Before we talk about what we have come into through
baptism in Christ, it is useful for us to consider what we have left behind.
Too many times most of us identify more with what we have been delivered from
that what we have been delivered into by the Cross.
You will find as we discuss this that most of us are
more aware of who we were in Adam than who we are in Christ. May your eyes be
opened so that you can walk away from Adam.
You
were unrighteous
“As it is written: There is none righteous,
no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is
none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; with their
tongues they have practiced deceit"; " The poison of asps is under
their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift
to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace
they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Rom3:10-18
You
could not be justified by obeying laws or living holy.
“knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus
Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by
faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no
flesh shall be justified.” Gal2:16
“For
as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written,
"Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written
in the book of the law, to do them." But that no one is justified by the
law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith.”
Gal3:10-11
“Therefore
by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law
is the knowledge of sin.” Rom3:20
Also read Rom4:1-25
You
were already condemned.
"He
who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and
men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For
everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest
his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that
his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." Jn3:18-21
“There
is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not
walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Rom8:1
"Most
assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me
has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from
death into life.” Jn5:24
“Therefore,
as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in
condemnation…” Rom5:18
You
were a sinner
“Behold,
I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psa51:5
Sin occurred in us naturally when we were still
natural and in Adam. Sin was our nature. We sinned because we were sinners by
nature and by birth. We were shaped in iniquity and conceived in sin. There was
no escape from this but by death.
“For
we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Rom7:14
Sin
reigned in you.
“That
as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom5:21
The word reign has to do with having dominion. It has
to do with being a king over a certain place or person or group of people. Sin
was your king. You were the slave of sin, sin had dominion over you.
The natural man has a body of sin, sin indwells him
“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For
what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If,
then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But
now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in
me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me,
but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do,
I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I
will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”
Rom7:15-20
The old man who was our nature before we were born
again left behind what the bible calls a body of sin. Just as a person's spirit
and soul leave behind a physical body at death which is what we bury, our old
man also left behind his body which consists of his habits and strongholds in
thought and emotion.
‘that
the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin’
The work of destroying the body of sin is our work, it
happens as we renew our mind with the word of God and start living by the
spirit in the new nature by the grace of God through faith. The reason a
Christian will tend to sin is because of an un-renewed mind, not because they
still have a sin nature.
As long as you try to fight sin by behaving better,
you have already lost. The only solution to this problem is the truth of the
Cross of Christ becoming a reality in your heart.
“Therefore
put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness,
passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these
things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you
yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put
off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your
mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his
deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the
image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised
nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and
in all.”Col2:1-11
“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.” Rom6:6
Your
fruit was sin; sin is what you produced
“Now
the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies,
outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders,
drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I
also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not
inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal5:19-21
“For
when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law
were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.” Rom7:5
“for
you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among
you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?...” 1Cor3:3
“that
he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of
men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in
doing the will of the Gentiles --- when we walked in lewdness, lusts,
drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.” 1Pet4:2-3
“But
if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie
against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly,
sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every
evil thing are there.” Jam3:14-16
“Do
you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not
be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1Cor6:9-10
“But
fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among
you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor
coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this
you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an
idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one
deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God
comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore do not be partakers with them.”
Eph5:3-7
“Therefore
put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness,
passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these
things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you
yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to
put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your
mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds”
Col3:5-9
“For
we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various
lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one
another.” Tit3:3
“Blessed
are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of
life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and
sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves
and practices a lie.” Rev22:14-15
You
were darkness and in darkness
“For
you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of
light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and
truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful
even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things
that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is
light. Therefore He says: " Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And
Christ will give you light.” Eph5:8-14
“giving
thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of
the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and
conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,” Col1:12-13
“But
you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a
thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night
nor of darkness.” 1Thes5:4-5
“But
you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special
people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light;” 1Pet2:9
“This
is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is
light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with
Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” 1Jn1:5-6
“Again,
a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you,
because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He
who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for
stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in
darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded
his eyes.” 1Jn2:8-11
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