Chico Alliance Church
“A Life and Death Experience”
The foundation principle is our co-death with Christ freeing us from the old life as slaves to the law of sin and death and our co-resurrection with Christ enabling us to walk according to the law of the spirit of life in Christ.
Our life and death in Christ
Why should we understand this truth? What difference does this make in my everyday walk? This truth is the foundation of what God does for every person who embraces Christ for salvation. Unless we understand this principle we put ourselves back into slavery again rather than live in freedom. This work transcends the physical. This work is not just positional truth but describes an actual work done on our behalf. We are born dead to God and alive to the law of sin and death. This work describes how we become alive to God and dead to the law of sin and death. It is truly a life and death experience. Why did God have to deal with Law? Scripture is clear that the Law could not save anyone. The Law as a communication of the righteous character of God is a tutor illustrating our need for Christ. Since no one can keep the law, which consisted of nearly 700, separate commandments and the law could do nothing to help us keep the law God sent Christ.
For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19(for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. And inasmuch as it was not without an oath (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,
"THE LORD HAS SWORN And WILL NOT CHANGE His mind, 'Thou art a priest FOREVER' ");
so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers, because they were prevented by death from continuing, but He, on the other hand, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:18-25
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Romans 10:4
Hebrews 10:1-18
Paul in Romans 5 spends considerable effort demonstrating that we have been transferred from the line of Adam into the line of Jesus Christ. All of us were born into Adam’s line. Through faith we are born into Christ’s line. Whereas sin and death reigned through the law on those in Adam, righteousness and life reign through grace on those in Christ. Romans 5 declares that the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased grace abounded all the more, that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Chapter 6 begins by anticipating an objection to this radical truth concerning grace.
vs 1 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may increase?”
The answer – vs 2 “May it never be?”
Paul reason for answering so strongly is based on our current thought concerning our death with Christ.
vs 2b “How shall we who died (point time) to sin still live (future) in it?”
Paul wants them to remember a vital doctrine.
vs 3 “Or are you ignorant (continually) that all of us who have been baptized (point time passive) into Christ have been baptized into His death?”
Paul is not talking about water baptism here. He is talking about identification with Christ. Why did God cause this identification?
vs 4 “Therefore, we have been buried (point time passive) with Him through baptism into death in order that (purpose) as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk (point time) in newness of life.”
Paul continues to hammer home the importance of this life and death experience.
“FOR if (since) we have become united with Him (perfect) in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also (united with Him) in the in the likeness of His resurrection,”
vs 6 “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him (point time passive) in order that our body of sin might be rendered in operative (point time), that we should no long be slaves (present, continual) to sin; for he who has died is freed (perfect) from sin.”
It is important to understand who died. Remember this is a vital reality based in the spiritual realm that has significant implications for our everyday life. Who we were in Adam, under a curse of death by reason of imputed sin, inherited sin and individual sin actually died when Christ died.
The person who whose birth certificate reads David Welch born January 26, 1952 died June of 1965 at age 13. However, he did not stay dead. By reason of new birth and identification with Christ’s resurrection a new David Welch was born. Because this was a spiritual transaction, and not a physical one, David Welch is still left to deal with an unredeemed body of sin. But because he has been raised to walk in newness of life he is not longer a slave of sin. He is no longer subject to the law of sin and death because he already died with Christ.
vs 14 “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.”
7:1Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. 3So then if, while her husband is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man. 4Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God. 5For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. 6But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. Romans 7:1-6
And even though there is a continual struggle to deal with life in this body of sin and passions there is no condemnation because to those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, weak (imperfect) as it was through the flesh, God did; sending His own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled (point time) in us, who do not walk (or live) according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Rom 8:1-4
It is a whole new principle. It is a new way of thinking and living. God is not that great omnipresent policeman continually looking for infractions of the law. A dead person cannot be prosecuted. A dead person does not continue to violate the law. We died to the law and the law to us. It is no longer an issue. We are free to build relationship with the lawgiver, not to the law. Whereas before, the law stood between us as decrees hostile to us in that they continually condemned us, we now live by a different law. As much as you tell me that the police are there to help and protect, there is this nagging feeling that he is looking and may find something to cite me for. My initial reaction when a policeman (defender of the law) come up behind me is not to pull over for a chat. I want to avoid them. I want to keep as far away as possible. In this new kingdom we have diplomatic immunity. We cannot be prosecuted. We are not under law. Only when we understand the gravity of this death and life experience will we come to God as a loving heavenly father and not a policeman. We are free to approach the very throne of grace with confidence through a new and living way, through the blood of Christ who set us free from the law of sin and death. Our focus is not now on keeping the law but loving God. We find ourselves living to please Him from a heart that truly loves him. Not just obeying out of fear of prosecution and condemnation. When we love Him, we will keep His commandments. We will do what pleased Him.
This truth is the basis for the rest of the letter. It was the basis of new life in Ephesians. It is the basis for kingdom life in Colossians. It is the basis of the whole New Testament
So how does Paul encourage us to respond initially to this wonderful truth?
Romans 6:11 “Consider (present tense) yourself to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Don’t let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey (present tense) its lusts.
Don’t go on presenting the members of you 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.
Colossians 2:16 “Stop letting anyone act as your judge in regard to ceremonial things or food or drink.
2:18 “Stop letting anyone defraud you of your prize by shifting your focus from holding fast to Christ to works.”
The issue is not keeping the law but holding fast to Christ. They are mutually exclusive and you must chose one or the other.
2:20 “If you died with Christ stop focusing on decrees such as don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch.”
This is law keeping and trying to keep laws has no value in our struggle with the body of sin and flesh. The only victory over the flesh comes by walking in newness of life.
We operate according to the law of the Spirit of life.
Application
What laws have you substituted for the Mosaic law? Don’t touch. Don’t taste. Pray more. Give more. Paul said all things all lawful. Christ declared all things clean. The issue is one of pleasing God out of love and profit. If you love me you will keep my commandments. Not all things are profitable. When it comes to law, you’re dead. When it comes to relationship with God and life in the kingdom you are alive in Christ.
Colossians 3
“Since you have been raised up with Christ,
keep seeking (present) the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
“Since you have been raise up with Christ set (present) your mind on the things above, not on the things that are
on the earth.”
Direct one’s mind to the things above. Have an understanding. Be wise.
Why?
Motivation in the present
FOR you have died and your life (new life) id hidden (perfect) with Christ in God.”
The word “hidden” carries the idea to conceal secretly for protection.
Motivation in the future
“And when Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
CONCLUSION
Since our new life finds its source in the eternal, shouldn’t that be where we focus our attention?
We must realize MORE FULLY what God accomplished. The wonder of our salvation must be God centered. It was God who brought such a great work on our behalf. So often the verbs associated with the work of salvation applied to us are passive verbs.
Paul seeks to protect this church from a rehashed legalism. Anytime we try to come to God on the basis of some good work of ours we have lapsed into the old system. A merit system must be purged from our heart for its basic foundation is pride.
By grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves lest ANY man should boast.
Hebrews 9:11-14
Christianity is not adhering to a list of do’s and don’ts but a death and life experience that changes us from the core of our being to wholeheartedly serve a living loving God.
Paul made it clear that the focus of His new life was faith in Christ.
19For when I tried to keep the law, I realized I could never earn God's approval. So I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ. 20I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I am not one of those who treats the grace of God as meaningless. For if we could be saved by keeping the law, then there was no need for Christ to die. Galatians 2:19-21 New Living Bible
• Repent of trying to pull yourself up and impress God by trying to keep the law.
• Relax, you life is hidden with Christ in God.
• Renew the mind with the truth of you co-death and co-resurrection with Christ.
• Rejoice in your new life.
• Read Romans 6-8 and Hebrews 7-10 in light of what we have heard this morning.
