~ I Am Alive to Christ ~
Introduction
~ When Christians understand the various
characteristics and aspects of the birthright which came with their second
birth, they comprehend their identity
in Christ. Once Christians understand
their identity, their destiny is also
clear! This series of “Abundant Life
Now” posts will look at one of those facets each week.
This Week’s Verse
~ “Knowing
this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be
done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from
sin. Now if we died with Christ, we
believe that we shall also live with Him,
knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin
once for all; but the life that He lives,
He lives to God. Likewise you also,
reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal
body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to
sin, but present yourselves to God as
being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to
God. For sin shall not have dominion
over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans
6:6-14).
Comment
~ The Christian is not sinless in
this life. But the Christian has power
to avoid sin dominating their lives (“present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and
your members as instruments of righteousness to God”). When a Christian does sin they should run to
Christ rather than away from Christ.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and
the truth is not in us. If we confess
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness. If we say that we
have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1
John 1:8-10).
~~~ EXPLANATORY
“IDENTITY IN CHRIST” NOTES ~~~
(1) Each Monday ALN posts an example of
Scripture’s description of aspects/characteristics of Christians—those who have
personally trusted in Jesus Christ, The Messiah, as their personal Savior.
(2) This series is not intended to be an
exhaustive list.
(3) God the Father described Himself to Moses as
the great “I AM” (Exodus 3:14).
God the Son also said “I AM”
(John 8:58).
(4) Jesus Christ is the Son of God and several
times in the Gospel of John He refers to Himself as “I am.” “I am the Bread of Life” (6:35-51), “I am the Light of the World” (8:12,
9:5), “I am the Door” (10:7-9), “I am the Good Shepherd” (10:11-14), “I am the Son of God” (10:36), “I am the Resurrection and the Life”
(11:25), “I am the Way, the Truth,
and the Life” (14:6), “I am in the
Father, and the Father in Me … Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me” (John 14:10-11), and “I am the True Vine” (15:1-5).
(5) Individual Christians are also sons and
daughters of God. This series will show
some of the various “I am” aspects
of a Christian.
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
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