“We Died to Sin”
When I was born again in East Timor,
I was over the rainbow. I literally went out and did leap like a calf released
from the stall. Whether I had a meal, read a book, took a nap, whatever I did, everything
became meaningful for me. I did give thanks to God who gave me new life in
Jesus Christ. But before long, I felt such agony. I was hoping that I would be
unresponsive to sin and temptation any longer just like a corpse. But I realized
that my fallen nature was still so alive and active within me. I felt torn
apart between Scripture and my own experience. There is a popular misunderstanding
regarding conversion. They say, “When we are converted, we die to sin. As a
dead man, the Christian is insensible to sin.”
In verse 2 Paul clearly says, “We (Christians) died to sin.” So what does
Paul truly mean by “We died to sin”? The very last verse of today’s passage,
verse 14, gives us a hint, saying, “Sin is no longer your master” (NLT). That
is, the moment we are united with Christ, we are no longer under the reign of sin, the ruling power of sin. Acts 28:18 says
that the moment we are united with Christ, we turn from darkness to light, and from Satan’s control to God (ISV). Outside
of Christ, we were completely under Satan’s control. Our sinful nature so ruled
over us that we could not see it as sinful, and even if we did, we had no power
to resist it. But now, united with Christ, sin cannot have dominion over us,
even if it still has certain power. Sin cannot tell us how to live any longer.
Now we have the power to resist sin.
Let me tell you the following story
to help our understanding. In 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea and almost
had complete control of the Korean peninsula except Pusan. But at the very last
minute, the UN forces and South Korean allies conducted the Incheon Landing
Operation. And they were able to throw the North Korean force out of power and recapture
Seoul. About after three years the Korean War was over. South Korean government
had complete control of the southern part of the peninsula. But at that time,
some of the communist soldiers were still living out in the bush and in the
mountains. This guerilla force did create havoc for the new government. There
were times when they even occupied some of the towns, but they did never get back
into power. For Christians, sin is like a guerilla force. So, having
“died to sin” doesn’t mean that sin has no more power and influence in us. It
doesn’t mean that sin is no longer within us. By our experience, we know it
does. But sin is no longer our master for
us to obey. The Message version translates verse 14 in this way: “Sin can't
tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any
longer. You're living in the freedom of God.” We may obey sin, but here Paul is
saying that we no longer have to obey sin. We died to sin.
Old You, New You
In 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul
declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has
passed away; behold, the new has come” (ESV). This verse can be translated in
this way: if anyone united with Christ becomes a new person. The old self has passed away, and the new self has been now born from
above! Every true Christian has a conversion story: the “before” and “after.” His
or her life is divided by their conversion into two halves, the old self (before
conversion) and the new self (after conversion). When we are united to Christ
by faith, we die with Christ to sin. Our old self, our old ego, our old
self-understanding, our old values toward God and the world is all gone. It has
died. In verse 6 Paul says, “Our old self was
crucified with Christ.” And at the same time if we are one with Christ, we
rise again with Him, a new person, to live a new life to God. Our new self is
born from above. In Ezekiel 36:26 God promised, “I will give you a new heart
and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone (old self) and give you a heart of flesh (new self).” This promise is fulfilled to us if we are united with Christ by faith.
Anyone who belongs to Christ has the
“new self” who really seeks God and loves his law. Yes, sin still has power in
us, but it has no control over us any longer. Although sin is still able to
lead us to disobey God, but now sinful desires go against our new self (cf.
Galatians 5:18-26). When we were living apart from Christ, when we sinned, we
were acting in accord with our identity, our old-self. But when we are united to
Christ, we die with Christ to our old self, and we rise with Christ to our new self.
So when now we sin, we are acting against our true identity, our new self. Now
we don’t have to sin. We don’t have to live in the realm of sin. If we sin, it
is because we do not realize who we are.
Consider Yourselves
That’s why in verse 11 Paul says, “So
you must consider yourselves dead to
sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” This “considering” is not make-believe. We
are not to pretend that our old self has died. Instead, we are to realize and remember that our old self
did die with Christ. It is completely gone. And now we are to consider who we are, what we are, that
is, dead to sin and alive to God just like Jesus did. It does not automatically
be realized. So we must intentionally appreciate it and live it.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones describes our
new condition in Christ with the history of slavery in the US. As the result of
the American Civil War, slavery was abolished. But what had actually happened?
All slaves, young and old, were given their freedom, but many of the older ones
who had endured long years of servitude found it very difficult to understand
their new status. 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. Then, Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “You
can still be a slave experientially, even when you are no longer a slave
legally … Whatever you may feel, whatever your experience may be, God tells us
here, through his word, that if we are in
Christ, we are no longer under the reign and rule of sin … And if I fall
into sin, as I do, it is simply because I do not realize who I am … Realize it!
Reckon it!”[1]
Union with Christ
Suppose a married woman lives as if
she were still single. She could live that way at least for a little while. It is
not impossible. But she must remember who she is. She must feel her wedding
ring – the symbol of the new life of union with her husband, and she will want
to live accordingly. In the same way, born-again Christians may live as if they
were still in their sins. They could live that way at least for a while. It is not
impossible. But they must remember who they are. They must remember their
baptism – the symbol of the new life of union with Christ, and they will want
to live accordingly.
Have
you been baptized? I am not asking you about baptism ceremony. But I am
asking you about the union with Christ. Have you received Jesus Christ and
believed in his name? If you are not sure, this is the day to receive him and
believe in his name. If you already did, remember your baptism – your old self
has died and your new self has been born from above. And remember who you are: you
are children of God (John 1:12). And if you are children of God, you have been united with Christ. And
because you are united with Christ, all that is true of him is true of you. Since
Christ died to sin once for all, so we died to sin. Our old self was crucified with
him. And since Christ rose again to new life, so we are living that new
resurrection life with our new self, no longer under sin’s control. So let us recall, remember, ponder, grasp,
register these wonderful truths until they are so integral to our mindset. Don’t
go back to the old life. For born again Christians, it’s unthinkable. It’s like
adults return to their childhood, married people to their singleness, or
discharged prisoners to their prison cell. Don’t present any part of yourselves,
any area of your life to sin as instruments for unrighteousness. Instead,
present your whole being, all areas of your life, to God as instruments for
righteousness. Remember you are children of God. And now you have been set free
from sin’s control (Romans 6:7). You are free to resist, free to fight, and
free to win.
We have a beautiful tradition
called, “altar call” from our spiritual ancestors. I still remember the moment I
responded to altar call at the youth Bible camp when I was 12. I also vividly remember
those moments I surrendered my life to Christ in a small military barrack in
East Timor, at my home church in Korea, and at the young adult retreat. So
today I invite you to this altar. If you want to make a new spiritual (re)commitment
to Jesus Christ, now you are invited to come forward and offer yourselves on
the altar to God.
Lord Jesus, I need You!
Thank You for calling me today.
I remember those who responded to your call.
Matthew gave up his career,
Zacchaeus opened his house and gave away his wealth,
And Mary anointed you with perfume.
Today I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord.
Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me new heart, new self, new
life.
Take control of the throne of my life.
Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen!
[1]
Timothy Keller, Romans 1-7 For You: For
reading, for feeding, for leading (The Good Book Company, 2014), Kindle
Locations 1967-1976 of 2850.
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