Week 19 - Free Weekend program for Street & Vulnerable Children.

Teaching from Romans 6:1-5

No. We are not to continue in sin. The gospel doesn’t forgive us to sin more, but to sin no more.

We died to sin at the cross, as confessed in baptism. Christ paid sin for us, and we actually died. We must reckon this to be true. Not only is the penalty paid, but we died. Yes, sin is active in our bodies, but we died, because it’s been punished in Christ.

We’re buried, proving that the death is real. When you go in the waters of baptism, they put you under to show a death and burial has taken place. It’s been fully punished, and is fully dead. Baptism is a picture of what happened to us in Christ. He died, and we died too. He was buried, and so were we.

We died, so we could be raised in newness of life. Just as Christ died, was buried, and rose again, even so us. We died, have been buried, and we have new life. If a person is baptised but doesn’t come out of the water then they die physically.

If Christ is not risen, then we are in our sins. We are not forgiven, because God did not accept him. Rising from the dead, however, proves his death glorified the Father. Our newness of life proves that we actually died to God’s glory, and we must therefore be raised again. God must reward the righteous with life.

If we partake of the death, then we must partake of the life. You can’t have one without the other. I have to believe, therefore, that my sins are paid, and I died. I have to believe that I have new life to live for God’s glory. This is union with Christ: what happened to him, happened to me, and I get the benefits.

I died, and sin is paid. I was buried, as proving my death. I’ve been resurrected, because the debt was paid, there’s no more sin, and all God sees is Jesus’ obedience, so he gives him life from the dead, and we get this life too.

You can’t have the death without the resurrection. I believe in them both. I’m no longer the old me who loves sin. I’m the new me, who loves righteousness, and has power to do it. The grace of God will help by the Spirit.

Heshimu K. Colar