It’s amazing to think about the fact that we are free – completely and totally free – from slavery to sin because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. But what does that mean, really?
In our last blog, we began to dig into Romans 6:6-7, 11-14 and discovered what it means to be a true believer. Today, we will talk about what it means when the Bible says that we are crucified with Christ. But first, let’s look at this passage as a whole:
Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. – Romans 6:6-7, 11-14
Now, what does it mean exactly that we are crucified with Christ? We know other famous passages in the Bible speak of this concept, but how does that impact our everyday lives? Let’s explore some of the amazing things that have happened because of Christ’s death and resurrection.
Sin Lost its Power
We see from our Romans passage that sin is “done away with” and it cannot be “master over” us anymore. The Bible teaches that everyone is under a master – either sin is our master, or obedience to the Lord (Rom. 6:16). On our own, we are naturally born as slaves to sin. But when we accept the free gift of Salvation, we are essentially born again, and at that new birth we are born as slaves to Christ! The term “slave” may rub you the wrong way, but take heart! Slavery to sin is absolute bondage, and will never satisfy. Slavery to Christ is a willing servanthood to the One who loves us more than we could ever love, and in Whose presence there is absolute fullness of joy and complete peace (Psalm 16:11). He is the only One worthy of our worship and obedience, and what He offers as we follow Him is like none other. No, this does not at all mean that life will be full of happiness and prosperity and ease on this sin-cursed earth – that perfectness is for heaven – but it does mean that even in the hard times His yoke is easy because He is in it with you to carry you through (Matt. 11:30). Christ has paid the price for sin once and for all, and He offers us freedom from its slavery.
We Can Have Life with Him Forever
Perhaps the most obvious fact is that with His death and resurrection, Christ provided a way for us to spend eternity with Him! As discussed in our previous blog, Jesus Christ paid the death penalty that we deserved when He dies on the cross. We are all sinners, and God is a perfect and holy God. Sin cannot be in His presence, but because Jesus paid the price for our sins, our sins are now considered “paid in full” and Christ’s very own righteousness covers us so that one day we can actually be in the presence of a holy God forever.
Death Lost its Sting
Many people fear death. Whether fear of the unknown, of leaving this earth – whatever it is, this is a very common and intense fear among people everywhere. But praise the Lord that this does have to be the case! Because of the fact that true believers know the joy awaiting them in the presence of the Lord after death, we no longer that to fear it. When a loved one passes away, it is appropriate to grieve, but we can grieve with hope if they were a believer because we know they are experiencing something far more wonderful that anything they ever experienced on this earth. Death no longer has the power of fear over us – it has lost its sting (1 Cor. 15:55-57).
All of these facts are true for every believer, and what an impact they make on our everyday lives. Keep tuning in, as next we will look at some practical implications of these great truths
