The Life We Live

Rob Kaczmarek
Written By Jeff Rybacki
 

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 who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 

For 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 in order 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. 

Romans 6:1-7

Our culture has a way of blame shifting. I hear things like, “It’s not my fault! It’s just the way I am.” or “If they hadn’t done what they did, then I wouldn’t have acted the way I did.” No one wants to be at fault but in the end we are responsible for what we do or don’t do. 

Paul asks those of us who are in Christ, “Do we just continue in doing the things we know are wrong thinking that it will be ok because we have a merciful and gracious God?” The answer is, No! Continuing to do the wrong things or have the wrong attitudes when we know they are wrong is no way to live. Continuing in sin and making excuses makes a mockery of the Cross and robs us of the victorious life that Christ died for! 

Paul reminds us of the power of the cross by reminding us that we were baptized into the death of Jesus. At the Cross Jesus took our sin and bore the wrath of God in our place. When we keep living a life that Jesus was sent to die for is a direct affront to the love of God and the mercy of God given for us. Paul points out that while it may seem like no big deal, or that we are not as bad as most people, to live this way is simply wicked and dishonoring to Jesus. And Jesus went to the cross not so we would have a clean slate to just try to do better, but to give us a clean slate that ensures a new life to live. 

We have been joined with Jesus in a very real and supernatural way! Too often we default to only experiencing the natural life, the life we know all too well, and that we fail to connect with the new life given to us supernaturally through Christ. Paul says, “You were crucified with him so that sin would be no more and a new life, a new supernatural life, would be realized.” Before we knew Jesus we were slaves to sin. Sin was not our friend. He didn’t do us any favors. Sin led us in the way of eternal death. It may have had moments of pleasure, but those moments of pleasure were counterfeit life. It was a false feeling of love, but apart from the ways of God, what masquerades as love is in fact hate. It’s hate because it ultimately leads us to 

death and not to life! That is what sin does. It tells you whatever you desire is actually in some way good for you, but it's really not good at all. 

This is why we continue to make excuses. It's because we are choosing to believe the lie and assume that God’s mercy will just cover our shortcomings once again. Paul tells us that we need not walk in those lies and that the power of sin is no longer powerful enough to control our new life. We have been set free from sins power and grip. If that is true then our perspectives must change and our attitudes must change. We then should choose to walk in truth and remove the lies that try to control us. 

Sin is a bully. You can come up with a plan to avoid the bully. You can come up with a plan on what to do when the bully harasses you. But when you choose not to agree that the bully has power over you and you need not be afraid and hide, that choice breaks the power of the bully over you! In Christ we no longer pacify sin by being afraid of it or giving in to it. We are stronger than it! So now we walk in new ways in the Spirit with new supernatural power and live a real life and not a counterfeit one. The life we live as Christians is a victorious life. Where sin is put to death and the truth and love of God are experienced daily!

 
Jeff Rybacki
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