Lesson 55: Our New Life in Christ
We become united with Christ by faith when we trust in Him as our Savior and believe the Gospel message. When Christ died on the Cross, He submitted to the reign of sin in that He accepted sin’s penalty, which is death. He then broke the judicial link between sin and death in being raised, God being satisfied that sin’s penalty has been paid and His requirements for justice has been met.
The eternal reality for believers is that we will die physically because of our sinful nature, but will not die the second death, final separation from God. Christ suffered temporary separation from God for our sake but then was reunited with Him forever. Through our faith God allows our sinfulness to be commuted to Christ and His righteousness to us. We become justified by faith in Christ.
The present reality for believers is that we die to the old life we have been living and are raised to a new life of righteousness. Symbolically, we are buried with Christ in baptism, baptized into His death, and raised to new life in Him. As Paul says, “Since you have been raised set your hearts on heavenly things, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your minds on heavenly things, not on earthly things, for you have died and your life now is with Christ in God”. “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; this new life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered Himself up for me.” When one puts his faith in Christ, he purifies himself by turning from sin. One cannot live in Christ or be born of the spirit of God and continue to sin. This doesn’t mean sinless perfection, it means a life not characterized by sin. Baptism is a commitment to God, in all good conscience, to be sure all that baptism symbolizes will become a reality in our lives.
We have lived long enough enjoying the pleasures of sin. Given the scope of eternity, those desires and practices that seemed so important, pale in comparison. We need to put off the old self, constantly corrupting us with sinful desires, and put on the new self-growing daily in God’s image. Put off everything that pertains to our sinful nature. Our attitudes shape the choices we make and the steps we take. All will be accountable to God for everything we have thought, said and done. All would do well to consider the measure of our years and our accountability to God.
Clearly, we have a choice. Paul says to not allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies, that whatever we become slaves to, will become our master, whether to sin leading to death or righteousness leading to life. Pray that God will strengthen us in our inner being with His spirit so that Christ will live in our hearts by faith.