Dead Men Walking; Romans 6
Three buddies were discussing death and one asked the group: “What would you like people to say about you at your funeral?” One said: “He was a great humanitarian, who cared about his community.” Another said: “He was a great husband and father, who was an example for many to follow.” The third said: “I’d like people to say, … Look, he’s moving!!”
Did you know that because of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ there are dead men walking all over the earth. They are not zombies, they are not the undead, they are not men on death row; they are born again believers in Jesus Christ. Look at what Paul said in vs. 2-5…
In Galatians 2:20 He writes, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me.” Galatians 5:24, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 6:14, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”
You see those who have accepted Christ, as their Savior and Lord are dead men walking, because they are dead to sin, but alive in Christ vs. 8-11… Because we serve a living savior, a savior who was once dead, a savior that is now raised, a savior that lives forever more, we too will live in eternity with Him. So, how do we live in Him? To answer that let’s consider…
1. Our Position in Christ
A. Sin was our former way of life. We were Alive to sin – dead to Christ, we walked according to the desires of the flesh, we walked in the nature of the old man, we walked in sin, and we were called the enemies of God. We were not in Him we had turned our backs on Him.
We chose to walk according to our own will, and our ways rather than His will and His ways. And because of our selfish desires and our fleshly walk and because of our disobedience we brought death upon ourselves. The Bible is clear that sin brings death. Ephesians 2:1, “You… were dead in trespasses and sins.”
B. But in Christ our position has changed, our situation is now reversed, Ephesians 2:1, “He made you alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” we are no longer alive to sin – dead to Christ, we are dead to sin – alive in Christ! We are no longer enemies of God we are the children of God. We are no longer servants of sin we are saints.
Christ has changed our position and because of the new life He has given us we are to walk in the newness of life, no longer walking in sin according to the desires of the flesh but walking in the spirit.
An Argument - it is based upon 5:20, “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” That is one of the many deceptive tactics that the devil uses. (The serpent & Eve – you wont die…) Go ahead live in sin & grace will abound. Sadly, that’s the philosophy far too many Christians live by!
Paul’s answer to their argument is brief and clear – Vs. 2-3 KJV, “God forbid, how shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Don’t you know that when you were baptized in Christ you died with Christ? Don’t you know when you were baptized in Christ you died to sin?
In the introduction I said that because of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ there are dead men walking all over the earth. Actually, in Christ we are able to truly live the way God intended for us to live. We are able to experience life like we have never experienced it before because as Acts 17:28, says, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being;” Apart from Christ we are dead in our sins.
So our position in Christ is “LIFE.”
2. Our Practice in Christ (vs. 11–14)
In the book of Romans Paul makes his case for the necessity of salvation: He tells us that we are all sinners, the wages of sin is death, the only means of salvation is through Christ, in Christ we are given a new life, and in vs. 4 he tells us that we are to walk in the “newness of life.”
By God’s grace our position has changed: From Alive to Sin to Dead to Sin! From Dead in Christ to Alive in Christ! We are no longer instruments of wickedness but instruments of righteousness.
We work as instruments of righteousness not to earn salvation but because we are saved. Since this is true, we should walk in a manner that is consistent with this new life. Since we have been raised up to a new life in Christ, there are some truths that we need to know.
1. He has given us a New Nature – Ephesians 2:3 says we, “were by nature the children of wrath” 2 Peter 2:3-4, “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
We do not receive His divine nature, but we are partakers of His divine nature. We are no longer children of wrath, but children of God.
2. He has made us new creatures – 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Since we are new creatures in Christ we ought to walk in the newness of life.
3. In Him we have become a new man – Ephesians 4:24, “Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” We no longer have to walk according to the natural desires of the flesh; we can walk in the Spirit; we can walk in the newness of life.
3.Our Power in Christ
Galatians 5:16, “Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the desires of the flesh.” Many say, but those fleshly desires are still there. Yes, but if we walk in the Spirit, and submit to the Spirit, then we will begin to experience the power of the Spiritual life, and the flesh will become weak.
The problem is that too many refuse to walk in the Spirit. Many would rather continue in their own will and ways rather than submit to the will and ways of God. But this is nothing new, it existed in the early church as well - 1 Corinthians 2:1-3, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
Why did he call them babes in Christ? Not because they were really hot looking women, but because they were self seeking, self-gratifying little brats. Just watch children sometime, it’s natural for them to want everything for themselves, to want their own way, and when they don’t get it they throw a fit. They want to live life on their terms.
That’s the way the Corinthians believers wanted to live life and that’s the way many others want to live life. But that’s not reality. That’s a fantasy world. Life isn’t easy, we don’t always get our way, sometimes life is very difficult and we need to grow up in Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 13:11 Paul said, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
Have you ever heard a child say they can’t do something and then give up? I have told my kids I don’t ever want to hear them give up and say they can’t do something, always try as hard as they can. They may fail, but at least try.
I think sometimes in our walk with Christ and our battle with the flesh, we just want to give up. I want you to look at what Paul said in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who Strengthens me.” Galatians 5:16, “Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the desires of the flesh.”
How should dead men walk? In reality, they shouldn’t! There is always a problem when dead men think they are still alive. Just look at all the horror movies built around this theme. When the dead walk, there is trouble!
Since we are dead, what are we supposed to do? We are supposed to yield to the Spirit of God and allow Him to live through us. When we do that, we are given the power to be free from the bondage of sin.
Conclusion: How would you have to describe your life? Is it “Night of the living dead?” Or, “Life of the living Lord?” The choice is yours. You can choose to let a dead reign in your mortal body, or you can choose to let the Living Lord take control.
Ephesians 2:2-4, “You once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”
