Zombies!

Read Romans 6.1-14

So I've been busy this weekend, which is why posts haven't happened for 4 days. But oh well. Now we get into Romans 6, which rocks.

Paul begins by asking a rhetorical question, meaning one he doesn't expect an answer for. And it is in response to what he was written in chapter 5 about how we have peace with God because of Jesus. We are justified, righteous, and live, all because of Christ, and the grace that we have received outweighs all the sin in our lives.

So Paul asks, in light of this grace, shall we sin that grace may increase?

ABSOLUTELY NOT

This is the strongest way Paul can say no. We have died to sin he says. So how can we live in it when we died in it? It's like drowning. You died in the water, you're not coming back to life. How can you live in it then? You can't because you're dead to it. Why? Because we have been baptized into Jesus (we can argue about baptism later), and therefore were baptized into his death as well, his death which defeated sin. And because we died with Jesus to sin, we also were buried with him, and were raised from the dead (spiritually, we'll get into physically later). This then means we once were alive, then died in our sin, then raised again by the power of God. We are the walking dead! We are zombies! And because we are zombies, we are new creations, transformed from our old self into a new, better self, by God.

As to the physical aspect of the resurrection then, we see a lot of talk in this passage about resurrection. All that I will say about this issue has scripture support, and I make no claims on when the bodily resurrection will happen or what that means. Some claim that our old bodies will be resurrected, some say that perfect forms of our bodies will, some say it happens right after death, others that it will happen on Judgement day. I won't get into that because it doesn't matter. All that matters is that we were promised a physical resurrection, and that it only comes from God, and it will be like that of Christ.

But in our resurrection, like Jesus', we shall walk in a newness of life, because we have been united with him in a death like his. Death like his, for me, means a death of obedience. We heard the call of God, we knew that we were to die to follow his call, and we did. There's more to it, but right now that's what I think I need to focus on. I don't want to right a book on this stuff yet. But because we've had a death like his, we therefore will have a resurrection like his. Our old, sin-filled self was nailed to the cross with Jesus so that the sinful body could die, be brought to nothing, become non-existent, so that we will no longer be slaves to sin. 

"The one who has died has been set free from sin" (Rom. 6.7). If you pass on, and go to be with God, you are no longer tempted by sin. If you have spiritually died to sin and come alive in God, then in the same way sin no longer has a hold on you. You may still struggle with it, you may still fall into it from time to time, but by the grace of God you are no longer bound to it, no longer a slave to it. You have a reason to wrestle with sin instead of just accepting it. Just like a zombie it will take a lot more to kill you.

And because we have died to sin, died with Christ, we also believe that we live with him. His resurrection was so powerful that he will never die again (true meaning of resurrection) and therefore death doesn't have power over him. I had a girlfriend at one time who had 2 big fears: Feet and death. Her fear of death was because the unknown behind it. I tried to tell her the gospel and of the resurrection and life after death that Jesus gives, but it's hard to witness when you're not truly saved and doing whatever you want anyways. But death holds dominion over her, especially in the sense of fear. When you truly fear something your mind is always on it and you do all you can to avoid it. I hate spiders, I am horrible afraid of them. They're on my mind a lot and I do all I can to avoid them. But death is something we can't avoid, it comes for us all. But there is life in Jesus, and he lives his life for God, his life is connected to God, who lasts forever. In the same way we are to live to God, having our life last forever just as God does.

So do not let sin reign in your life, don't give into the mortal passions of sex drugs and rock 'n roll alcohol and whatever else you do just to feel good. Present yourself as one who is saved, not as one who is still in sin. Be a living sacrifice, dying daily to sin, and coming alive in God, presenting yourself to him as one who has been saved, been brought back to life. Since you are no longer under the law but under grace, sin shall no longer rule over you, instead God will, which is the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven.