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Part # 3: The Bible uses the term death to the old nature by
Rated 4 by 10
2000-08-12
The Bible calls this step of repentance death. "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? " (Rom 6:1-2) This is what our mindset should be about that old way of life, we should consider ourselves dead to it. (Rom 6:11). I am not saying that we should consider ourselves to be dead for the verse says "died to sin". It is sin that we are dead to, in fact, we are also alive for the next verses say that just as we died with Christ we are also raised with Him to a new life. This gives us freedom for it is written "Anyone who has died has been freed from sin." (Rom 6:7)
So how does this consider oneself dead to sin work out? Imagine trying to tempt a dead person with their favorite chocolate bar or cake. That would be ridiculous. They will not respond to it or even have any desire to it. Likewise, this should be our response to sin. As soon as it comes up you can quote the Bible verse, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Gal 2:20 ) Our attitude towards sin then should be recognizing that we have in the past already died to it and it is no longer an option.
And it is not only to the sin that we must consider ourselves dead to the sinful nature but also to the sinful desires that go with it. "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (Gal 5:24 ). This takes care of the very source of temptation for as we already stated temptation begins with the desire. If we die to those desires then it breaks the pattern from the start.
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