God’s perspective on our spirituality is not that it is ignorant and in need of enlightenment, or that it is sick and needs to become healthy; it is simply dead.
When the Bible says, “the wages of sin is death” (6:23), it is speaking in the strongest language possible to describe the absolute helplessness of our spiritual condition.
We are a rotting, decaying corpse before the eyes of God.
We cannot hear God, move toward God or commune with Him.
What we need is for someone to perform a miracle on our spiritually dead souls and bring us back to life.
That is precisely what God accomplishes through the resurrection of Christ-the resurrection of our spiritually dead lives. Just as the killing of our old self was accomplished through the cross, though we had not yet been born, the resurrection of a new self was accomplished through the resurrection.
“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
Baptism is the outward expression of what has taken place inwardly when a person believes. It signifies our resurrection to living a new life. It is the Biblical response of anyone who believes. It is a way of saying, “I believe; I have been forgiven; Christ is now my Savior and Lord.”
So, what is reality today for me as a believer, someone who has been spiritually “raised from the dead?”
Reality is that my new self, re-created in the likeness of God, (Ephesians 4:24) is good and righteous and I can now say, as the Psalmist said, “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). Reality is that my life is now the temple of God and my heart is the “holy of holies,” the sacred dwelling place of God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). Reality is that I am “holy and beloved” (Colossians 3:12).
Today, I choose to live as someone raised from the dead, not in the lusts and selfishness of the old way, but as someone alive to God, responsive to Him.
5 Comments:
John, doesn't it seem like a contradiction that we are dead/raised to new life in Christ, yet sometimes our sinful self seems very much alive and our spirit seems almost dead? How do you wrestle with that?
By
Scott Davis, at 8:12 AM
I'm not John, but I think it probably has something to do with that "already and not yet" thing we've got going on.
According to Paul, we are more than conquerors and Christ has given us victory. AND, according to Paul, we're to "fight the good fight". Why fight if the war is over and won?
Already and not yet.
By
kilts rock, at 9:42 AM
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By
journey-man, at 10:00 AM
Christ gave us victory over the power of sin. That battle is history.
Christ will give us victory over the presence of sin. Keep up the fight!
By
journey-man, at 10:02 AM
I'm glad someone else brought up the seeming contradiction dead to sin, with a sinful self that seems so alive at times. Reading further in Romans, Paul brings up this struggle 7:21-25. Then in chapter 8 reminding us we are set free. So is it that we chain our selves back to the sinful nature, forgetting our freedom? How do we continuously live in accordance with the Spirit and have our minds set on what the Spirit desires? Does 8:26 apply to more than just prayer? (The Spirit helping us in our weakness)
I have condradicting feelings. One that gives me peace that Christ has conquered the bondage between me and sin. The other that disgusts me when I recognize the selfish motives that occur so often. Perfection not yet achieved until Christ returns?
By
Anonymous, at 10:04 AM
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