stephen R Harrison

“Like Him in Death and Resurrection”

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, 

we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

-Romans 6:5

Lent leads us to Easter, the celebration of Jesus’ victory over death and sin. This resulted in having new lives in Christ. Romans 6:8 says, “Now if we died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him”. We are made alive in Christ because he was made alive by God! We no longer live for ourselves nor continue in the patterns of sin we formerly practiced. Paul begins Romans 6 by asking, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase” (v. 1). Logic may say that the more we sin, the more we are forgiven. Therefore, keep sinning so you will receive more forgiveness. The opposite should be true! Because we have new life in Christ, we should desire and practice sin less and less. We should run from sin! Paul tells us, “We are those who have died to sin. How can we live in it any longer?” (v. 2).

Jesus broke the power death and sin can have on us. We were slaves to sin, needing the yoke of bondage removed. Because Jesus died to sin through the cross, we can reckon ourselves dead to sin (Romans 6:11). Once saved, we are to live for him and no longer for sin. We were raised to new life by his resurrection. We are new people living by new power, living new lives. We are not to go back into the old patterns of sinfulness. We died to sin through the cross and live new lives because of the resurrection. This is Paul’s sentiment when he wrote, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5). 

Lent reminds us not to live for sin and self but for Christ, who died and rose again. We now “Count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (v. 11). Each of us who has been born again has a former life characterized by sinfulness. We lived for sin. We were slaves to it. We had grown accustomed to a sinful lifestyle and its consequences. However, once we were made alive in Christ, “Our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (v. 6). We have “been set free from sin” (v. 7).

We can either choose to live from our new identity or return to our old way of sinful living. We have positional righteousness bought by Christ’s blood on the cross that now instructs us to practice righteousness that reflects the miracle of the resurrection. We have a new life and are to live out our new life. Christ purchased our freedom from sin on the cross at the price of his life. He died so that we may live one day in heaven with him for eternity, but also so that we may live for him on this earth until he calls us home. If we have been united in his death, we must live like the resurrected. If we have not been united by his death, we are not saved and must trust in Christ to be born again. Only then can we claim we have died in him and have received a resurrected life. 

Questions: 

Are you living in sin or in the resurrected life?

Does sin have mastery over you in a particular area (v. 9)?

Prayer:

Jesus, your death and resurrection brought us new life. We desire to now live free in you, not in the bondage of sin. You have freed us, so how can we live in sin any longer? Thank you for crucifying our old self with you on the cross so sin is no longer our master. You are our Master. We live for you. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Read: 

Romans 6:1-11

Action Step:

What sin continues to torture you? Write down reasons you believe it continues to master you. For example, are you familiar with it? Do you continue to practice it? Have you given up resisting its temptation? Have you memorized Scripture to combat it? Have you confessed it to someone else? Do you love its deceptive temporary reward? 

Ask the Lord to show you who to confess sin to so that you may be healed (James 5:16). Commit to being accountable to them for continued healing and freedom.