Dead to Sin

“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” Romans 7:14-20

“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:11-14

Christians have been saved from their sins, both eternally and in the present time. We are not under law any longer but under grace. However, until we die, we are left with our fallen nature intact. This “old man” has no power over us any longer but is still present, weak and easily drawn into sin. A true Christian will desire to live a holy life (the will will be present) but when they do not “walk in the Spirit” they can still gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). When a Christian sins it is no longer him or her real redeemed self that is doing it but the old dead sin nature. There can be no progress toward holiness until we learn that in us nothing good dwells. This delivers us from ever looking for any inherent good in ourselves – living holy can only come from the Holy Sprit working in our lives to produce holiness

We need live by faith that God has redeemed us fully from our old sin nature and reckon (believe) ourselves dead to sin because that is the truth – we no longer have to sin. We can still choose to present our members to unrighteousness but are not required to do so as before salvation. We reckon ourselves dead to sin when we respond to temptations as a dead man would. God considers the believer righteous and we should consider it true that our relationship to sin and death has changed. If we fail to believe that sin no longer dominates us we will be much more vulnerable to yield to temptation and to practice sin. However if we accept the truth that sin no longer has that power over us we will be more apt to resist temptation and to stay clear of sin.

Let us resolve to not let sin reign in our mortal body, that we should obey it in its lusts. Christians have been given the power to do so.