WALKING DEAD

Today’s Bible readings are 2 Chronicles 4:1-6:11, Romans 7:1-13, Psalm 17:1-15, & Proverbs 19:22-23

Romans 7:4-6

⁴ So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. ⁵ For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. ⁶ But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Have you ever stopped to think about the truth that you are a walking dead man? It is true. According to this passage from Romans, we died with Christ when we put away the old life & accepted the new life that comes by His Spirit. We are dead but yet alive!

Romans 6:1-7

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

We have been set free from sin & the law through baptism into Christ. This is why baptism is so important. It is life changing when a person has the revelation of the importance & significance of baptism. It is where we put away our old life, & BY FAITH, receive the power to live the NEW LIFE if Christ. This ability to live the new life is appropriated by faith.

Romans 4:1-4

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works (LAW), he had something to boast about—but not before God. ³ What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.

Abraham believed & it was credited to him. We believe & it is credited to us also. If something is credited to you it means that you can access it or draw from it. It means that you can use it for your benefit. It is like a check that you have deposited in your savings account. Once the check is cleared & credited to your account it is yours to use when you need it.

What was it that was credited to Abraham? RIGHTEOUSNESS!!! This is the same thing that is credited to us.

1.     THIS MEANS THAT, BY FAITH, WE ARE RIGHTEOUS!

2.     THIS MEANS THAT, BY FAITH, WE CAN NOW LIVE THE RIGHTEOUS LIFE THAT GOD DESIGNED FOR US FROM THE BEGINNING BEFORE THE FALL!

3.     THIS MEANS THAT, BY FAITH, WE CAN DRAW THE STRENGTH THAT WE NEED FROM GOD TO LIVE FREE FROM SIN!

4.     THIS MEANS THAT, BY FAITH, WE ARE APPROVED BY GOD RIGHT NOW!

5.     THIS MEANS THAT, BY FAITH, WE ARE ACCEPTED BY GOD RIGHT NOW!

How does all of this work? BY FAITH!!! Listen to what Paul said is the key in this matter:

Romans 6:8-14

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

It really is about believing in what has been done on the cross. As we believe this truth, we see that sin is truly broken & righteousness has come. This is what opens us to the new life that God has in store for us in Christ. It is a life of:

1.     Victory

2.     Freedom

3.     Power

4.     Love

5.     Hope

6.     Supernatural

7.     Peace

This is your new destiny. Walk dead & walk in the blessing!!!

Pastor Richard Schlotter