Life, liberty, and the pursuit of holiness: becoming what you are

Romans 6:1-14

What shall we say then? mAre we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can nwe who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that ythe body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For zone who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but ipresent yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Rev. Dwight Yoo

If our standing with God is secure in Christ, why should I do anything?

That is the question answered by Paul. The response is the most emphatic way to say no, without cursing.

What are you without Christ

Romans says there are two groups: slaves to sin our slaves to Christ (Romans 6:17-18). Those who do not follow God will seek out another master. There is no one sitting on the fence. If you are not worshiping God, if you have something above God, then you will worship and devote your life to something else. Without a love for God, all we can do is sin. No matter what we do, if Christ and God is not a reference point, we cannot live rightly.  Those without christ are blind to God and brainwashed into serving idols. How do we know we are serving idols? An idol promises much and delivers little or temporary satisfaction. What do we get for chasing these idols? The wage of sin is death. So we only get death as our award.

What happens to you in christ

God needs to break through to us to show us reality. We are brainwashed and mindless slaves to sin. Those who think otherwise are deluded. When God breaks through, we are in union with Christ. We have been given everything through Him.

In our union, Christ and our old self died. The part that is a slave to sin is now dead. We are now no longer slaves to sin. Because of this, the wages of sin have been paid. We no longer owe anything to death or sin. We are free. We are now new creations.

Another way to think of this is domains. Colossians and Ephesians speaks of our transfer to the kingdom of God.

Practical implications for change

What does all this have to do with my day to day? We must consider ourselves dead to sin. This does not mean we are perfect and sinless. We are free from sin's power and mastery. We can now choose to serve God. We no longer call sin our master. So why do we find our lives still mired in sin? There is a difference between being given a status or position and acting like it. People who have been slaves for so long, still act like slaves...even when they are free. We cringe at the sound of our old master's voice. But that is the old master, we have a new LORD and KING. That is Jesus.

If you are bothered and discouraged, take heart. God is at work. If there is only apathy, then worry. Those who see sin and are bothered, be encouraged: God has started the good work!

First, remember that you are children of light.
Then act like it.

In the specific moment of temptation, talk to yourself. Don't listen to yourself. Preach to yourself. You can tell yourself that sin is not your master. You can tell yourself that you are God's and need sin and idols no more.