This act of surrender and this reckoning of faith are recognized in the New Testament as marking a very definite crisis in the spiritual life. It does not mean that we are expected to be going through a continual dying, but that there should be one very definite act of dying, and then a constant habit of reckoning ourselves as dead and meeting everything from this standpoint.
~ A.B. Simpson
Hey, before we get going… Here is a challenge. Purpose, by the grace of G_d, to read through the book of Romans every month or two in some purposeful fashion. The whole Word of G_d should be a regular part of our diets (at least every day), but the book of Romans acts like a massive n-body gravity pool for the Scriptures. I triple-dog dare you to try and get bored reading (or listening to) the book of Romans; especially chapters 6-8. Deferring to an expert, Martin Luther wrote:
This Epistle is in truth the chief part of the New Testament and the purest Gospel. It would be quite proper for a Christian, not only to know it by heart word for word, but also to study it daily, for it is the soul’s daily bread. It can never be read or meditated too much and too well. The more thoroughly it is treated, the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes.
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.
~ Romans 6:3-4
The New Testament reveals something clearly throughout its pages. In some trans-temporal mystery, beyond our ability to comprehend with our intellect (i.e., it is a matter of faith), believers were crucified with Christ. Not only was our sin paid for by the priceless, perfect blood of Christ – He also took our old man along with Him to slay it in order that we might live free from sin in the future.
He died to save us from our sins, and at the same time, He killed our old man to save us from ourselves. This is simply true.
This is true, and it is not just a “cherry-pick” from one isolated passage of Scripture. We see the same truth revealed in (at least) Romans 7, 2 Corinthians 5, Galatians 2,5,6, Colossians 3, 2 Timothy 2, 1 Peter 2…
Kinda (no really!) makes “It is finished!” even more glorious than what we understood when we first met Him. Surely, it is beyond-amazing that He saved us from Hell! Soli Deo Gloria! But, we miss the full benefit of the amazing work Christ did at the cross if we miss the fact that – we too – died in union with Him that day.
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. 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 reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
~Romans 6:5-11
So, what’s going on here? G_d is revealing an epic truth to us. In Christ, we have died. And through this, we have been set free from the power of sin in our lives. This implications of this are gargantuan for our existence – RIGHT NOW. Now, knowing this is true, the only reasonable response is to put this into play immediately!
But how do we engage the immense power of this truth in our lives? Through faith (and remember: faith is not just being a member of the club of belief. Faith is often more like that moment when someone looks at the Word of G_d and says: “Oh my goodness! It’s TRUE!!!!)… through faith, we reckon it true.
In reckoning, like an accountant, we consider the funds available in an account, and record the truth in our ledger. Writing the number down does not make it true. Rather, the truth of the existence – and the spending power of – the funds is made manifest in the account by the reckoning entry of the accountant. And once that entry is made, the truth-power of those monies can be brought to bear as needed.
Gloriously, reckoning has nothing to do with feelings or perception. It does not matter that we feel weird about this death, or that we don’t feel like it happened. The fact of the matter is that it did happen! All the lies of our flesh, the evil one, and culture can simply be ignored – and the truth of our old man’s death can be applied in every decision we make in this new life today. (Hint: you do not have to sin. How VERY cool is that!)
So, in our new life, the old us no longer lives… we must reckon it true that that dead man neither requires (nor deserves) digging up, attention, analysis, validation, recognition, sustenance, encouragement, financing, or friends.
In reckoning this true, we begin to understand that our new life is something entirely different than it was before we met Jesus. It is a life lived now in the spirit, full of freedom, righteousness, joy and peace in and through His Spirit.
And beloved, if we could have asked for anything else, we would have asked amiss. In Him, united with Him in His presence, is a life so quiet and peaceful; so very, very real, restful, powerful, joyful and complete. In Him there is no fear, no pain, no shame, no doubt, and no want. And as G_d never changes, we begin to learn that this never has to end.
Oh, to be a poet… i simply cannot find the words…
And, as we reckon the death of this old man true, another dynamic comes into play. We are ALIVE to Him. And to be most alive in Him is to be most dead to ourselves. We now live that He might have total dominion in our existence; that His power might be made manifest in and through us… let’s leave off here with the words from another brother:
Even the weakest saint can experience the power of the deity of the Son of God, when he is willing to “let go.” But any effort to “hang on” to the least bit of our own power will only diminish the life of Jesus in us. We have to keep letting go, and slowly, but surely, the great full life of God will invade us, penetrating every part. Then Jesus will have complete and effective dominion in us, and people will take notice that we have been with Him.
~ Oswald Chambers
