A life given for our life...

In Canada, today is Remembrance Day. In the USA, it is called Veteran’s Day. Either way, this day we are to honor those who gave their lives that we might live in freedom from oppressive entities that tried to rule over us.

This day bears a vivid resemblance to what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us when He went to war against sin and Satan, dying on the cross that we might be free from sin that otherwise rules our lives. The Bible lists some of those extreme sins, such as murder, hatred, and so on, but it also spells out the root of all of them:

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

Doing my own thing is a sin that is expressed in so many ways, some extreme and some easily hidden, yet nevertheless my way rather than the way of the Lord.

As I wear a poppy and remember the men and women who gave their lives for our physical freedom, I also think about Jesus who gave His life for my spiritual freedom so I could be no longer a slave to sin but a child of God, able to truly have a choice in what I do. While an unforgiven sinner, my way was the only way, my only choice, but now, in Christ, I can choose to obey Him and enjoy freedom. It is just as He said to those who claimed to believe in Him:

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31–36)

This isn’t about freedom to do as I please. It is the freedom from having no another choice than going my own way — which is sin!

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. (Romans 6:1–7)

The word ‘death’ has several meanings, yet most of them are about separation… separation of the spirit from the body as in physical death, or separation of the soul from God as in spiritual death, or separation from sin to serve Christ as in being dead to sin and alive to God in the new life that Jesus gives. This is a death most welcome because it set me free from the only choice of running my own life, to the two choices: walking in the flesh or walking in the Spirit. The NT describes this well. See Romans 6:8-18 and also:

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery… But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Galatians 5:1; 16–18)

PRAY: Jesus, the wonder of being able to walk in the Spirit certainly fills life with continual God-surprises. Not only do unexpected blessings happen to me, but I say and do things that are not premeditated and surprise me and bring blessings and smiles to others. Your freedom is utterly amazing and most certainly the way to live. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) And the red poppy reminds me also of Your great sacrifice.

Both dead and alive

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

When Jesus Christ was crucified, He died to the world, to sin, to everything else but the absolute will of God. And I died with Him. How is this possible?

In the Bible, the phrase “in Christ” is used often. What does that mean? One theologian explained it like this: Before I was born, I was in the loins of my father, as he was in the loins of his father. The life that became me was first a part of the life that came before me.

Today’s DNA testing claims are often bogus and yet they illustrate that a person’s lineage is revealed in their lineage. Science would show that my father is my father and my siblings are my siblings.

This means that when God put Christ in me and me “in Christ” I was actually made part of the family of God. This is what the Bible talks about when it says Christians are a new creation and have been regenerated or ‘born’ again.

Is this physical or spiritual? That is, does God change my DNA or does the change go much deeper than that? Galatians 2:20 links the two. Being crucified with Christ is spiritual, not physical, but the person who now lives is physical (I now live in the flesh) and spiritual (I live by faith in the Son of God).

At all this, I often shake my head at the wonder of it. About forty-five years ago, God recreated me and I still am trying to fully grasp what this means, proving the truth of what a friend told me at that time: “You are saved in mere seconds, but will spend the rest of your life trying to figure out what happened.”

Dying with Christ is important. He died to the world and I am to not love the world:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

Jesus died to sin and I died to sin:

. . . . Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. (Romans 6:1–7)

Yet as these verses say, I also live with Christ and am set free to walk in newness of life.

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. (Romans 6:8–12)

A dead person does not respond to outside stimulus. A dead person is immobile and unable to do anything. Sin cannot make a dead person obey it; therefore I am to reckon myself dead.

But I’m also to reckon myself alive to God, not to sin, not to selfishness, not to the world, certainly not to Satan and his ploys, but alive to God in Jesus Christ. Salvation is a marvel, and all of this is by grace through faith. I could never have made up such a plan — it is all God’s wonderful idea!

Grace means death to sin as well as new life in Christ

David prayed, “For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great” (Psalm 25:11). The great preacher, Jonathan Edwards rightly says that Christ will not refuse to save the greatest sinners who come to God for mercy and pardon, for this is His work.

Jesus did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Edwards says that the more sinful the person, the more the need of Christ, yet God does not grade sin. If you sin at all, you are a sinner. Piling it up may make me and other people more miserable, but in God’s mind, once I step over the line, I need Christ to save me.

Edwards also says that the ingenious plan of salvation is to glorify the grace of God. He adds that the greater the guilt of any sinner, the more glorious and wonderful is the grace shown in that sinner’s pardon. While Jesus did say that those who are forgiven much will love Him more than those who are forgiven little (Luke 7:47–48), this raises another question. Does the abounding grace of God mean that we can sin as much as we like? After all, He will forgive, and the more He forgives, the more His grace is glorified? Isn’t that what God wants?

Paul must have heard this question many times. I know I have. I’m glad that grace is abundant and free when it comes to confessing sin, but when it comes to committing sin, that abundance is not supposed to be a license. Paul explains why…

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. (Romans 6:1–7)

The principle here is that genuine salvation involves identification with Christ. In Him, I died to sin. This was declared in baptism and demonstrated in a changed attitude toward sin. That is, I might be able to do anything I want to, but my want-to’s have changed. Jesus gave me a new life, a new nature that does not want to be enslaved to sin or defeated by it.

This does not mean I am never tempted or never fail. It does mean that sin does not have the same grip or influence. I can say no, whether temptation comes in great appeal or subtle suggestions. Salvation’s plan means victory is here, but also not yet fully here. That is, I can win the battle, but am still in the battle, a person thrown into the arena with that roaring lion who wishes to devour me. God equips me with spiritual weapons to win the war, but I must fight it. In the fighting, I learn to appreciate and rely on grace. I cannot win unless I do.

This has been a week in the lion’s den. As to spiritual warfare, I’ve learned more deeply that only by the grace of God can I battle the enemy’s lies and fiery accusations and temptations. Those outside would not see this battle unless I offered details, but it is real and just as dangerous as a war with guns and knives.

Fighting sin and Satan reveals and exalts God’s grace as much or even more than repeated forgiveness. Sinning is easy. Asking forgiveness is a sure thing. However, resisting sin is far more difficult and relying on grace rather than “I can handle this” is a deeper challenge.

Being a Christian is seldom a walk in the park. God gives peace and joy, but at the same time I am being stalked. My spiritual enemy appeals to my flesh and tries to convince me that sin is okay… after all, Christ died for it… trying to make me forget that I died to it also…

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Like salvation and forgiveness, living a crucified life is by grace also.