v2b - How shall we who died to sin still live in it? – This theme is THROUGHOUT Scripture.
Colossians 3:3 - For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. - Died… and now when you see me… everything you see is Christ. I’m hidden with Him in God and God no longer looks at me with wrath but as His child. His beloved child.
But as His child, I’m called to obedience. 1 Peter 2:21-25 - For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
He died on the cross so that we would die to sin. We were helpless against sin remember? Captive to it. But Christ died. What’s the focus? CHRIST! Not a Christ that enables sinning… Peter says that He is the Shepherd and Guardian of our soul!
Paul asks his first question and then answers it … How shall we who died to sin live in it? Look at it like this… The opposite of someone who has died to sin is someone who LIVES in it.
John Calvin said “He who [lives in] sin certainly lives TO sin.” So how can we keep living in that which we’ve died to? The answer is simple. We can’t. Grace is not just a subduing force over sin, grace is a conqueror of sin!
God does not justify someone (He doesn’t save them) with out also regenerating their heart. So that after He saves us we can serve Him in holiness. We are partakers of His Spirit. It would be a contradiction of God’s grace if sin were to be the reason that grace was made stronger.
We died to sin. It points to a one time act when God convicted us of our sin. Our conscience screamed at us that we were guilty before a Holy God. He drew us to Him and we responded in obedience by repenting of our sins and forsook them to trust instead in Christ.
Now, let’s make some things clear before moving to verse 3. Being dead to sin does not mean we are unresponsive to sin. If we were unresponsive to sin then we would not have to be told, in Scripture, to avoid sin and fight it, putting it to death by the Spirit.
Colossians 3:3 - For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. - Died… and now when you see me… everything you see is Christ. I’m hidden with Him in God and God no longer looks at me with wrath but as His child. His beloved child.
But as His child, I’m called to obedience. 1 Peter 2:21-25 - For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
He died on the cross so that we would die to sin. We were helpless against sin remember? Captive to it. But Christ died. What’s the focus? CHRIST! Not a Christ that enables sinning… Peter says that He is the Shepherd and Guardian of our soul!
Paul asks his first question and then answers it … How shall we who died to sin live in it? Look at it like this… The opposite of someone who has died to sin is someone who LIVES in it.
John Calvin said “He who [lives in] sin certainly lives TO sin.” So how can we keep living in that which we’ve died to? The answer is simple. We can’t. Grace is not just a subduing force over sin, grace is a conqueror of sin!
God does not justify someone (He doesn’t save them) with out also regenerating their heart. So that after He saves us we can serve Him in holiness. We are partakers of His Spirit. It would be a contradiction of God’s grace if sin were to be the reason that grace was made stronger.
We died to sin. It points to a one time act when God convicted us of our sin. Our conscience screamed at us that we were guilty before a Holy God. He drew us to Him and we responded in obedience by repenting of our sins and forsook them to trust instead in Christ.
Now, let’s make some things clear before moving to verse 3. Being dead to sin does not mean we are unresponsive to sin. If we were unresponsive to sin then we would not have to be told, in Scripture, to avoid sin and fight it, putting it to death by the Spirit.
In Salvation, we are regenerated. Sin loses its appeal to us. It loses its controlling grip on our lives. Furthermore we are forgiven of our sin. The Holy Spirit comes then to enable us to turn from sin continually (Revelation 12:10).
Does that make sense? It would be a lie to say that Christians aren’t tempted to sin. We are. Satan tempts us on all fronts. He knows what sin you are most prone to stumble in and so that is what he comes at you with… CONSTANTLY.
So Paul is NOT saying that you aren’t a Christian if you are tempted. He’s talking about living in sin and just flat not caring that Jesus died to save you from those sins.
So Paul is NOT saying that you aren’t a Christian if you are tempted. He’s talking about living in sin and just flat not caring that Jesus died to save you from those sins.
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