“In the same way, count yourselves
dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 6:11
While all of us are fully aware that we are not dead to sin, we can celebrate the joyous news that in Christ, God declares us as dead to sin. If our identity is in Jesus, our name is on the page titled, “dead to sin.” We are counted sinless – deemed, treated, labeled, seen as alive! No longer dead spiritually, we are alive to God.
Does that sound too good to be true? Sometimes good news is like that!
Perhaps there’s a part of all of us that will always suffer from the “imposter syndrome” … simultaneously aware of our sin but believing in God’s grace. We are incredulous that we could truly be forgiven—that Jesus would take the rap we deserve. But He did!
Our alive-to-God status, of course, has nothing to do with us at all. We did not earn it by our behavior. We do not deserve it. In fact, the only way we could get it is as a gift—our good could never be good enough to be transformed from death to life on our own.
Maybe you feel like the younger brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. You come to God ready to grovel because the light bulb finally went on—you finally see your own spiritual depravity, the depth of your sin. But instead of lecturing, admonishing, chastising, or doling out punishment, He runs to greet you! He celebrates your coming to Him … and throws a party that has the angels in heaven dancing with delight.
If we are counted dead to sin, then let’s be determined to live like the alive-to-God women that we are!
Editor’s note: We invite you to watch Laura’s teaching this week from Romans 1:18-32, where she examines the heavy topic of sin:
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