CoreIssue
02-03-2006, 11:01 AM
Quote:Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
Because God increased our knowledge of sin should we sin more so more grace will be required to cover our sins?
Quote:2By no means!
There is a big difference between God increasing our knowledge of sin so we are capable of sinning more and our deliberately sinning more.
Increasing knowledge increases the range and depth of grace that can be given. It broadens our ability to work for God and for God to reward us.
Sinning more increases nothing but the number of sins we commit that need covering. And when sinning we are not working for God.
Quote:We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
Dying to sin not only washes away the sins we commit it also washes the sin nature from our spirits. So even though we struggle with sin in the flesh we do not ever struggle with sin in our spirits.
Our spirits battle our flesh in our minds. That is the battle field.
Quote:3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit joins our spiritually dead natures to Christ on the cross in our place.
Quote:4We 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.
Our dead natures joined to Christ in his death and his life joined to us when he resurrected from the dead.
Quote:5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
At the Rapture our flesh will be glorified as Christ's flesh was glorified in his resurrection. As he rose from the dead to perfection so shall we.
Quote:6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[1] that we should no longer be slaves to sin--
Our old spiritual sinful self died on the cross with Christ. One day the sinful flesh that contains our spirits will also perish and be replaced.
That leaves our minds as the place of choosing who will rule, our spirits or our flesh.
Quote:7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
When we died with Christ our sins entered Hell so we now live in the spirit which is not in Hell. We died by the Law and the penalty was paid so the Law cannot condemn us for the same sins again.
The Law can only condemn the spirit, not the flesh.
Quote:8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Death is separation from God. If we live by Christ we live with and through him.
Quote:9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
One can only die once by the Law. Then the Law is satisfied. There is no double jeprody.
Christ died for all the sins of all the saints of all time. He does not die for only the sins to the point of repentance and then must die over and over for every new sin.
Quote:11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
We are dead to the Law and alive to God. We should live according to this truth.
Quote:12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Our spirits are clean of sin nature but our flesh is not. We must not let the sinful desires of the flesh rule our minds.
Quote:13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
Sins of the flesh are not all or nothing issues. Sin can dominate certain areas of our lives and not others.
While we will never overcome our sinful flesh completely we do not have to let the flesh rule our minds.
Quote:14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
While desires of the flesh are there they do not have to rule our lives.
1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
Because God increased our knowledge of sin should we sin more so more grace will be required to cover our sins?
Quote:2By no means!
There is a big difference between God increasing our knowledge of sin so we are capable of sinning more and our deliberately sinning more.
Increasing knowledge increases the range and depth of grace that can be given. It broadens our ability to work for God and for God to reward us.
Sinning more increases nothing but the number of sins we commit that need covering. And when sinning we are not working for God.
Quote:We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
Dying to sin not only washes away the sins we commit it also washes the sin nature from our spirits. So even though we struggle with sin in the flesh we do not ever struggle with sin in our spirits.
Our spirits battle our flesh in our minds. That is the battle field.
Quote:3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit joins our spiritually dead natures to Christ on the cross in our place.
Quote:4We 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.
Our dead natures joined to Christ in his death and his life joined to us when he resurrected from the dead.
Quote:5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
At the Rapture our flesh will be glorified as Christ's flesh was glorified in his resurrection. As he rose from the dead to perfection so shall we.
Quote:6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[1] that we should no longer be slaves to sin--
Our old spiritual sinful self died on the cross with Christ. One day the sinful flesh that contains our spirits will also perish and be replaced.
That leaves our minds as the place of choosing who will rule, our spirits or our flesh.
Quote:7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
When we died with Christ our sins entered Hell so we now live in the spirit which is not in Hell. We died by the Law and the penalty was paid so the Law cannot condemn us for the same sins again.
The Law can only condemn the spirit, not the flesh.
Quote:8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Death is separation from God. If we live by Christ we live with and through him.
Quote:9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
One can only die once by the Law. Then the Law is satisfied. There is no double jeprody.
Christ died for all the sins of all the saints of all time. He does not die for only the sins to the point of repentance and then must die over and over for every new sin.
Quote:11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
We are dead to the Law and alive to God. We should live according to this truth.
Quote:12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Our spirits are clean of sin nature but our flesh is not. We must not let the sinful desires of the flesh rule our minds.
Quote:13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
Sins of the flesh are not all or nothing issues. Sin can dominate certain areas of our lives and not others.
While we will never overcome our sinful flesh completely we do not have to let the flesh rule our minds.
Quote:14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
While desires of the flesh are there they do not have to rule our lives.