ALIVE TO GOD IN CHRIST JESUS
“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:11 (NKJV)
READ: Romans 6:11–22
In this passage of the Bible, believers are admonished to reckon or consider themselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11). Another translation renders it thus:
“IN THE SAME WAY LOOK UPON YOURSELVES AS DEAD TO THE APPEAL AND POWER OF SIN BUT ALIVE AND
SENSITIVE TO THE CALL OF GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD” (Romans 6:11 PHILLIPS).
You should count yourself to be dead to sin, resisting the appeal and power of sin; but be alive and sensitive to the power of God through Christ Jesus. It is in the area of reckoning or considering
oneself dead to sin that many believers are missing it—they cannot grasp the message or find it difficult to put it into practice.
If the Bible says you are dead to sin, it is true, but it does not mean that your body would no longer be sensitive to sin. Your body would still be inclined to sin, but you would have to discipline your flesh or members not to yield to the inclination or desire of sin. The urge
or inclination or desire would still be there. It is you who must restrain yourself, discipline your body, and not continue in sinning. Whatever is arousing or stimulating the desires would have to be cut off or separated from.
However, the difference between you and the person who is not regenerated is: the enabling grace to reject or turn down the urge is given to you by the Holy Spirit on the inside of you. The Helper, the Holy Spirit, is there to help you overcome the urge of the flesh to live in sin. But you yourself have the responsibility to do away with anything that will arouse the urge or desire to sin. What you should do as a person would not be done for you by the Holy Spirit
(2 Corinthians 6:15–18).
• If there is a need to be separated from some relationships, you have to act (1 Corinthians 5:6,9; 2 Corinthians 6:14).
• If you need to take a decisive step about your friendship with someone or people, you would have to do it (1 Corinthians 15:33).
The next verse to our text, Romans 6:12, says: “THEREFORE DO NOT LET SIN REIGN IN YOUR MORTAL BODY, THAT YOU SHOULD OBEY IT IN ITS LUSTS.”
The responsibility is on you as a believer. You are the one who must not obey the urge of the flesh or body. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God (Romans 6:13).
Romans 6:14 says:
“FOR SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU. FOR YOU ARE NOT UNDER LAW BUT UNDER GRACE.”
The grace to control your body is given to you at new birth, thus sin should not have dominion over you. Grace empowers or enables you to subdue or silence the urges or demands of your flesh or body.
Note:
It is this responsibility of being able to discipline the self that many believers cannot fulfil that makes them come up with the ideology of ‘once saved is always saved, regardless of how you
live.’ However, this doctrine or teaching is erroneous; it is not consistent with the rest of the Bible. It cannot be substantiated with the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).
Ponder on this:
5 DON’T BE CONTROLLED BY YOUR BODY. KILL EVERY DESIRE FOR THE WRONG KIND OF SEX. DON’T BE
IMMORAL OR INDECENT OR HAVE EVIL THOUGHTS. DON’T BE GREEDY, WHICH IS THE SAME AS WORSHIPPING
IDOLS.
6 GOD IS ANGRY WITH PEOPLE WHO DISOBEY HIM BY DOING THESE THINGS.”
Colossians 3:5–6 (CEV)
Reflect:
• In what area of your life are you yielding to the flesh rather than
reckoning yourself dead to sin?
Peace.
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# EdificationDailyDevotional
