09 Sep Newness of Life

Read: Romans 6:1-5

Last Sunday, Pastor Ken preached from Romans 6:1-5 on how our union with Christ leads us to walk in newness of life. This week he will continue teaching on this as we continue on through Romans 6:11. As you prepare your heart for our corporate gathering, consider these words from Tim Keller again (from last week’s meditation), letting them lead you to further live according to your new identity in Christ.

Heart Preparation

The moment you become a Christian, you are no longer under the “reign”— the ruling power— of sin.

Remember, Paul has just said in 5:21: “sin reigned … so also grace might reign.” In other words, sin still has power, but it can no longer force its dictates on you. In 1:18-32, Paul said that, outside of Christ, we are given over to our sinful desires. Previously, those sinful desires so ruled over us that we could not see them as sinful, and even if we did, we could not resist them. We were completely under their control. Now, however, sin no longer can dominate us. We now have the ability to resist and rebel against it.

There is a new power at work in our lives, ruling us: “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians 1:13). Or, as Paul put it in Acts 26:18, the gospel comes to people “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.”

This illustration may help: If a wicked military force had complete control of a country, and a good army invaded, the good army could throw the wicked force out of power and give the capital and the seat of government and communication back to the people. But the out-of-power soldiers could still live out in the bush. This guerrilla force could create havoc for the new, rightful government. It could often impose its will on part of the country, even though it could never get back into power.

So having “died to sin” does not mean that sin is no longer within you, or that it has no more power and influence within you. It does. But sin no longer can dictate to you. Though you may obey it and though (the Bible predicts) you will obey it, the fact remains that you no longer have to obey it. You have died to it; it can be dead to you. “How can we”— and why would we—” live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:2).

A Christian’s “old self” is gone completely. The old “ego,” the old self-understanding, the old stance of the whole person toward God and the world— all that is gone. It has died— I died— and “anyone who has died has been freed from sin” (v. 7). As a Christian, “I,” my truest self, really seeks God and loves his law and holiness. While sin remains in me with a lot of strength, it no longer controls my personality and life. It is still able to lead me to disobey God, but now, sinful behavior goes against my deepest self-understanding.

When a non-Christian sins, they are acting in accord with their identity, with who they are. Why wouldn’t they sin? But when someone is united to Christ, everything changes, because who they are changes. There is a new “me.” When a Christian sins, they are acting against their identity. Why would they sin? Therefore, if I sin, it is because I do not realize who I am; I have forgotten what has been done for me in Christ.

Adapted from Romans 1-7 For You, by Tim Keller

Song List for Sunday

1. “Alive in Us,” by Hillsong Live
2. “Praise the King,” Arr. by Shane & Shane
3. “Great Are You Lord,” Arr. by Shane & Shane
4. “Once For All,” by Shane & Shane
5. “Jesus Paid It All,” by Kristian Stanfill