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Changing Your Address – The Concept of Being ‘Dead to Your Sin’

31 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Spiritual

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Most of us have experienced what it is like to move from one residence to another. Moving is one of the most stressful periods of life because it involves taking all that you own and placing it in another residence. It is a time in which the normalcy as it relates to the routine of daily living is interrupted briefly. The purpose for such a move may be because of wanting a change in scenery, increasing space for the family, a job change, or one may be unable to afford their current living situation.

However, when you move from one residence to another, your old address is no longer relevant to your life and where you will be living.  In most cases, once you have moved from one address to another, the old residence will at some point be occupied by someone else.  If that occurs, then you will be unable to live in the property that you moved from because someone else either owns it or it is being rented. Your next residence is what will offer a new way of living, a new beginning, and a fresh start in life. Attempting to go back to what you left behind would defeat the purpose of starting over and gaining a new residence for you and or your family.

The same concept can be applied spiritually to each of our lives.  In an earlier blog post, the principle of being awakened and alive in Jesus Christ was explained by using the scripture from Ephesians 2:1-6. The point of that post was to examine what being dead in our sin means but also knowing what it means to be alive or awakened because of Jesus Christ.  In Romans chapter 6, the Apostle Paul brings up a similar principle but instead, he uses the principle of being ‘dead to sin’ and being ‘alive in Christ.’

There is a fundamental difference between being ‘dead in your sin’ and being ‘dead to your sin.’ To be dead in your sin is living in death or a constant state of decay. Being dead to your sin means that you are no longer bound to the power that sin has over you.  In Romans chapter 6 the Apostle Paul explains it this way:

Verses 1-2:

(NLT) “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?”

First it is important to focus on verse 1 in which Paul is challenging the notion that one can continue sinning and taking advantage of God’s grace.  There are many who have and continue to believe satan’s lie which is that you can continuously sin and expect God’s grace to cover your sin.  It is true that God will forgive us when we sin, however, the expectation that God has of every Christian is to live in holiness and obedience.  This means not willfully sinning and expecting to be in the right position with God.

Of course, you and I are in our human state which means that we will all sin at some point because we are imperfect.  However, many have used that reality as an excuse to continue in sin. Paul answers the question emphatically regarding sinfulness in verse 2 when he says that we should not continue living in sin. However, notice what he says in this verse:

“Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?”

Paul says that we have ‘died’ to sin which means when we have received Christ in our hearts, we are no longer living in sin or alive to our sin.  We have ‘died’ to our sin which means it no longer has power over us. Just like the analogy of living in a new residence and attempting to go back to your old one, that is how God sees us when we accept Christ. It becomes fruitless and it is not practical to live in an old residence when you have a new residence to live in.

Paul continues in verses 3-4:

(NLT) “Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” 

The interesting part of these two verses is that the Apostle Paul uses the term, ‘baptism.’ Why does he use this term and why is it relevant to our relationship with Christ? First you must understand the meaning of the word ‘baptize.’ The word ‘baptize’ is actually derived from the Greek word ‘baptizo’ which then comes from the root word ‘bapto.’ This was a term that was used in the first century as it related to immersing a cloth or garment into water with bleach and then with dye in order to change the color of the cloth or garment.

In the historical sense, baptism meant to immerse with the intent of seeing a changed product as the end result.  As it relates to Jesus Christ, the term ‘baptism’ is used in the symbolic sense concerning Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Paul says that we were “buried with Christ by baptism” which means that when Christ died on the cross, it was the act of His death that started the process of breaking the power of sin.  Jesus was and is our atoning sacrifice for the debt of sin that we could not pay. The burial of Christ is also symbolic as it relates to baptism by water. When someone is baptized they are taken down into the water to symbolize that there is a death and a burial to their sinful nature.

What all of this means is, when we are baptized with Christ, we are essentially dying to our sin which means we can no longer live in it as we did before.  Secondly, Paul says in the latter part of verse 4, “And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” So, the last part of the process is that there is a resurrection. Jesus Christ did not simply die only to remain dead. However, Jesus died and rose again 3 days later.  

Christ’s rising again from death completed the process of providing new life to us and breaking the power of sin. Even with water baptism the act of getting out of the water symbolizes a resurrection and a newness of life. Regarding water baptism, it should be noted that every Christian should at some point receive the baptism by water.  Water baptism is a public declaration of one’s confession that Jesus is Lord in their life. It is also symbolic of a person’s new life in Christ which means to signify to the world that there has been a shedding of sin or the old nature.

Verses 5-7 in this passage sum up the point that Paul makes to us:

(NLT) “Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.”

So, the overall point is that when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior, our lives change. If we have died to our sin, and we are buried and have been resurrected as Christ was, then our lives are made new. The reason why there are many who can continue in their sin (both those who are not in Christ and those who claim Christianity) is because they have not been truly made new and whole.  That isn’t to say that you and I will never sin again.  However, if our lives resemble exactly what those who are of this world do daily, then we have not allowed Christ to transform us.

If you don’t know Jesus in the remission of your sins, you are living in death.  However, if you want to be dead to your sin and experience life in abundance, then you have an opportunity to accept this gift of life.  Being dead to your sin is to be alive in Jesus Christ. It is only Christ who can change your life and make it brand new.

Born Again – A Spiritual Rebirth

11 Monday May 2015

Posted by in Christian, Christianity, God, Inspiration, Jesus Christ, Life, Spiritual

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When a mother conceives and eventually gives birth, the child that is released from the Mother’s womb experiences life in this world for the first time. However, it isn’t just an ordinary life, but it is a life that is brand new.  Each child that is born comes into the world as a new participant in many of the options that life has made available.  The birth of a child is a joyous moment for many because it represents a new beginning.

However, in addition to a physical birth that you and I have experienced when we were born, there is a birthing experience that takes place in the spiritual sense.  This is called, being “born again.”  What does mean to be born again mean? In John chapter 3, Jesus is speaking to a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus.  Jesus has a dialog with Nicodemus in which He teaches him the concept of “being born again.” 

John 3: 1-6 says:

“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again.”

In this passage, Nicodemus pondered the very idea of being born again.  It was a concept that he did not understand, but Jesus makes it clear that a human cannot be reborn in the physical sense.  To be born again means to experience a spiritual rebirth. He goes on to use the phrase “being born of the water and the spirit”. Before examining what being born again means, we must first understand a key point which ties into the need for salvation or a spiritual rebirth.

When Adam & Even sinned in the Garden of Eden, their actions produced the element of sin and sinful nature.  After the fall of man in Genesis 1, sin was not only introduced into the world, but every human became a by-product of the original action of sin. Psalm 51:5 says, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” The songwriter David, says in this verse that he is born into sin and he was shaped in iniquity.  Even in Psalm 58:3, David says that the wicked are born “estranged” from the womb, or born from their mother’s womb.  He also says in the verse, that they go astray after birth, speaking lies.  This is because of the sinful nature that resides within us.  We are all born into sin because of the original disobedience of Adam & Eve.

With sin being our original state after birth, there is then a need for salvation or as Jesus said, “being born again”.  The spiritual re-birthing according to Jesus requires that we be born of water and the spirit.  What does He mean? First, water in this context means the “washing by God’s word.” In Ephesians 5: 25-26, the Apostle Paul is giving instructions to husbands concerning their wives.

He says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,”  When Paul says, the phrase, “Washing with the water through the word” he is referring to the cleansing power of God’s word.  God’s word is powerful and has the ability to cleanse us through conviction and even instruction.  The Bible provides each believer and even nonbeliever with an opportunity to receive healing, direction, and a better way of living.  It is through the institution of God’s word into our lives, that we are able to avoid the sin that separates us from God.

Secondly, Jesus says to Nicodemus that we must be born of the Spirit.  Being born of the Spirit involves accepting Christ as Lord and Savior.  This then allows the Holy Spirit to take residence in our lives, which means that upon salvation we are then born of the Spirit.

Titus 3: 3-7 says,

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

The Apostle Paul gives descriptions in this scripture of what behaviors and sinful activity he himself and others he was speaking to, exhibited before receiving Christ.  Basically, if you are not in Christ, then you are subject to your sinful nature.  However, after you receive Christ as your savior, you are then reborn in the Spirit which is through the residence of the Holy Spirit. Essentially, to be reborn there must be a conversion from death which is from your sinful nature to life which is through Christ and the Holy Spirit.

So, Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross gives every person an opportunity to be reborn spiritually.  While you and I are born into this world through the flesh, we can be reborn in the Spirit because as Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Spirit gives birth to the Spirit”. This means, you can be reborn through the Holy Spirit once you accept Christ. The great thing about being reborn is that you are no longer a slave to your sin.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature.  This means, that your sin, and the burden of the guilt that you carry is no more.

All of us have an opportunity to be born again which means that through Christ we can be made new.  As long as we remain in our sinful nature, then we will produce the fruit of which we were born which is corruption.  However, once we have accepted Christ and are living life by the Spirit, then our behaviors and our heart begins to change.  The best way to live and to have a life that is full of abundance is to do so after being born again. It is a life that brings joy, satisfaction, and ultimately you are no longer bound to the sin that you were born into.