“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.”
Romans 6:6-7
I love the way The Living Bible presents Romans 6. “Should we keep on sinning when we don’t have to? For sin’s power over us was broken when we became Christians and we were baptized to become a part of Jesus Christ; through His death the power of your sinful nature was shattered. Your old sin-loving nature was buried with Him when He died … your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with Him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and fatally wounded so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin’s control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin” (Romans 6:2-7).
The death of our old self is positional, which means that when we became a part of Christ, our old self was shattered. Fatally wounded, rendered inoperative. Our old sin nature has no real power. That’s why in verses 11 and 12 we are to “count [ourselves] dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body.”
What a powerful command! Why are we told to count ourselves dead to sin? Because our “deadness” to sin doesn’t become evident in our lives until by faith we believe it. And what happens when we fail to count ourselves dead to sin? Then sin’s power over us seems real, and we allow it to reign in our lives.
Lord, thank You that through Your death, my old sin-loving nature was mortally wounded. I no longer have to sin! I have power to say no because I place my faith in You and consider myself alive to God!
Blessings,
Joni and Friends
