history The Sin abounds even more, and death comes to all without exception for all have sinned.

God is, by definition, Big, and His Big Grace is bigger than Big Sin. Offense abounds, grows, destroys and kills; Grace abounds even more, grows, builds up and gives life. Nothing, even death, is too big for Grace. Grace overwhelms every sin, even the biggest sins; Grace especially overcomes Original Sin and Offense.

Abounding Grace is the promise earned by Jesus Christ. He has earned the grace and favor and mercy of God, and God justly, rightly, uncontestably and most certifiably grants it freely and abundantly. The promise is that Grace abounds for every need and problem we have, most of which are caused by the Offense, by our sin, and by the sins of the world around us. There is no problem or trouble that we can experience that Grace cannot cover, that God cannot handle. Sin abounds, and our everyday experience affirms that; but Grace abounds much more, and our everyday faith affirms that. Faith receives the promises contained in the glorious Gospel.