How does the ‘old self’ work in your new identity?
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. 10The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, he lives to God. 11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:6-14 (NIV)
So far, Paul asserts that our old selves were crucified with Christ so that sin’s hold on us would be broken, enabling us not only to live free from sin’s tyranny but also to live unto God in righteousness. This transformation is rooted in the belief that just as Christ died and rose again, we too participate in this pattern through our faith in Him—His resurrection ensures that death no longer has dominion over Him, and by extension, over us who are in Him (Romans 6:8-9).
Paul sums up this section by explaining that Christ’s death was a one-time event for sin, and now He lives for God—thus, we should also consider ourselves as living for God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:10-11). This means recognizing ourselves as dead to sin but alive to God, a status we must actively embrace and live out daily. This active embracing is likened to claiming a legal right or privilege, such as accessing a trust fund which, although legally yours, requires action on your part to benefit from it.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones uses the analogy of freed slaves post-Civil War who, despite being legally free, often felt experientially bound due to long years of conditioning: “They heard the announcement that slavery was abolished and that they were free: but hundreds, not to say thousands, of times in their after-lives and experiences many of them did not realize it, and when they saw their old master coming near them they began to quake and to tremble, and to wonder whether they were going to be sold.” Similarly, Christians are legally free from sin’s reign but may feel bound until they truly understand and live out their freedom in Christ.
Paul challenges the assumption that being dead to sin means living a flawless life. Instead, being dead to sin means sin no longer controls our core being and actions. It’s not about never sinning, but about sin not being the prevailing force in our lives. Christians may still commit sins, but these acts do not define them, nor do they live in a pattern of ongoing, unrepentant sin. Instead, they experience a genuine distaste and grief for sin, indicating sin’s reduced power over their lives.
In summary, Paul’s message in Romans 6 is that believers must not only understand their legal status of being dead to sin through Christ’s death but must also live it out by actively rejecting sin and pursuing a life that reflects their new identity in Christ. This transformation is a daily process of dying to the old self and living through the resurrection power of Jesus.
Consider the analogy of freed slaves post-Civil War who felt experientially bound despite being legally free. In what ways might your past experiences or conditioning be hindering you from fully embracing your freedom in Christ?
[The ideas for this week’s materials on Romans 6:1-14 were drawn from Tim Keller’s book “Romans 1-7 for You“]
Today’s devotional and question make me think back to when I first became a believer. Initially, when I accepted the offer of salvation through faith in Christ, I was deep in active addiction. Directly afterward, I continued in it for a short time, until a series of events, (which I now know were orchestrated by our sovereign God,) led me to an ability to stop drinking and using. At that time, I felt as though God had miraculously freed me from my obsession to drink and use, and I remained abstinent from drugs and alcohol for about 2 years. I went to church during this time, and even began attending the School of Ministry at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. However, at one point after nearly 2 years, life became extremely difficult due to a set of circumstances beyond my control, and, inevitably, I relapsed. At this point, life became a living hell- far worse than anything I had experienced in my 20 plus years of past addiction. I didn’t understand. I had tried the way of faith- why didn’t it work? If I had new life and freedom in Christ, why did I relapse and fall back into the bondage of sin that had me under its thumb for so long before? After about a year of this, once again, another series of events led me to seek help, and through this I began attending AA. It was there that I learned to look at my own experiences and conditioning that had hindered me from fully embracing my freedom in Christ. This is where I came to the realization that though salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone, I am required to take action as well to fully experience His redemptive purpose in my life here and now. In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul says, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
I think I need to back up a bit to be able to answer today questions. Not that far back because I’m pretty new still in my current understanding and thinking. I came to Christ not with fervor like Brian did 🙂 – I came to Him through desperation to find something different to heal my soul. I came to Him because I could not continue as I was. I went from deep depression and desperation and was rescued by God but just as with the slave, I still don’t understand what it meant to be freed. The Lord lifted me up from my despair but I had not come to Him yet. I can imagine slaves freed from their owner houses and not knowing what to do now and just wandering aimlessly looking for a new purpose. That was me at first, I no longer wanted to give up my life but now what? The Lord, rescuing me didn’t then just left me to my own device. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philipians 1:6). He worked to put me on a path to find Him and at some point I did find Him, but still that doesn’t mean that I am aware of the significance of knowing Him and what He has done for me. So I read and I study and I get to know the Lord but I still don’t have enough faith and to be honest, I was mentally unable to love or be loved. I didn’t trust anyone and if I can’t have faith in the people who I see every day, how do I have faith in the God that’s not seen (at least not by me at the time).
This is the struggle that hinder me at first. I’m condition in a way to believe in myself and what I can do for myself. I am condition in my scientific minded education and the fact that I had to rely on myself for all of my life up to that point.
It is difficult for me to just have the kind of faith Jesus speak about in John 20:29 “Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'” For me I need a different way. Luckily the Father knows that we all come to Him in different ways and He always meet us where we are – He seek us not the other way around “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10).
For me I needed to experience His salvation first hand and to see the changes He made in me and to recognize those changes in my daily life before I can start to gain the level of faith in Him needed to even accept His grace. He was there with His arms open to save me and He was the ONLY lifeline available to me and yet He had to convince me that I needed Him. To be honest, I feel that some of the ways in which He reveal to me how much I needed Him are VERY painful for me and for those around me. But being the obstinate child that I was, I could not learn otherwise. No matter how painful though, I’m glad for it – “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11)
But once I do recognize His work for what it is and once I am able to reflect on my own free choices to act against His wishes for me (all for my own good), I feel at peace with the situation that I’m in and as soon as I learn the lesson, I feel He works then to restore me and renew me – I died to that sin and circumstance and am reborn.
Unfortunately I am so stubborn and undeserving and such a slow learner, I continue to sin and continue to fall and continue to struggle and needing Him to rescue me over and over again. But each time the lessons take a stronger hold and I feel more and more adverse to the action/choice that let me down those paths. As it is stated in Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
I pray for and I know that He is faithful and will never give up on me so that He works to make me stronger and one day temptations will no longer be able to pull me down; and one day, though sins persist I will no longer listen; and maybe one day I will no longer hear the voice of temptations – that will be heaven indeed where only His love and the peace He grants will be in my heart.