While in Jaco, we were given a devotional over Romans 5 and 6 by a local ministry partner and surf instructor. He let the word speak for itself, and the truths we uncovered rocked my entire way of thinking. Romans 6:2,4, and 7 specifically use wording that broke lies that I had believed for far too long. “How can we who died to sin still live in it?”, “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life”, “For one who has died has been set free from sin”. These are common verses and I’m sure that you have read them or heard them preached before. It is painfully simple, yet so many, myself included, have not actually believed the words written.
I believe that a misreading of this scripture has prevented so many Christians from living in the freedom that Christ died to bring us. I’ve noticed within myself and within many others, that the understanding of this chapter is something like this: “you have been set free from sin but you’ll always just struggle with sin and then we’ll die one day and be perfect” This message doesn’t sound awful but it neither brings hope in this lifetime, nor lines up with what scripture says. I have noticed that it is commonplace in the Church today to talk about just always having sin struggles or that we ourselves are still just sinners, even after salvation. The Bible specifically says the opposite of this- v.7 “For one who has died has been set free from sin”, v.11 “So you must also consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus”. The language of paul is both clear and direct. We are to consider ourselves dead to sin. If Christ is in you, you have been reborn (John 3). It is so important in our individual walk with Christ to ACTUALLY believe what the scripture says about us. I am not the sinner that I was. That person is dead. The argument that hung me for a long time (and the thought that potentially came to mind for you while reading this) is “If I am new in Christ, why do I still sin?”. Romans 6:12-14 answers that question. With Christ in our heart, we now have a brand new body, with full freedom to walk in authority and freedom from sin, IF we choose to do so. The old body can not escape being a slave from sin, it isn’t possible. Our new self has the ability to live set free from sin, but it is a moment by moment choice that we have to make. 6:12-14 “ Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace”. Verse 11 said that we are to consider ourselves dead to sin, which is an issue of belief within our own heart. Do you know that you are dead to sin? That is the first step to walking in freedom. Verses 12-13 state that we are to not “let” sin reign in our bodies and to “present” ourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life. Step one is belief that you are free from sin, step two is to now present this free self to Christ to be used as a vessel for righteousness. Scripture then says that after we are walking in these two things, “Sin will have no dominion over you”. We can not be abiding in Christ and sin at the same time. That is such good news! That is a message of hope! Christ didn’t just die so we could all be in heaven. Christ died for you and I to walk in relationship and FREEDOM today. Not 20, 40, or 50 years from now, but TODAY.
This scripture is so freeing and powerful, but comes with sacrifice. We are to choose to believe this freedom and present ourselves to Christ day by day, perhaps even moment by moment. This is similar to Christ asking His followers to deny themselves and pick up their cross, daily. Freedom was paid for in one moment 2000 years ago, but walking in freedom requires faith and commitment to Him every day. Thankfully, when we have days that we choose ourselves, and don’t walk in the freedom we have access to, He is gracious to us. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3) and He keeps no record of our past wrongs (1 Corinthians 13). His freedom is a gift, not a determinate of value. We are not any less His or any less saved when we fall short of walking in Freedom. He loves us too much for that. If you have trusted Christ with your life, I encourage you to start believing the Bible and the truth that when when you present yourself to Christ, sin has no dominion over you. Who the Son sets free is free indeed!
