We're all dead and alive, if we're truly Christians. and of course, we know the verse in the title: dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). But what does this really mean? And why choose it as the title?



Well there's a short explanation to this. We came up with a few titles during sharing time, voted, and there was a tie between this title and "The End" (graciously offered by Heng Wei). Sad to say (for Heng Wei), I voted for "Dead and Alive" to break the tie. But why did I vote as such?



That's the longer explanation. Which is, I feel that it expresses well the tension and condition of our lives as Christians living in the real world. It is both an affirmation, and a challenge. [Take note: Below are my thoughts on how to interpret the verse and the passage following, but don't just take my word for it. Read up, pray, look at commentaries.]



The AFFIRMATION: If we have truly seen our own sinfulness, and we believe in the love of Christ who paid for our sins, and we are willing to accept Him as our Lord and Savior, then - we are well and truly dead to sin and alive to God. But what does this mean? This means that objectively speaking, God counts us as righteous. Not only is our sin paid for by Christ, we have been clothed with the righteousness of Christ. That is the reality. THE reality. But often we know it only in our heads, because in our daily lives, we still sin - we still get angry at the wrong things, we are still proud, conceited, selfish, lustful, jealous, greedy.

But don't miss the point here. What does Paul tell us? After 5 1/2 chapters of talking about the glorious gospel (if you've never read Romans once through, it's probably one of the best things you can do), he tells us to "consider ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus." (6:11) He tells us to bring our vision of ourselves in line with that of the reality of what Christ has accomplished in us. The point is very profound here: we have to live in the light of what Christ has accomplished objectively, in order to start living it out subjectively in our own lives. So, first, affirm to yourself your status before God. Justified and righteous, dead to sin.

The CHALLENGE: How are we going to live in the light of this fact? Paul goes on:

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

This is obviously another very deep and profound passage, and I'll admit I haven't gotten hold of it entirely. But there are clues. Look at v. 12-13: these are instructions - let God reign in you, not sin. Choose God, not sin. This is an attitude and a decision. We can't control the desires presently occuring in us, but we can choose whether to give in to them, and we can choose overall, to let God reign in us. This choosing involves (cf John Piper) preferring. Don't fall prey to the lies of sin - the false promises of pleasure. Know that God is infinitely more valuable and precious. If we truly believed this, and chose God (and righteousness), then I think slowly but surely, our desires will follow. Perhaps not immediately, but with time.

And why will that be effective? v. 14 tells us - for sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Remember the first point - we are justified and made righteous. That is a fact, not just a theory. So in our efforts to stop sinning and be righteous, we don't treat it as a way to be right with God. If we have accepted Christ, we already are. Don't rely on yourself, rely on Christ. "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom 8:1) If we read on to chapter 7, Paul talks about how sin (the sinful nature), making use of the law, makes us sin more.

As I see it, we need to constantly remind ourselves that we have been made righteous. We don't try to be good so that God will like us a bit more. Remember that He showed His love to us while we were sinners. And it's Christ alone that bought us back. Rather, it is because of God's goodness that we want to follow Him. It is His kindness that leads us to repentance. It is because of His amazing grace and goodness to us - totally unworthy creatures - that we must respond in the kind of gratitude and faith that leads to obedience.

And as we, as a group, share our lives and try to follow Christ together, let's keep this in mind. What Christ has done for us, and how we should see one another as well. Let's encourage one another to work out what God has already worked in us - to live out the righteous life that He has already secured for us.

So then, dead to sin, alive to God. Here we go! :)