It's a done deal...
How do you "die to sin". I have known drug addicts, who while high have turned their lives to Christ and never took another drug again, without withdrawal or any adverse problems. But I have known others with drug and/or drinking problems who are at the alter every week and just can't seem to get over this "addiction". Are you saying that those who are not "recovered" not "praying hard enough". Please help me understand how to "die to my sin". While I do not have a drinking/drug or sex problem, I do have an "addiction" that I consider sin, but have been unable to conquer. Please tell me what I am doing wrong.
I would love to pass this info to my husband as well who has been trying to "counsel" a friend from "sexual addiction"... He used to have a problem with magazines, now he is afraid that everytime he looks at a women he will want to have sex with her, picture her naked, etc. He says he has not touched a magazine or internet porn site in over a year, yet he can't get the thought of picturing women naked and wanted to touch there bottoms (behinds) out of his mind. He too is another "every week alter goer". How do we know when we are "truly repentative".
Thank you for any help you can offer.
Hi Atoms,
Basically you don't die to sin if you are a born again Christian, you have already died to sin. The old you was crucified, died and was buried, and that was the end of him. He no longer exists. That's what the first 10 verses of Romans 6 is all about.
But it's about a lot more than having died to sin it's about walking in newness of life, that is Christ's resurrection life. That really is the key, you can't go around saying I died to sin every time a temptation comes, you have to see yourself living and walking in resurrection life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. The old life we had has passed away all things have now become new in Christ.
The Apostle Paul uses different illustrations to describe the same event.
In Colossians 1: 13 he says, He has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, This means God has delivered us from the power of darkness by having us co-crucified with Christ and has then translated us into Kingdom of His dear Son by our resurrection with Christ.
In Ephesians 2: 1-2 it says, As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. That's the kingdom of darkness again. In verse 1 there is a description of our spiritual condition before we became a new creation in Christ. Dead in transgressions and sins, that was the old you but you've died to that whole realm by your death and resurrection in Christ.
In Ephesians 2: 4-6 Paul goes on to say, But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus...
I hope from the scriptures above folk have a better idea of what Romans 6 is all about. One other point I would mention, the baptisms mentioned in Romans 6 are not referring to baptism in water. They are referring to baptism into Christ's death and his resurrection. Water baptism is a believers acknowledgment or testimony to the facts.
Romans 6: 1-4 1What, then, shall we say? shall we continue in the sin that the grace may abound?
2 let it not be! we who died to the sin -- how shall we still live in it?
3 are you ignorant that we, as many as were baptised to Christ Jesus, to his death were baptised?
4 we were buried together, then, with him through the baptism to the death, that even as Christ was raised up out of the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we in newness of life might walk.
So I hope that doesn't confuse anyone. If it does try praying Ephesians 1:17-18 often, its the key that opens the door of revelation.
Blessings,
Tonyb
