What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now, if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died, he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.
Romans 6:1-10
It Is Finished, So He Can Finish His Work Through Us
When we find a promise in the Bible, the only appropriate response is to claim it.
When we find a commandment in Scripture, we should obey it.
When the Bible tells us the truth about who we are and what Christ has done, there is only one appropriate response: to believe it.
I point this out only because the verses in Romans 6:1-10 are not commandments to be obeyed; they are truths to be believed.
Obedience follows believing.
Christ has already died to sin, and because you are in Him, you also have died to sin. You cannot do what Christ has already done for you. (Neil Anderson)
Notice the use of the past tense in Romans 6:1-10
"We who died to sin" (verse 2).
"All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death" (verse 3).
"We have been buried with Him" (verse 4).
"Our old self was crucified with Him so that our body of sin might be done away with so that we would no longer be slaves to sin" (verse 6).
"For he who has died is freed from sin" (verse 7).
"If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him" (verse 8).
The verbs in these verses are in the past tense, indicating what is already true about us.
The only life response is for us to believe.
I have found that many followers of Jesus spend most of their lives trying to earn or prove what they already own in Him.
Freedom.
This is one of the enemy's ploys to keep us out of the good fight of faith.
We cannot add anything to our identity as the beloved.
Nothing.
But we can multiply His love to others!
So, how does believing this change your life?
How does believing this change the lives of those you share Jesus with?
Lord, may we believe You when You said, "It is finished," knowing You have completed Your work in us to live Your life through us.