As We Are

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 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.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV

How many of us suffer from a sin issue in their lives?  Indeed, our own guilt over sin can be a roadblock to our relationship with Jesus.  How could Jesus possibly be in the presence of sin?  I heard a radio pastor this week make the statement that, when we first come to Jesus, we come to Him as sinners.  I agree with him in that when we first come to accept Jesus, we acknowledge that we HAVE sinned and fallen short and are in need of His grace and forgiveness.  Now, whatever your belief on sin, you have to admit that it our own guilt over sin that drives a wedge between ourselves and God.  In fact, many Christians feel deep down that God is simply unapproachable because of the sins they carry with them.  I was the same way not so long ago.  Even now, the accuser still attempts to remind me of the wrongs I have done in my life.  However, when I dig deeper I get two different answers.  For Satan's automatic response is that, yes, we are all sinners and deserving of our Lords just punishment {Romans 3:23}.  Yes, Satan also knows the scriptures and will all too often use it against us as He did to Jesus {Matthew 4:5-7}.  However, when we continually come before the Lord with the full intent to disclose that which we've already admitted to Him, His response may very well be, "What sin?"  What sin indeed.  Tell me, believer, how many times would you crucify Jesus?  Your response might very well be, "I would never!"  Yet, each and every time that we come before the Lord with a heavy heart over our sin condition we are, in effect, calling for the crucifixion of Christ once again.  The apostle Paul reminds us in Romans of the sacrifice made by Jesus for our sins.  It is Christ who died to our sins "Once for all"{Romans 6:10}.  The death which Jesus died upon the cross was meant to put an end to sin forever.  His death, in essence, was the death blow to our sin condition.  That which we once carried with us, is no more.  However, like a phantom pain, many Christians hold to the lies of the accuser that they are but filthy rags not deserving of the Lords presence.  The best that we can do, it seems, is to somehow "be like" Jesus.  Well, that is but another lie of the accuser.  For we are not like Jesus, but WE ARE Jesus.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us
1 John 1: 8 NKJV

Usually, my first response to someone who tells me that their sin is keeping them from knowing God is to pose the same question I believe the Lord would in the same situation...what sin?  What sin are you carrying?  Let me rephrase that.  What sins are you carrying that Jesus did not cover?  Did Jesus somehow miss a sin or two as He was hanging on that cross?  No, we're told matter of factly that He died "Once for all."  His death covers a world of sin.  Now, instead of a phantom pain, I believe that people carry with them a phantom guilt.  The scripture says all have sinned, so I'm a sinner!  As a sinner, how can I ever be close to God?  How indeed.  Yes, the scriptures claim that we have all sinned and have fallen short of our Lords glory {Romans 3:23}.  Yet, most well meaning Christians leave out verse 24 of this passage.

Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
Romans 3: 24 NKJV

Yes, we have all sinned and fallen short of our Lords glory, yet we are now justified by God through redemption in Christ Jesus.  Paul tells us that our "old man" was crucified with Jesus on the cross.  Sin no longer defines who it is that we are.  Paul also reminds us in Galatians of who it is we are in Christ.  For it is Jesus who lives in us {Galatians 2:20}.  If we once feared that our sin kept us from a relationship with God, it is Jesus who reminds us that He has dealt the death blow to sin.  I don't blame myself for not realizing earlier that I was dead to sin.  As I said, our accuser will stop at nothing to drive a wedge between ourselves and God.  To continue to claim that what Jesus put to death is somehow still alive and well is a lie of the enemy.  Indeed, when we come to the throne with our sin debt, we will be reminded of the truth...what sin?

"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."
Galatians 2: 20 NKJV

~Scott~