From Death to Life

July 31, 2016 Background Scripture: Romans 6 Lesson Passage: Romans 6:1 – 4, 12 – 14, 17 – 23 We believe the scriptures declare that the unsaved person, or non-Christian, is spiritually dead towards God. So when today’s lesson topic proclaims “From Death to Life”, it is not about resurrection of the physical body but rather the regeneration of the spirit. The scriptures also declare that the unsaved cannot know or receive the things of God because those things are spiritually discerned. In fact, the things of God are considered foolishness to the unsaved. All Christians are going through the process of sanctification whereby we are being delivered from our old way of life and into the new reality of being children of God. In today’s lesson, Paul explained the practical side of sanctification in the life of a believer. In other words, Paul shared how sanctification looks in the everyday life of believers in Christ? We must first understand that sinners are ruled by sin—just as we were in the past. Sinners don’t always run towards sin to participate out of desire. It is a compulsion the person cannot escape. It is impossible for a lost person to escape sin on their own because sin rules over them. Because of salvation in Jesus Christ, believers are no longer ruled by sin. This does not mean that believers are incapable of sinning or that we never commit sinful acts. Christians do sin. But salvation in Jesus assures us that sin no longer rules our lives and we have a choice. When the Holy Ghost baptized us into the spiritual body of Christ, we were immersed into Jesus’ death and resurrection. Because of death, sin in our body loss its power to control us. We still live in these physical bodies and sin is still present in our bodies. However, sin no longer reign in our lives or rule over us. For Christians to sin we have to submit ourselves to sin as servants and that leads to carnality. Christians have the choice to allow the Holy Spirit to rule our lives or to attempt to walk in self-rule which leads to carnality. Carnality is when Christians attempt to satisfy the flesh rather than following after Christ. Carnality is the state whereby a saved person lives as though they are not saved. Our flesh nature tends to want to gratify us through our minds and physical bodies. Last week we discussed the struggle that we have because of the dual nature of flesh and spirit living on the inside of Christians. In spite of this, we need not despair. In this lesson we learn how to live victorious lives as Christians. First, we must know our current spiritual state as presented here. Secondly, we must accept that we now have a choice we did not have before we were saved. Paul used the word “reckon” to describe this step. “Reckon” was used as an accounting term and here it means to “count” this new reality as being true for us. If we accept salvation as a present reality, then we should live according to the instructions of Christ and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. This is what it means to “reckon” it to be so. Through our living, we count salvation as final. Thirdly, we must be determined to allow the new life in Christ to be made manifest in us by submitting ourselves to God rather than to self which leads to sin. We will serve the one we submit ourselves to. Paul referred to this as the choice of who we will yield ourselves to. Because of our faith in Jesus Christ, God has translated us from death to life. When we yield to Jesus, we walk victoriously as children of God. Robert C. Hudson July 14, 2016