Tuesday, 18th April 2023

Alex Buabeng-Korsah

TOPIC: DEAD TO SIN

 

THEME SCRIPTURE: “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” – Romans 6:11

 

PREPARATORY QUESTIONS:

1.     What does it mean to be dead to sin?

2.     How can I reckon myself to be dead to sin in Christ Jesus?

 

At 12:21 a.m. in November, 1979, a doctor declared Jesse Water Bishop dead in the Nevada State Prison gas chamber. Jesse Water was a career criminal. At age 15, he committed his first armed robbery. Jesse murdered in 1977 and resisted all efforts to stop his execution. He pleaded guilty without a jury. Minutes before the gas chamber, he could appeal his case. He refused with these words: “This is just one more step down the road I’ve been heading all my life. Let’s go” (Time, Nov. 5, 1979, p. 35).

Sin enslaves; sin is not something to toy with. Jesse Water lived his life on a trajectory toward death. When he started, the gas chamber was not the goal. It was too late when he realized. His addiction to sin (murder), dead conscience, and steel-encased will had put him on the road to death.

Sin may look small, but expensive to play with.

Since we're in Christ, we can't just live however we want, thinking God's grace takes care of all iniquities.  Therefore, Paul questioned whether we should continue to sin because of grace (Rom 6:1). The answer is simple: God forbid. How can it be that we, who are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Rom 6:2). Christ's resurrection power made us alive to righteousness but dead to sin. Meaning, we have a nature that responds to righteousness, not sin, in Christ. This is huge. If we have such a nature, how can we desire or court sin? To live righteously and die to sin, Paul, by the Spirit, admonishes that we reckon ourselves dead indeed to sin. What does this mean?

To reckon is to account something as so. It is to recognize something as part of one’s reality.

For instance, if you have $50 and someone who owes you $100 pays it, you'll quickly update your worth, right? The moment you update your reality by knowing that you are no longer worth $50 but rather $150, you have reckoned the new amount received. Until we reckon that we are indeed dead to sin, we will always make room for sin and accept that it is all right to sin sometimes.

Precious one, reckon yourself dead to sin indeed, so that sin does not reign in your mortal body, whereby you have to obey its lusts (Rom 6:12). God bless you more.

FURTHER READING – Romans 6:1-14

Call to Salvation: If you have not received salvation yet by turning over your life to Jesus Christ, today is your day. Click here to do so. 

 

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU MEDITATE ON THE WORD:

1. Do you still see yourself as one who will sin at all times, even though you are in Christ?

 

CONFESSION

Precious Father, thank you for the grace that has made it possible for me to be in Christ. In Him, I have been born again with the nature and character of Christ. Consequently, I assert that I am dead and devoid of stimuli for sin, but alive and active with God's righteousness. I am capable of and choose to always do the right thing. Glory to God!

 

1-Year Bible Reading Plan

Deuteronomy 1; Proverbs 28; John 11