The Gospel: Victory over Sin

Growing up in the church, I was taught to abide by good “Christian rules” of living. I knew that I shouldn't cuss, drink, do drugs, sleep around, etc. However, this was all I knew about the Christian life. I figured it could just be summed up in, “be a slightly better moral person than those around you who aren't Christians.” So many times in churches and just with Christians in general, you hear the exhortation, “just do your best.” The popular teaching is that we are to try to do our best, and what we can’t do, God will supply us with the rest of the strength that we need.

This is not the Gospel. The truth of the matter is that every single one of us who have ever tried to be “Christian” or live the Christian life as God calls us to live has discovered that it’s impossible.

God commands us not to worry. Impossible. God commands us to be completely pure, in thought and deed. Impossible. God commands us to love our enemies and forgive those who hurt us. Impossible. God commands us to be perfect as He is perfect. Impossible. And we all know it.

We fail time and time again. That’s where the modern concept of grace comes in. “Well, God knows that you’re just going to keep on sinning. He never meant for you to actually have victory. That’s why He forgives you of your sins.”

Jesus did not just come and die so that we could be forgiven of our sins. He came and died so that we could be rescued from the problem of sin itself!

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.  How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Do you not know that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore, we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.”  Romans 6

When Christ died upon that cross, we died with Him. We have entered INTO Christ. Therefore, our old way of living, our “old man” is dead. We do not have to give into sin anymore. This is the glorious Gospel: when sin and the old man come knocking, you can command “NO!” in the Name of Jesus. Sin does not have to have dominion over us.

Verse 11 says, “Likeness, reckon also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Reckon is an accounting term. Say you need $20 to get into some event. However, you do not have the $20. You can’t get in. You’re lost. However, I tell you that I give you my $20 that you can have and use to get in. My $20 is in my car, and I tell you that you must go to my car, which is unlocked, and take the $20 for yourself. The $20 may be yours, but you can’t actually use it, and it is not actually efficacious for you until you go to the car and take it.

So it is with this concept. You must reckon yourself to be dead indeed unto sin.

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace.” Romans 6: 14

Grace is not merely the “hug” of God that covers over your sin. Grace is the enabling power of God to accomplish in you that which you can never do on your own! The true Gospel is that we can’t live this life. We must completely surrender to Jesus and allow Him to live this impossible life through our yielded vessels.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8: 2