Romans 6.1-11
1So, what will we say? We should stay in
sin, so that grace can overflow? 2It better never happen! Whoever of
us has died to sin, how will we still live in it? 3Or don’t you know
that as many of us as have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized
into His death?
4So, we were buried with Him through baptism
into that death, so that just as Christ raised from the dead through the glory
of the Father, also in the same way we ourselves walk in the newness of life. 5Afterall,
if we’ve become united with the likeness of His death, indeed also we will be [united
to the likeness of] the resurrection! 6Because we know this, namely
that our old humanity was crucified together [with Jesus], so that the body
full of sin would be done away with, so that we would no longer be enslaved to
sin. 7For, the One Who died really was vindicated from sin.
8And if we died with Christ, we’re
believing that we’ll also live with Him, 9because we know that Christ
risen from the dead doesn’t die anymore, death no longer masters Him. 10Because
what He died, He died once and for all to sin, and what He lives, He lives to
God! 11So also you, be considering yourselves to be, on the one
hand, dead to sin, but on the other hand, living for God in Christ Jesus!
Jesus’ death was our death. That is one of the most
profound truths that there is. Yesterday, we considered how Jesus’ death was
for us, and for the world. We discussed how Jesus’ super-meaningful death meant
we could have a relationship with God, and we considered how that death was a
message for our own friends, families, coworkers, teachers, and even enemies.
Jesus death solved our relationship problem; He gave us a relationship with God.
Today, we look again into the significance of Jesus’
death, what does it mean for us, since it is for us. And in this passage we see
that its significance is huge! It does three things: 1)It makes it possible for
us to live beyond this life; 2) It makes it possible for us not to have to live
to sin; and 3)It makes it possible for us to life to glorify God.
The first thing Jesus’ death and resurrection for us
does is that it gives us a promise and hope and sure outcome of a resurrection
just like Him. This encourages us in the face of death and other deadly fears,
because know that no matter the immediate outcome, in the end we will live
resurrected like Jesus!
However, as Christians we often despair that we will
never be able to overcome our sinful tendencies. We look at our lives and it
feels like sin is alive in us, like a hungry power eating ravenously from the
goodness, joy, and purity in our lives. We think to ourselves, “How will I ever
get free from this wild animal that is eating me alive!?”
However, Jesus’ death for us did something awesome. It
connected our sinful life to His death on the cross, so that when He died for
our sins, our sinful life died with Him. If you are a Christian, it’s awesome,
because our sinful life is dead! We don’t have to sin anymore. Sin is no longer
our master!
Sin is trapped on the other side the bridge, a bridge
that Jesus destroyed when He died for us. Sin can’t ever enslave us again.
Sure, it can shoot at us from the other side of the bridge, but God connected
our sinful life to Jesus on the cross, and Jesus’ death was the bomb that blew
the bridge. We’re free!
And the last awesome thing that Jesus’ death did was
make it possible to share in His Resurrection Life! However, not only does this
mean that we won’t died, it means that we can now live a life that matches
Jesus’ kind of life. Everything Jesus did, His life, it was all for God. Being
united with His resurrection life means that we are now united to His way of
life. We now have this forceful life in us, Jesus’ life. Jesus lives for God in
us. This means that for us Christians, if there is anything that we have to do,
it is live for God. For us, it is easier to live for God, than to live for sin!
So, consider yourselves dead to sin and consider yourselves
as people living for God in Christ Jesus.
Much Love,
P.Anthony
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