LOST and FOUND
Justification and Sanctification (b)
Justification and Sanctification (b)
Anyone who has died is made free [justified; declared righteous] from sin’s control [sin]
Romans 6:7, Expanded Bible
Romans 6:7, Expanded Bible
Romans 6:1-7 reveals that by God’s grace when we believe we become identified with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection life. We may struggle at times as remnants of “parasite” sin exert a pull but God has destroyed the dominion of sin, its reign, in our life and we need to reckon it as a fact. “Reckon [logizomai] yourselves to be dead indeed to the sin, and living to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (6:11 YLT)
a) Till death do us part. The illustration used in Rom 7:1-7 depicts the impossibility of someone dead continuing a marriage relationship with his surviving partner! Or put it another way, if a drunk dies he can no longer be tempted by alcohol. Its not that sin dies but that we died to sin. Our inclinations have irrevocably changed since we now possess a newly transplanted heart. We don’t want to return to sin, as Lazarus didn’t want to return to the tomb in a shroud!
b) Old boss to a new boss. Imagine you work for a very demanding, harsh boss but leave and find new work with a kind, generous boss. One morning you receive a phone call from your old boss demanding that you come into work immediately or face consequences! Obviously, he now has no authority to order you around, you live under a new authority. Likewise, sin has lost control over us since a new Lord has authority in our life. Of course, we can foolishly choose to go back to sin’s tyranny for a while but it will never benefit us but only harm our conscience.
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Jesus didn’t come to merely make bad men good but make dead men live
Jesus didn’t come to merely make bad men good but make dead men live