Father God, thank you that we can spend time together reading and studying your holy word. Lord I pray that we will understand that our old man (the sin nature) has died and that we are now a new creature in Christ. The sin nature doesn't have power over us anymore, we can choose to walk in the Spirit instead.
May we continue daily to choose to walk in newness of life instead of following after the lusts of our flesh.
In Christ's name we pray, amen.
Romans 6:5
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Christ died for us but he was also raised from the dead so that we too can be raised up to eternal life in him. This is an amazing thing! Our old sin nature was crucified. It is dead and buried. But, we now have God's Spirit living in our spirit which means that we have been raised up to eternal spiritual life in Christ. God does NOT undo any of this for any reason! And it occurs the very moment that we understand that we are sinners and cannot save ourselves and then simply believe that Christ Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again for our justification. As believers we are identified with his death, burial and resurrection. This is how God sees us, as identified with Christ. Praise the Lord!
Romans 6:6
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Because of the finished work of the cross, from the moment that we believed the Gospel, the body of sin was utterly destroyed. We, as believers, are NO LONGER identified as sinners! Yes, we still sometimes sin because sin is in our carnal, fleshly body (which will be replaced by a glorified body at the rapture) but we are no longer identified with it. Instead we are now SAINTS, which means "holy and set apart for God's purpose" and we are identified with Christ. Christ is in us and we are in him.
Rom 1:7 KJV -
7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Col 1:27 KJV -
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 2:12 KJV -
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Rom 8:10 KJV -
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
1Co 15:22 KJV -
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
We have been completely changed in our INNER man. However, because we do still have a fleshly body, we need to understand that our flesh doesn't change! You cannot fix or change the flesh. It is still vile.
Rom 7:18 KJV -
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
It will even fight you tooth and nail as you get sound grace doctrine in your inner man and start to walk in the Spirit. But the flesh doesn't have absolute control over you anymore. You now have power OVER sin because of God's Spirit living in your spirit and His word rightly divided living in your inner man as you read, study and believe it.
Gal 5:16 KJV -
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:25 KJV -
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
As believers, God's word is required for us to function properly as saints. It is our "daily bread" and should be consumed regularly, even daily or several times a day if possible. Without also getting God's word in your inner man (mind and heart) daily, you will WALK just like an unbeliever. So, it is very important.
1Th 2:13 KJV -
13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Eph 6:17 KJV -
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Rom 10:17 KJV -
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Paul goes on to say, Romans 6:7
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Because we died with Christ, we are free from the sin nature having absolute power over us. Remember that unbelievers have no power over the sin nature. Even the conscience was actually given to us to show us that we are sinners and that we cannot save ourselves. Unbelievers cannot even keep the "law of their own conscience."
Tit 1:15 KJV -
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Our flesh LOVES to try to keep the law. The flesh is legalistic because it thinks that it can have power over others and boast in itself if it can keep the law, which it does not do. It will put others and ourselves under a performance-based acceptance system. The law says "do and be blessed" but grace says, "you ARE blessed, so do". We cannot keep the law in our own efforts which we will learn more about in further studies.
Homework: Re-read all of Romans chapter 6 and look for any repeating words. Also, look for and identify the key verse in this chapter.
Verse
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