It is one of the first questions asked of each and every Navy SEAL recruit: "WHO ARE YOU?" Choose your answer carefully.
Romans 8: 9-11 NKJV
It's an identity crisis we all face at one time or another. Who am I? Am I indeed a sinful man who, by the very grace of God, has had my sins forgiven? If so, what then of the sacrafice of Christ Jesus? For if Jesus indeed gave His life to wash away the sins that all of mankind had been carrying from birth, then what need is there for us to continue to call ourselves sinners? What need be there to continue to seek our Lords forgiveness? This is the identity crisis which is perpetuated upon christians today by more than a few well meaning pulpit pounders. And why not, for this seems to be the predominant teaching in modern seminaries as well. So, who am I? Do I follow the lead of the christian leaders of today and continue in sin? Or do I follow the lead of what has already been accomplished by Christ Jesus and given as a free gift to all mankind? I believe that Jesus died to free us of the very sins which were burdening us. However, what freedom is there in a list of requirements? Many a church leader will teach to this day that we indeed continue to carry that burden of sin that Jesus died to remove from us. For if we continue to shoulder this sin burden, we shall somehow be reminded of the sin burden which Jesus was tortured and died for. For every sin we continue to carry, we carry that reminder of just what Christ endured in our place. Make no mistake, we were destined to take the punishment which Jesus took upon Himself. Our sin deserved our punishment.
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 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.
Romans 6: 6-12 NKJV
So what about that teaching that we ought to refer to ourselves as simply sinners saved by Gods grace? Well, for one thing it may invalidate the sacrafice of our Lord Jesus, who bled and died to wash away the very sins we carried. That is all sins past, present and future! And yet we continue to seek Gods forgiveness for one sin or another we feel may have escaped Jesus' cleansing. Really? Is it good that we should carry that reminder of the scourging which Jesus endured for us? Christian, Jesus DIED that we would no longer be burdened with our sins. In Romans 6, the apostle Paul reminds us that our "Old man" was indeed put to death with Christ Jesus on that cross. Our old man, that part of us which was born into sin. This is what Jesus gave His life for. Why? So that we might live our lives as Christ Jesus. For if indeed we have died with Him, then we should also live with Him. That old man which He died to put to death, has been replaced by Jesus alone.
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV
It is not good that we should carry sin within us as a reminder of the sacrafice of Jesus. For one thing, the death of Jesus has freed us from the penalty of that sin. We are no longer slaves of the sin which we once carried, for that part of us has been put to death never to emerge again. Having been crucified with Christ, I now live AS Jesus. This is who I am!
~Scott~
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