Romans 6.5-14
Have you ever tried to end a bad habit? Whether it’s picking at zits on your face or biting your nails… If so, you’ll know just how difficult it is! The saying rings true: Old habits die hard. Of course, we’re also susceptible to more serious habits, behaviours we don’t want others knowing about – I’m talking about the sinful patterns in our lives that make us feel ‘enslaved’ (v.6). Paul rightly chooses such a word of provocation – there is no good connotation to being a slave, whether back in first century Judea or here today.
If we are enslaved, it then makes sense that naturally we’ll desire freedom. Yet it’s easier said than done. In fact, it’s so difficult that Paul tells us that in order to find freedom, we need to die to sin. Talk about extreme language – but it also reveals the gravity of what Paul’s talking about. This isn’t just dealing with bothersome pimples or inconveniently long nails. This is dealing with sin, a matter of life or death.
Death, death, death… why all this talk about death? Isn’t it all just dark and gloom? In a way, it is. Death is horrific, no qualms about that. There’s nothing redeeming about death itself. And that’s why Jesus’ death on the cross, his gruesome and shameful crucifixion, was so shocking and final in nature. To His disciples, to His family, it was the end of all hope. Death, death, death…
But no! That’s not the end of the story! For Jesus was raised from the dead, and therefore ‘will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.’ (v.9) Or as it says in 1 Corinthians 15: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ (vv.54-55) He has defeated sin and death, once and for all. And hallelujah, Christ is alive!
For many of us, myself included, talk about death can be very abstract. Some of us have had to face it in pain and sorrow. But as a whole, Western culture doesn’t like to talk about death. We want to feel inspired and uplifted! Can’t we just talk about Christ being alive and about us living with Christ? The answer is no. We only live with Him if we are raised with Him, and we can only be raised with Him if we are in a state from which we can be raised, that is, death. We need to go through death to have life – we can’t just have the end result without the process.
So on one hand we have sin and death if we continue to live our old life, and on the other we have resurrection life in/with Jesus if we embrace the new life. I don’t know about you but it’s pretty clear which I’d rather choose! This is the good news: Christ died, and Christ has risen, and if we die with Christ, so too will we be risen and live with Christ.
Yes, it’s a matter of faith. Yes, it’s a matter of ‘believing’ (v.8). Yes, it’s a matter of ‘considering ourselves’ (v.11) as so – after all, it hasn’t fully happened yet. We still struggle with sin, we still face death as an earthly reality. What I appreciate about Paul is that he doesn’t pretend life is grand. Neither does he expect us to have already fully overcome sin (see what he says in chapter 7 about his own struggle with doing what he doesn’t want to do and not doing what he wants to do!). But that doesn’t give us an excuse to capitulate to sin and its passions.
We cannot be passive. Paul exhorts us to be proactive now: Do not…! No longer…! The truth of the eternal reality impinges upon the present, and we have a responsibility to partner with that truth. We still have a choice. We can continue to sin and entertain wickedness – but that doesn’t align with the eternal reality that we ‘have been brought from death to life’ (v.13).
Does that mean we can and should fight this battle on our own? Of course not! Only in Jesus Christ do we have dominion over sin and death – we need His help immensely. And so let us present ourselves to God, trusting that in and by His grace, sin will not enslave us – we look to the day when that eternal reality comes to fruition.
Let’s pray.
Jesus, thank you for your death and resurrection that also takes us from death to life. Will you help us when we are enticed by our old life of sin and its passions, instead of looking forward to the eternal reality of new life with you. Even though we still struggle, will you strengthen us by your Spirit so that we can step into your freedom and victory. In your name, we pray,
Amen.