DEAD TO SELF AND ALIVE UNTO CHRIST

Romans 6:1-13; Galatians 2:19, 20

Life and death are two opposite words. When a person is dead, he cannot be alive at the same time. To the people around him, the dead has become lifeless. In the spiritual, when a sinner repents and accepts Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour, he becomes dead to sin and self and alive in Christ.

This is possible because Jesus Christ who is sinless, suffered and died for our sins. In His death, He died to sin’s influence. By His resurrection He overcame the power of death. Likewise, children who have repented of their sin are united with Christ in His death and freed from the power of sin to walk in newness of life.

Have you been set free from sin? Are you alive in Christ? If no, this is another opportunity for you to be set free.

(a)  Realize that you are a sinner who needs the Saviour

(b)  Repent of all your sins and confess them to Jesus

(c)  Pray for forgiveness and cleansing in the blood of Jesus

(d)  Invite Jesus into your heart to be your Saviour and Friend.

These steps will free you from sin and make you a new creature. The message is in three parts.

1. DEAD TO SIN AND SELF: Romans 6:1-7; 2 Corinthians 5:15-17; Colossians 3:9-10.

To be dead means to cease from existing. When a person dies physically, he cannot move, see, talk, eat, breathe or do the things that he was doing before.

When a child is born again, the ‘self’ and ‘sin’ in him dies. He can no longer engage in the sinful habits of the past. He must daily refuse to allow any part of his body to be alive to sin anymore. This means that his hands are dead to fighting, stealing, and cheating; eyes are dead to watching bad films and the things that adds no value to his life; mouth is dead to evil speaking, gossips, abuse, lies and deceit; legs are dead to running errands for Satan. His whole body is dead to the world and it’s attractions.

The body of sin is completely destroyed. Such a child is dead to self

He is free from selfish attitudes and desire to please self or do his own will.

This is the picture of a life that is crucified with Christ. This is God’s expectation from every saved child. You must be dead to sin and self and live unto Christ.

2. ALIVE UNTO CHRIST: Romans 6:8-11; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:12-17.

Friends of Jesus are said to be in union with Christ in His death and resurrection. Therefore they receive Christ’ power to daily resist sin, and to live a new life of obedience to God. The first sign of the Christian new life is his total turning away from all sins. He will then submit himself for water baptism as a mark of the new life.

Secondly, the child will press on for the sanctification (holiness) experience. He will have strong desire for the experience, pray in faith and wait patiently for God to sanctify him. This step will help the child to (a) have victory over sin, (b) crucify the works of the flesh and present his body as a living sacrifice acceptable to God. (c) Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus (d) manifest the fruit of the spirit as outlined in Galatians 5:22, 23. It is important that you must be alive in Christ as you resist sin and live righteously all the days of your life.

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3. ABIDING IN CHRIST: John 15:1-7; 1 John 2:3-6.

To live a victorious Christian life, you must continue to abide in the Saviour. This means the Christian child must continue, abide in and live for Christ. Just as the branch has life only as long as the life of the tree flows into it, so believers have Christ’s life only as long as Christ’ life flows into them.

Practical ways through which we can remain in Christ are:

(i) Reading, meditation on and obeying God’s word every day (ii) Making the word of God the guide for our thoughts and actions, (iii) Praying always in order to constantly draw strength from the Lord (iv) Daily preaching the gospel everywhere, (v) Remain steadfast in His love and loving the brethren (John 15:12, 17) (vi) Resisting Satan’s temptation and yielding to the Spirits guidance (vii) Fellowship regularly with other children of God.

Abiding in Christ results in great blessings such as God’s presence, fullness of joy, fruitfulness in evangelism, answers to prayers. At the end, we shall live and reign with Jesus in His Kingdom. Arise and pray for grace to be totally dead to sin and alive to Christ.

Romans 6:1-13; Galatians 2:19, 20

Life and death are two opposite words. When a person is dead, he cannot be alive at the same time. To the people around him, the dead has become lifeless. In the spiritual, when a sinner repents and accepts Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour, he becomes dead to sin and self and alive in Christ.

This is possible because Jesus Christ who is sinless, suffered and died for our sins. In His death, He died to sin’s influence. By His resurrection He overcame the power of death. Likewise, children who have repented of their sin are united with Christ in His death and freed from the power of sin to walk in newness of life.

Have you been set free from sin? Are you alive in Christ? If no, this is another opportunity for you to be set free.

(a)  Realize that you are a sinner who needs the Saviour

(b)  Repent of all your sins and confess them to Jesus

(c)  Pray for forgiveness and cleansing in the blood of Jesus

(d)  Invite Jesus into your heart to be your Saviour and Friend.

These steps will free you from sin and make you a new creature. The message is in three parts.

1. DEAD TO SIN AND SELF: Romans 6:1-7; 2 Corinthians 5:15-17; Colossians 3:9-10.

To be dead means to cease from existing. When a person dies physically, he cannot move, see, talk, eat, breathe or do the things that he was doing before.

When a child is born again, the ‘self’ and ‘sin’ in him dies. He can no longer engage in the sinful habits of the past. He must daily refuse to allow any part of his body to be alive to sin anymore. This means that his hands are dead to fighting, stealing, and cheating; eyes are dead to watching bad films and the things that adds no value to his life; mouth is dead to evil speaking, gossips, abuse, lies and deceit; legs are dead to running errands for Satan. His whole body is dead to the world and it’s attractions.

The body of sin is completely destroyed. Such a child is dead to self

He is free from selfish attitudes and desire to please self or do his own will.

This is the picture of a life that is crucified with Christ. This is God’s expectation from every saved child. You must be dead to sin and self and live unto Christ.

2. ALIVE UNTO CHRIST: Romans 6:8-11; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:12-17.

Friends of Jesus are said to be in union with Christ in His death and resurrection. Therefore they receive Christ’ power to daily resist sin, and to live a new life of obedience to God. The first sign of the Christian new life is his total turning away from all sins. He will then submit himself for water baptism as a mark of the new life.

Secondly, the child will press on for the sanctification (holiness) experience. He will have strong desire for the experience, pray in faith and wait patiently for God to sanctify him. This step will help the child to (a) have victory over sin, (b) crucify the works of the flesh and present his body as a living sacrifice acceptable to God. (c) Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus (d) manifest the fruit of the spirit as outlined in Galatians 5:22, 23. It is important that you must be alive in Christ as you resist sin and live righteously all the days of your life.

  

3. ABIDING IN CHRIST: John 15:1-7; 1 John 2:3-6.

To live a victorious Christian life, you must continue to abide in the Saviour. This means the Christian child must continue, abide in and live for Christ. Just as the branch has life only as long as the life of the tree flows into it, so believers have Christ’s life only as long as Christ’ life flows into them.

Practical ways through which we can remain in Christ are:

(i) Reading, meditation on and obeying God’s word every day (ii) Making the word of God the guide for our thoughts and actions, (iii) Praying always in order to constantly draw strength from the Lord (iv) Daily preaching the gospel everywhere, (v) Remain steadfast in His love and loving the brethren (John 15:12, 17) (vi) Resisting Satan’s temptation and yielding to the Spirits guidance (vii) Fellowship regularly with other children of God.

Abiding in Christ results in great blessings such as God’s presence, fullness of joy, fruitfulness in evangelism, answers to prayers. At the end, we shall live and reign with Jesus in His Kingdom. Arise and pray for grace to be totally dead to sin and alive to Christ.