WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DECEMBER 20, 2024
TOPIC: DEAD TO SIN; ALIVE TO GOD
BY T. O. BANSO
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2 New King James Version).
Jesus Christ was born to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21). He was not born to save only the Jews but the entire world (John 3:16). In pursuit of this mission, He died on the cross, shedding His blood for the forgiveness or remission of our sins.
Hebrews 9:22b says that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission or forgiveness of sin. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7 New King James Version). God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate His (God’s) righteousness (Romans 3:25a).
Jesus Christ had to be made a human being like us so that He could be our merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and bring forgiveness for us (Hebrews 2:17). We have been justified by His blood and shall be saved from wrath through Him (Romans 5:9). In his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38 New King James Version).
The Bible tells us the relationship between believers and sin before their conversion and the relationship to sin after conversion. This is very important. Jesus died for our sins, past, present, and future. Therefore, the believer’s relationship to sin is not the same in the pre-salvation and post-salvation periods.
At salvation, the believer receives forgiveness of sin because the blood of Jesus has washed away his sins. As the Bible says in Psalm 103:12, as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. East and West are opposite directions that never meet. In other words, when God forgives, He forgives completely and will not remember our sins or hold us accountable. This didn’t happen through our works. No. Ephesians 2:8-9 says for by grace we have been saved through faith and not of ourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
We are not saved by keeping God’s law. That could save nobody. The law cannot save anyone. “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were” (Romans 5:20a New Living Translation). The law couldn’t prevent people from sinning. People sinned even more. “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:20b-21 New King James Version).
Paul, the writer of the book of Romans, brought another dimension to the discussion by talking about the relationship between grace and sin in a believer’s life. If our sins have been forgiven and saved by grace, can’t we continue to sin? After all, grace is available.
See his exact words: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2 New King James Version). Paul asked a question and answered it himself. We are not left in doubt about where he stands concerning the lifestyle of a believer after his salvation. Though we have been saved by grace, our sins are forgiven, and we are free from condemnation, this is not a licence to continue in sin.
The New Living Translation puts Paul’s question and answer this way: “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2).
Paul tells us that the believer cannot continue to sin because he has a new relationship to sin: he is dead to sin. He is no longer alive to sin as it was before his salvation. Because he is dead to sin, he is not supposed to respond to sin or be controlled by sin. The believer is dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ. This is what water baptism symbolizes.
Romans 6:3-4 says, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (New King James Version). When Jesus died on the cross, we died with Him. If you are born again, you have died with Christ, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 2:20; 3:3).
The old sinful nature of God’s children was nailed to the cross with Him. This frees us from the control of the power of sin. We are no longer slaves of sin. Our baptism in water symbolizes Jesus’ burial and resurrection (Colossians 2:12). Just as Jesus resurrected, we also resurrected into a new life (Colossians 3:1). Believers are united with Jesus in His death and resurrection, which our baptism in water symbolizes. In place of the old man, we have put on the new man (Colossians 3:10).
Romans 6:5-7 says, “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin” (New King James Version).
The believer is free from sin but that doesn’t mean that he cannot sin. 1 John 3:9 says, “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God” (New Living Translation). But the believer is no more a slave of sin. He has the power to overcome sin. However, if he commits any sin, forgiveness is available for him because of Christ’s work on the cross. This is not a licence to sin.
1 John 1:9-10 says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts” (New Living Translation). The believer is not a slave of sin; he does not sin willfully. He can live victoriously over sin.
Let me go back to Romans 6. Verses 8-11 say, “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (New King James Version).
Whereas temptation to sin is real and whereas sinners are under the control of the power of sin, the believer is not; he is not a slave of sin. The believer must not only believe this, he must act in line with this truth. He must reckon, consider, or see himself to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Because the believer is dead to sin, by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, the believer must live in light of his new life in Jesus. He must not allow sin to control the way he lives; he must not yield to its lustful desires. He must not make available any part of his body as an instrument to sin.
On the contrary, the believer should dedicate parts of his body for use as instruments of righteousness for the glory of God. Sin must no longer be his master as it was under the law for the grace of God has set him free. “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin’” (John 8:34 New International Version). That refers to living a sinful life or practising sin habitually. The Amplified Bible says, “Jesus answered, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, everyone who practices sin habitually is a slave of sin.” Jesus said if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed (verse 36). As the believer was a slave of sin, so he must become a slave of righteousness.
Romans 7:5-6 says, “When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit” (New Living Translation).
The law created consciousness about sin but did not give one the power to overcome it. “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are” (Romans 3:20 New Living Translation).
Galatians 3:21b says if the law could have given us new life, we could have been made right with God by obeying it. But Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4). The New Living Translation says, “For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.”
This new life in Christ Jesus is only possible by yielding your life to the control of the Holy Spirit. “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16 New Living Translation). Romans 8:13 says, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (New King James Version).
If you’re born again, reckon yourself to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. You’re no longer a slave of sin; you should become a slave of righteousness.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. Take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Lord Jesus, thank You for being born and dying on the cross to save me from sin and hellfire. Thank You for setting me free from the slavery of sin. In the name of Jesus, I reckon myself to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. I shall not serve sin with the parts of my body but righteousness. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I shall live my new life in Christ Jesus and not do what my sinful nature craves.
(For about 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit: www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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