How To Apply Identity In Christ To Daily Christian Living - Romans 6:12-23.

Introduction:

    In the last several posts, we have explored what defines the true identity of the Christian as detailed in Romans 6,7, and 8. So far we have done a detailed study of Romans 6:1-11. Today we plan to continue our study through the end of Romans 6. 

    We began by answering the question as to whether we are "sinners", "saints", or somehow both. In the initial posts of this series I gave a response to that question, which readers may review here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/05/is-christian-sinner-saint-or-somehow.html and here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/05/a-follow-up-need-to-unpack-reality-of.html. 

    We also delved into understanding how Christians have a new identity in Jesus Christ and yet can still choose to sin in this life. Readers may review the two posts I devoted to the two realities of the new Christian identity and the propensity to still sin here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/05/p1-new-christian-identity-and-reality.html and here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/05/p2-new-christian-identity-reality-of.html. 

    Then, in the last post, we introduced the Biblical teaching on "union with Christ", and how that roots Christian identity here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/05/union-with-jesus-christ-what-it-is-and.html

    In today's post I want to move forward in considering how Paul moves us from the principles to the applications of our new identity in Christ. First, let me begin with what he writes in Romans 6:8-12    

"Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts."

God tells us who we are and then commands us what we need to do in light of who we are

    Theologians have noted that in the New Testament letters, such as Romans, the author will lay out statements of fact concerning the Christian life or Christ Himself - what they call "Gospel indicatives". Then, once setting forth these statements of fact, these "principles", the author will then issue commands that are feasible to do in light of the principles - called by theologians "Gospel imperatives".  

    When we speak of "Gospel indicatives", we are talking about "who I am and Whose I am". When we refer to "Gospel imperatives", we are addressing "how then shall we live in light of the Gospel indicatives?" To state it one more way. Gospel indicatives indicate the "truth", "doctrine" or "realities" of my new found position in Christ. Gospel imperatives deal with the application of such realities through imperatives or commands for daily Christian living. 

Christian Sanctification is all about Adjusting to a New Way of Life

    In life, a person experiences having to adjust to new ways of living, such as: marriage, parenting, new job, a move & health. The Christian-life involves the greatest spiritual adjustment. Why? One’s new identity in Christ ought to include the continual adjustment of a person’s priorities and practices. 

    Since we have defined "Gospel Indicatives" and "Gospel Imperatives", we have a grid for applying the insights we've gained thus far about Christian identity to daily life in Christian growth (i.e. sanctification). Thus, what components are involved in consistently adjusting one’s new-found way of life to align more with Jesus Christ, His Spirit and His Word?

Realities of Christian Identity. Rom. 6:9-11,15-19, 20-23. (These realities are “gospel indicatives”)

    The Gospel indicatives we find in Romans 6 spell out for us who we are and whose we are. 

1. Romans 6:3b "all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?"

2. Romans 6:4 "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."

3. Romans 6:5 "For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection."

4. Romans 6:6a "knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him"

5. Romans 6:8 "Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him"

6. Romans 6:11 "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus."


7. Romans 6:23b ..."but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

    When it comes to one's identity or union in Christ, the idea of change and adjustment to that newfound identity lies at the core of Christian sanctification. There ought to be a difference in one how thinks, acts and talks because of who they are and Whose they are in Christ. The job of the Gospel indicatives is to remind and reinforce to the Christian the reality of who they are in Christ.

    To illustrate, in the area where I live, people are adjusting to warmer temperatures and the beautiful weather that characterizes Spring. Gone are the coats, boots, and snow shovels. In their place I notice people wearing light jackets or short-sleeved shirts. Weeks ago, one would not had seen many people on the sidewalks or at the near-by city-park. But now, when driving home from the church where I pastor, I'll notice numerous people walking their dogs, pushing strollers and enjoying the warmer temperatures. Why? The people understand that things have changed, and thus they adjust how they dress and act accordingly. Now keep this illustration in mind, since we will refer to it shortly in understanding the second thought associated with effective growth in Christian sanctification or adjustment to the new found way of life in Christ...

Responsibilities of Christian identity. Rom. 6:12,13,19. (These responsibilities are “gospel imperatives”)

    So, what is it that Christians are commanded to do or not do in Romans 6? Again, without the Gospel indicatives, the Gospel imperatives become burdensome. However, with the understanding of who one is in Christ, the Gospel imperatives or responsibilities become a delight to carry out. As 1 John 5:3 reminds us: 

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome." Note the following "Gospel imperatives" in Romans 6.

1. Romans 6:12 "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts"

2. Romans 6:13a "and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin..".

3. Romans 6:13b ...."but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead".... .

4. Romans 6:14a "For sin shall not be master over you".... .

5. Romans 6:19b ...."so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification."

    To return back to the illustration above, would it not be odd to see someone dressed in full winter gear on a warm, Spring-time day? Or worse yet, imagine trying to build a snowman in July or operating a snowblower along a sandy beach. We would not dream of doing such things. Yet, many Christians, when told to abstain from certain things, will attempt to carry out the prohibitions of the Gospel imperatives without first considering the change that has occurred in their lives. 

    Or to use the same illustration differently: do people on a warm spring-time day need convinced to "go outside and enjoy the sunny weather"? Or how about this: "go for a walk or open the windows and enjoy the smell of the fresh flowers and budding trees." 

    Why are such commands easy to carry out? Because the people carrying them out understand that the status of their situation is that of people living in what is now warmer, nicer weather. The behavior and actions match with the reality of the status in which one finds themselves. 

    When it comes to effectively adjusting oneself to the new way of life in Jesus Christ, such adjustment can only be enjoyed and truly possible when one understands the reality of their identity in the Lord. 

Closing thoughts

In today's post we explored what is necessary to be more effective in Christian growth in sanctification as spelled-out in Romans 6:9-23. We discovered the following two components...

1. Realities of Christian Identity. Rom. 6:9-11,15-19, 20-23. (These realities are “gospel indicatives”)


2. Responsibilities of Christian identity. Rom. 6:12,13,19. (These responsibilities are “gospel imperatives”)

Union with Jesus Christ, What It Is, And How It Roots Christian Identity - Romans 6:8-11

 

Introduction:

    In today's post I want to explore the most common truth we find about Christian identity in the New Testament epistles - union with Christ. This is in keeping with the last series of posts which have aimed to explore the subject of Christian identity through Romans 6,7, and 8. For reader's desiring to review the last couple of posts in the series, click on the following links.

http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/05/p1-new-christian-identity-and-reality.html

http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/05/p2-new-christian-identity-reality-of.html

What it means to be united to Jesus Christ

    The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology defines "union with Christ" as having to do with identification with Christ. It notes on page 588:

"...the theological concept of identification with Christ relates a Christian to the person and work of Christ by Divine reckoning, by the human experience of faith, and by the spiritual union of the believer with Christ effected by the baptism of the Holy Spirit."

    Theologian Michael Horton on page 587 of his volume:"The Christian Faith" describes this union of the believer and Jesus Christ in both salvation and sanctification as follows:

"Nevertheless, our subjective inclusion in Christ occurs when the Spirit calls us effectually to Christ and gives us the faith to cling to him for all of his riches."

    To understand this union more concretely, Jesus compares union with Him as a branch to a vine and the vine to the branches (John 15:1-7). The "vine and branches" metaphor employed by Jesus gives us a grand introduction to this truth. In Ephesians 5:22-33, the union of Christ and His people is likened unto the union shared between a husband and the wife. Other metaphors are used throughout the New Testament to describe the Christian's union with Jesus Christ, including the body (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12); bread (1 Corinthians 10); a field (1 Corinthians 3:9) among others.

 

    This idea of "union with Christ" is vital, since Christ connects not only our justification and sanctification together, but also connects His Person and current work to us by the ministry of the Holy Spirit that both initially and progressively continue such a connection (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-13). In the New Testament, wherever we find phrases such as "in Christ" or "with Christ", we can have certainty that the author is talking about "union with Christ". To say "in Christ" means "in association with Christ" or "in participation with Christ". Paul most often talks of this truth. We also find it in Peter's letters, chiefly in 2 Peter 1:4

"For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust."

Tying our new Christian identity into the doctrine of union with Christ

    I wrote in the last post about the top five ways a Christ-follower is described in the New Testament. This whole matter of "Christian identity", whether "disciple", "saint", "elect", "believer", or "Christian", is rooted in the larger theological truth of one's "union" with Jesus Christ. 

    This reality of no longer "united to the first Adam" and transferred into "the Second Adam", Christ, by faith, is traced out in Romans 5:11-21. Romans chapters 6-8 spells out the implications which follow from the sinner's transferral from "Adam" to "Christ". Notice what we find, beginning in Romans 6:3-7

"Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin."

    You'll notice in the above quote I put into bold those phrases that allude to the believer's union with Christ. As stated already, to be "in Christ"or "with Christ" refers to "association" or "participation" in the life of that person. 

    We can note that the term translated “united” derives from a Greek word found only once in the Greek New Testament. Elsewhere in other Greek literature outside the New Testament, certain ancient medical literature uses the term to describe the knitting of bones together in a mother’s womb. Or, in referencing forestry, particular Greek authors used this term "united" to describe a dense forest of trees growing together. 

    In other words, to have "union" with Jesus Christ speaks of a spiritual, organic union. To put it another way, the experiences and life of one Person (Adam for sinners; Jesus for saints) becomes mapped onto those with whom they are shared. The Apostle John notes in 1 John 4:19

"By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world."

    As Paul expounds upon what all is involved with our Christian identity "united" to Jesus Christ, we read in Romans 6:8-11

"Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus."

    Did you notice how life and death are wrapped up in this personal identity of the Christian life? Although the Christian life in this world still deals with the corruption of sin, that secondary reality cannot subtract from who the Christian is in Jesus Christ.

Closing thoughts
    Let me close with how powerful this union with Christ is in rooting the new Christian identity. Paul writes in Colossians 2:13-14

"When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

P2 The New Christian Identity, The Reality Of Lingering Sin, And Introducing Union With Christ - Romans 6:1-7

Introduction:

   Over the last few posts, I've discussed the issue of the Christian's new identity. The first of these posts raised the question about whether we are "sinners saved by grace" or "saints who sin occasionally". To review that initial post, readers may click here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/05/is-christian-sinner-saint-or-somehow.html . We then did a follow-up post to unpack further how it can be that in having a newly regenerated, transformed nature from salvation, the saint of God can still sin in this life. To review that second post, readers may click here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/05/a-follow-up-need-to-unpack-reality-of.html . Then in the last post, the third of the series, we began to offer comments on Romans 6:1-7, talking about the new Christian identity and the lingering effects of indwelling sin here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/05/p1-new-christian-identity-and-reality.html . 

    What we want to do today is continue on from our last post, exploring the important truth of our union with Christ. We will look at how this truth factors into the Christian's core identity, and offer further comments on that secondary reality we spoke of last post, namely the Christian's choice to still commit sin.

Meet the two trees that illustrate the Christian's two realities of a new identity and still lingering sin

    Years ago, when we served at a church in Florida, we lived near a small lake. The perimeter of this lake featured a small residential road, dotted with palm trees and other sorts of flora. It was common to see oak trees or large pine trees side-by-side with the tall palm trees that stood straight and swayed in the warm Florida breeze.

    There was one particular tree that I can remember that was an older tree. This tree had wide boughs and branches that were crooked. You could tell the tree was older than most of the others around the lake due to the bark. What was curious about this older tree was that it had a palm tree growing out of the middle of its trunk. When I looked at this tree, it was hard to tell where the old oak tree and the palm tree began and ended with one another. The oak tree had started its life sooner, with the palm tree somehow becoming a part of this older tree at a later time.

    The two trees were contrasts of one another. The oak tree, as mentioned, had crooked, sprawling branches; whereas the palm tree was straight. As expected, the palm tree's growth had to battle its oak tree host. Still, the oak was an oak, having its own sort of life, a life that was slowly ebbing away. Meanwhile, the younger palm tree had a different way of life, vibrant and hopeful as it shot its way toward the Florida sun.

    When I look at the Christian identity in Jesus Christ, we're like that palm tree. We become implanted in an older, crooked, shell of humanity (see James 1:21). The new nature, the heart of Christian identity, grows amidst the left-overs of the former old life. 

    Although the old nature is dead, yet its effects linger on. It presses in upon the new nature which was implanted and begun by the Holy Spirit in saving faith. The older tree in our analogy is a secondary feature, with the palm tree springing forth as the primary reality of the Christian's identity. They are two unequal, yet warring realities.

The Christian's new identity centers upon their union with Jesus Christ

    What I want to do now is focus attention upon the primary reality of the Christian life - their new identity. In my studies of the New Testament, one finds the following facts about what Christian people are referred to in the Gospels, Acts, Epistles, or John's Apocalypse. I'll list five of the leading descriptions of Christ-followers.

1. Christians were first called  

    "disciples". This title is found only in  

    the Gospels and Acts, yet it is by far 

    the most common designation, 

    registering over 250 places.  

2. Christians are called "saints" over 50      times. 

3. Christians are referred to as "elect"or      "chosen ones" some 15 times. 

4. Christians are termed "believers" on        9 occasions. 

5. Christians are deemed "Christians" in      3 places. 

    These five leading descriptors address the Christian life from different angles. 

    The "disciple" is at root a follower of Jesus Christ. He or she sets out to follow Jesus so closely as to mimic Jesus in thought, word, or deed. To say one is a "Christian" is to say one is a "disciple". In salvation, I accept Jesus as my Savior and my Lord. He is Lord or Master not only by right, but also by fact. The disciple's entire life is growing in their awareness, understanding, and competency in living their life for the glory of the Master Who redeemed them. 

    The term "saint" addresses how God has set apart a sinner, called him or her unto himself in saving faith, and changed their underlying human nature from being at war with God to walking with God as a "holy one" - i.e. "a saint". 

    When we speak of someone as "chosen" or "elect", this reminds us that before we ever choose God, He chose us for the sake of His Son before time began, prior to our birth, to be holy and blameless in His sight. 

    As for the designation "believer", this reminds us that God's choosing and electing does not cancel out the obligation nor call to the sinner to believe and repent of their sins in Jesus Christ. 

    The name "Christian" derived from those who opposed the earlier followers of Christ, reminding us that becoming one entails suffering for Jesus' sake. 

A brief comment on "union with Christ".

    For sake of space, I'll devote the next post to unpacking what is meant by "union with Christ". This reality of "union with Christ" is the most common teaching about Christian identity we find in the New Testament. The clearest passage that summarizes this truth is what Paul writes in Galatians 2:20  

"I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me."

    In the next post, I'll spend more time on this vital truth that is at the heart of the Christian's new identity in Jesus Christ

P1 The New Christian Identity And The Reality Of Lingering Sin - Romans 6:1-7

Introduction:

    In this series of posts we are understanding two truths about the Christian life in this world. 

1. First, the Christian has a new identity,

    and thus a new nature in Jesus              Christ. 

2. Second, though having a new 

    identity, the Christian still retains the      lingering effects of corruption.


Romans 6,7 and 8 helps us understand how these two truths are to be explained. If I were to summarize these three chapters, the following could be said.


1. Romans 6 - New Christian identity and no excuse to sin.

2. Romans 7 - Old vss New identity and      the conflict of sin.

3. Romans 8 - New Christian identity          and defeating sins.

    As an old preacher I heard once noted, until I understand the realities of Romans 6, and deal with the conflict of Romans 7, only then can I enjoy the victory promised in Romans 8. 

    Lets look what we find in Romans 6 concerning the new Christian identity and no excuse to sin. These are two realities. The new identity in Jesus Christ speaks to what I become and who I am as a Christian. The lingering corruption of sin speaks to a secondary reality of the Christian life that stems from our unredeemed flesh. We shall first note some questions to ask ourselves.

Important questions to ask of our new identity and the tendencies to still desire to sin

    Let's first begin with the second reality of the Christian life, the lingering corruption that clings to our flesh and which imposes itself upon our new nature. Paul writes about this issue of sin in the Christian life, and the need to rely upon the Holy Spirit who brought it about. We can note what he says in Galatians 5:16-17

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."

    Anyone reading this post, especially Christian readers, ought to identity with what Paul wrote in Galatians. These two competing realities, unequal to be sure, stir about on the inside. In later posts I'll take note of this enormous conflict in Paul's extensive treatment of it in Romans 7. 

    Suffice to say, any working model of Christian sanctification has to handle how the Christian can have a new nature on the one hand, while still dealing with the uncomfortable reality of lingering sin. As we turn to Romans 6, the opening three verses pose three diagnostic questions that help us to see that thought the Christian is "a saint who sins occasionally", they never have a legitimate excuse for doing so.

1. Do I have the right to sin? No

Romans 6:1 "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be!"

    When one becomes a Christian, they are brought into a new life, united to Christ, with new rights. We have the right to live for God. The right to love God. The right to hate sin. Whenever we compare those rights to the one right don't have - the right to sin, we discover that in all reality, nothing is lost. Whenever you think about it, a "right" in the moral and spiritual sense is something granted by God. The sinner's claim on having the "right to sin" is a deception of the fallen impulses of our physical body, containing those selfish drives the Scripture calls "the flesh". The Christian has the license to live for God and does not have the right to sin.

2. Do I have to sin? No

Romans 6:2b "How shall we who died to sin still live in it?"

    This second question deals with the issue of no longer having the necessity to sin. Before Christ, the sinner could say: "I couldn't help my self" because they not only sin out of willingness, but also necessity. Necessity has to do with the overall disposition of one's moral and spiritual nature. When I speak of "nature", I mean the way in which something expresses its existence, behavior, or (if possessing an intellect) it's personality. Another way of describing one's nature would be to say "how one is wound" or, "how one is wired".

    What happens when the nature is changed to a new one in Christ? The will of the human person now has options! Fallen man's freedom of the will is limited to only doing what pleases himself. He is free to do whatever he wants and yet, no matter how religious or moral he may be, unless the Holy Spirit is acting upon and in the heart - that person will refuse God 100% of the time. At saving faith, the will is "freed" to do the one thing it refused to do - truly and freely love God.

    In post-conversion life (that is, the life that follows from having been born-again to saving faith), Christians will still sin. With that reality understood, the Christian cannot claim they "had to sin", since the necessity to sin is removed. Even though I may sin post-conversion, I don't have to. One's growth in sanctification ought to see a lessening frequency and severity of sins relative to what they would had been pre-conversion.

3. Can I have victory over sins? Yes

Romans 6:3 "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?"

    Let us suppose one has a dead mouse in a mouse trap. If you were to put a piece of cheese up to his nose - would he grab for it? Clearly not. Why? The mouse is "dead". No amount cheese, even the finest cut, will entice a dead mouse. Paul describes the Christian's relationship to the power of sin as being "dead". By one's union in Christ - sin - in effect - is "dead to them". 

    This is Paul's way of saying that in Christ, ground is given to the Christian to have victory. Victory over particular sins requires a daily giving of oneself to God's Word, prayer, and putting on the shield of faith (see Ephesians 6:1-11). Our flesh may very well "flare-up" in such instances - since the cancellation of "power of sin", not the "presence of sin", has occured.

    We must remember that in justification - the penalty of sin is removed. In sanctification - the power of sin is removed. Only when I am in heaven with Jesus - or glorification - will the presence of sin be removed. With those distinctions noted, since my relationship with Christ is defined - that means my relationship to sin ought to change. 

    The more I grow deeper in love with Jesus, the higher will be my hatred of sin. In sanctification - I am becoming in experience whom God declared me to be by position in justification.

    In our next post, we shall continue on by exploring the meaning of how the primary reality of the Christian's new identity is rooted in their union with Jesus Christ. 

More next time....

A Follow-up: The Need To Unpack The Reality Of Sin In The Christian Life

Introduction & review: saints who sin occasionally

    In our last post, we considered the question of Christian identity. Readers who want to review the last post may click here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/05/is-christian-sinner-saint-or-somehow.html. 

    We asked "is a Christ-follower a 'sinner', 'a saint', or somehow 'both'". We concluded that, on the one hand, with respect to the righteousness of Jesus Christ credited unto me in saving faith, I am no doubt a "saint", a "holy one". Over sixty times we find Christians referred to as "saints" in the New Testament. We could say that the Christ-follower's "sainthood" in this present life speaks to their root identity. The Christian is by position forgiven of their sins and by relationship an adopted son or daughter of God.

    But now, what of the sins commited post-conversion? This secondary "on the other hand" reality of Christian living causes much discussion among Christian people. 

    Clearly, the Bible nowhere affirms that Christians are sinlessly perfect in this life (compare 1 John 1:8-2:2 for example). We know that Paul admitted, for instance, in Philippians 3:12

"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus."

    Also too, the Apostle Peter would commit sins well into his Apostleship, as apparent in Paul's confrontation of him in Galatians 2:11-21. Even though the Christian has no excuse (since the last time I sinned I did not have to sin), it nevertheless stands that all Christians will choose to sin from time-to-time. As author Sinclair Ferguson notes in his book "The Blueprints for Sanctification", the pattern for Christian living ought to be that we sin less frequently and with less intensity. 

    It is true that Christians have a "new nature" from their conversion in saving faith (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5). So, why then do Christian people sin? As I noted in the last post, some Christians refer to themselves as "sinners saved by grace". I won't go into the history of the use of this phrase. The history of ideas, and how they trickle down into everyday use, tends to lead to their misuse. Let's just say that its original intent, and the way it is taken today, are different and has led to much confusion.  This phrase "sinner saved by grace", though well intended, nevertheless needs retired. 

    In my last post, I noted that probably a better way of stating this secondary feature of Christian living in this world is to say "we are saints who sin occasionally" (to borrow from Neil T. Anderson and other theologians who write regularly on the subject of Christian sanctification). 

The reality of sin in the Christian life

    We know that Christian people retain the corruption of sin. The difference between pre-conversion and post-conversion man is that the first situation has man sinning by necessity. Put another way, unbelievers sin because of who they are - sinners. The church 5th century church father Augustine describes it as "not being able not to sin", or stated positively "able only to sin". The human will of the natural man is morally bent, tilted, in the direction of "desiring to do the opposite of God's will", as well as feeling the need to do what is opposite of God's will. 

    When we become born-again, regenerated, new believers in Jesus Christ, our nature is transformed. When the Christian sins, they sin because "they want do", not because "they have to". To quote our friend Augustine once more, we become as believers those "who are able not to sin", or stated positively, "we can choose not to sin". 

    I ended the last post by referencing Martin Luther's phrase in his summary of the Christian life "simul iustus et peccator" (saint and sinner at the same time). As I understand this teaching of Luther, the Christian is indeed a "saint" in the primary sense of their identity with respect to the credited righteousness of Jesus Christ, received in saving faith (compare Romans 3:24-26; Galatians 3:24). As I also understand Luther's statement, the Christian chooses to commit sin and, independent of consideration of who they are in Christ, they would be a sinner (which of course is no longer their central identity, due to conversion). Luther's point seems to be that the Christian's choice to sin is a "secondary feature" of their Christian life in this world. As I heard it once stated: 

"in the new birth, we are set free in justification from the penalty of sin; in sanctification, we are being set free from the power of sin; and in glorification, or after we get to Heaven, the believer is set free from the presence of sin".

The reason for today's post: a need to unpack the reality of sin in the Christian life 

    The Apostle Paul writes these words in Romans 7:24-25

"Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."    

    With so much discussion over who a Christian is ("a saint", "a sinner", or somehow both), I wanted to take time to dive more deeply into where we can find the accurate portrayal of the polarity that exists for Christian people, namely that we are "saints" and that "we sin occasionally" - Romans 6,7,8. 

 
The 4 R's Of Romans 6, 7 and 8.

     I'll simply list what I call "the four "R's" of the Christian life in Romans 6,7, and 8 as a means of navigating the Christian's "sainthood" on the one hand and the painful reality of their post-conversion sinning on the other hand.

1. Realities of the Christian life.  

    Romans 6:1-11

2. Responsibilities of the Christian life.        Romans 6:12-7:6

3. Wrestlings between the new nature        and sin in the Christian life. 

    Romans 7:7-25

4. Rights of sonship for the Christian          life. Romans 8.

Closing thoughts

    As we devote time in future posts to these chapters of Romans 6,7, and 8, I'm reminded of what I heard a preacher say years ago in reference to understanding the Christian life in this section of Romans. The preacher noted:

"only when we understand the reality of Romans 6 and the conflict of Romans 7 will we be able to enjoy our inheritance laid out in Romans 8."

     It is hoped that in unpacking these three chapters, readers can gain clarity to untangling the difficulties of understanding the believer's true identity in Jesus Christ. 

Is The Christian A Sinner? A Saint? Or Somehow Both?

Introduction:

    Our Christian identity is fundamental to how we grasp three realities:

1. Who we are in relationship to God in 

    Christ. 

2. How we relate to understanding 

    ourselves in Christ. 

3. How we relate to others inside or 

    outside of Christ. 

    Identity has become a hot topic of discussion in our wider culture during the last decade. In the news we will hear of such phrases as, "identity politics" or hear the question, "what do you identify as?" We live in an age that though full of information at out finger tips, yet is characterized by the vast majority of people not knowing who they are, or even "what they are". 

    These are the fruits of a set of worldviews that attempt to root identity either in the by-products of so-called neo-Darwinian evolution (i.e. naturalism) or in one's personal understanding of oneself (i.e. what author Carl Trueman has coined "individual expressivism").

    For followers of Jesus Christ, it is vital to know who we are. What is at the root of our Christian identity? How do we explain it? To answer these questions, I'll first offer an outline of Romans 6,7,8, followed by an exposition of where I land on the subject of Christian identity.  

An outline of Romans 6,7,8 with reference to Christian identity.

1. We are saints that died to sin.       

    Romans 6

*Personal new identity for Christian 

  living. 6:1-3

*Progress in Christ by Christian living.      6:4-7

*Power available for Christian living.          6:8-11

*Present yourself to God for Christian 

  living. 6:12-23

2. We are saints that wrestle with sin.   

    Romans 7

*Pre-conversion: dead in sins, 

  condemned by the Law. 7:1-13

*Post-conversion: wrestle with sin, 

  delighting in the Law. 7:14-25

3. We are saints freed to overcome sin.  Romans 8

*Free from condemnation before God.      8:1-4

*Free to desire God.  8:5-8

*Free to live for God. 8:9-11

*Free to relate to God. 8:12-16

*Free to hope in God.  8:17-25

*Free in prayer to God. 8:26-27

*Free in confidence with God. 8:28-39

An Exposition and Personal Testimony about Christian Identity

    For over 30 of my nearly forty years of being a Christ-follower, I have studied this matter of Christian identity. The question which we seek to answer is, "are we fundamentally sinners saved by grace, saints that can walk victoriously above sin, or both"? I have experienced the first two in extreme form. I have come to conclude that, in the words of that great Reformer, Martin Luther, we are "saints and sinners at the same time". Let me explain by way of personal testimony.

Ditch one: "Defeated Christian or no-Lordship Christianity".

    As a younger man I was caught up in what I would call a "defeatist view" of Christian identity or an extreme form of the first view. I believed in the so-called "carnal-Christian view" or "no Lordship Christianity", namely that Jesus became my Savior and then only later would He become my Lord. 

    Such a position would practically result in two classifications of Christians - those who are carnal and those who are Spirit-filled. In as much as a Christian can act carnally (see 1 Corinthians 3:1-4), yet to say a genuine believer can go for long periods of time with no fruit nor evidence of conversion (hence be "totally carnal") conflicts with Scripture (see Matthew 7:15-20; James 2:15-17).  In this first extreme, I felt I couldn't help but sin, and that I was prone to sin, and thus expect a pattern of defeat in my Christian life. 

Ditch two: "Constant victory or no-depression view of Christianity"

    The other ditch I went to was what we could call a "total victory view". The variant I was taught espoused that we should never get depressed and that we ought to expect to rise above sin most of our lives. 

    As in the first view, this view takes what is a true principle and magnified it at the expense of other doctrines. Yes, as Christians, we have been given a new nature (that is, a new way of expressing what we are in our actions). Further, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit Who enables us to live for God and frees us from the compulsion of feeling like we can't help ourselves when it comes to sin (Romans 8:1-5). 

    However, Christians still have to deal with the world, the flesh, and the devil ( Ephesians 6:1-11). Furthermore, Paul himself testifies how Titus was sent by God to him in a season of depression (see 2 Corinthians 7:5-6). I knew this to be a ditch because it was one step removed from the error of perfectionism, which teaches it is possible to not knowlingly sin ever again in this life. Ironically, I found this second view resulted in producing two classes of Christians, just as the first. 

The New Testament reveals we are saints and sinners at the same time

    It was only until I began to study the over one-hundred passages in the New Testament that speak of our identity "in Christ", coupled with statements Paul makes about himself in Romans 6,7,8 and elsewhere that I came to believe the following of our Christian identity (hence the third option or "both" view, in contrast with the first two ditches that I just explained). 

First, we are saints of God. 

    A saint is not someone who dies and is later deemed such by a church or other group. Rather, "saint" refers to "a holy one", that is, someone who has the Holy Spirit on the inside of them as a result of receiving Christ as Savior and Lord in saving faith (Romans 10:9-10). The Christian's sainthood is rooted in what God did in choosing and then calling them to saving faith in Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:13). 

    Our nature, our "way of expressing what we are", is changed from an old nature that always wants to sin and not follow Jesus to a new nature that wants to live for God and follow Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). Although the last time I sinned as a Christian was of my own choosing, yet I realize that I don't have to sin out of necessity as I did prior to conversion (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

    In having received the new nature at saving faith, God credits me with Christ's righteousness and adopts me, meaning that by nature and position I am a "saint" (Romans 4:1-6; Galatians 4:1-6). I can obtain victory while realizing that I won't be immune from the onslaught of our fallen world and the still residing desires of my fallen flesh (Romans 7:13-25; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

Secondly, we are also "sinners saved by grace" (perhaps better, "saints who sin occassionally", as noted by Neil T. Anderson). 

    Though saints, we can and do choose to sin. The phrase "sinners-saved-by-grace" is not entirely unbiblical. I have heard the Christian's still lingering corruption of sin described as being a "recovering sinner". Paul describes himself in present tense terms as "the chief of sinners" in 1 Timothy 1:15. Furthermore, the Apostle Peter was confronted to the face by Paul in Galatians 2 and was nearly convinced of the Galatian heresy - though himself being a true believer, acting out of the flesh. 

    When I describe who I am in relationship to my still progressing efforts in practical righteousness, it is there that I say with Paul in Romans 7:24-25 "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin." 

Lastly, we are saints and sinners at the same time. 

    In bringing together the first and second points, the overwhelming message of the New Testament places the root of my Christian identity in who I am as a result of Christ's imputed righteous (i.e. "credited righteousness") at saving faith. 

    By position I am a saint of God, a child of God, declared righteous in Him. In and of myself, apart from Christ's imputed righteousness and my adoption as a son, I have left-over remnants of sin and this flesh. Like a rusty car with a new motor, I can pass any car on the highway, while in the meantime the car handles like an old car because the outsides are not yet made new. 

Closing thoughts:

    Let me close this exposition on Christian identity with a quote from Martin Luther that summarizes well everything I've written above and a link to a video clip from R.C. Sproul that expresses what Luther meant when he said "saint and sinner at the same time". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xci-kUhXOW8&t=4s

    "A Christian is at the same time a sinner and a saint; he is at once bad and good. For in our own person we are in sin, and in our own name we are sinners. But Christ brings us another name in which there is forgiveness of sin, so that for His sake our sin is forgiven and done away. Both then are true. There are sins…and yet there are no sins…. thou standest there for God not in thy name but in Christ’s name; thou dost adorn thyself with grace and righteousness although in thine own eyes and in thine own person, thou art a miserable sinner." 

How God's Grace And Wisdom Frame The Book Of Romans

Romans 16:25-27 "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen."

Introduction:

Have you ever turned to the back cover of a book to see how it ended? Paul's letter to the church at Rome is consider his most important. The Epistle to the Romans presents a full treatment on the theological and practical implications of the Gospel. The introductory section to Romans contains themes that mesh well with the closing of the book. Romans 1:1-7 states:

"Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ. 7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

How God's Grace and Wisdom Frame The Book Of Romans

The introduction, Romans 1:1-7, describes how people are brought to saving faith in Jesus through the Gospel. The closing verses of Romans 16:25-27 focus upon the basis upon which the Gospel rests. 

As a note: the reader is urged to view the underlined portions I have underscored in the texts of today's post, since we will recall them later in this post. 

It is with the beginning and end that we respectively witness the means by which sinners are won to faith and the marvelous foundation upon which faith in the Gospel is rooted. The signature note of Romans 1:1-7 is that of God's grace. The closing melody of Romans 16:25-27 is that of God's wisdom. 

God's grace is God doing and providing for us what we could never provide nor achieve by ourselves. God's wisdom involves God's use of His divinely appointed means (both good and bad) to achieve His most noble ends (which are always good), (see Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28). Therefore we see two book-ends to the book of Romans: God's grace and God's wisdom. 

What details about God's Grace and Wisdom Bracket the Book of Romans

We have observed how God's grace and wisdom function as book-ends to hold together the Book of Romans. The question is, what details of each of these attributes of grace and wisdom depict God's work in salvation? If we look first at Romans 1:1-7, wherein is expressed God's grace in human salvation, we find a particular chain of avenues by which God ordained to bring forth the Gospel to sinners:

1. "through His prophets", 1:2

2. "through whom we have received", i.e. Christ, 1:5

3. "among whom", i.e. the nations or gentiles, individual sinners are lovingly called by God, 1:6

When Paul speaks of "through the prophets", that is theological shorthand for the Old Covenant or Old Testament scriptures. We mustn't forget the foundation of scripture as the chief instrument by which human salvation derives (see 2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 4:12; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23). 

This first "instrument" of scripture, that God in His grace uses to call forth sinners, points beyond itself to Christ. Christ is the center and circumference of the prophetic scriptures (see Luke 24:44). Christ is the one by whom grace is channeled and is the source of all salvation by grace through faith (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5; Titus 2:11). 

Then the last instrumental means that God uses to channel His redemptive grace to sinners are the nations themselves. Passages such as Matthew 24:14 and Romans 11 detail how God is calling forth all kinds of people from every nation to respond to His gracious call. Both God's general revelation, or non-saving common grace on all men, as well as His focused saving grace on sinners in each nation, provide the context of genuine responses of faith to the Gospel. None can say they have not somehow benefited from all Christ achieved. For those persons that truly respond to the Gospel, the same shall be redeemed (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:8-9). Anyone saved by grace through faith can only credit God's saving grace for their salvation  (see 2 Corinthians 4:1-6). All others that persist in their refusal of the Gospel or actively reject God's revelation of His power through the general revelation of creation and the conscience perish in their sins as consequent of their choice to refuse God's well-meant offer of grace (John 3:36; Acts 13:46-47). 

Interestingly, when we turn to the closing verses of Paul's masterpiece of Romans 16:25-27, we find three related categories as those found in Romans 1:1-7. The following function as foundations for the Gospel as expressions of God's wisdom:

1. "according to my Gospel", Romans 16:25, i.e. "according to the Gospel as preached by me". Paul is the author of Romans and apostle to the nations. The Gospel he preaches was taught to Him by Christ following his conversion (see Galatians 1-2). This is the message of the Gospel which he states was "handed down to him" as Christ's death, burial, resurrection and post-resurrection appearances according to the scriptures (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-10). It is the Gospel which comprises the key theme of Romans itself (see Romans 1:16-17). The Gospel expresses God's wisdom and derives from Him (see Romans 11:33-36). 

2. "according to the revelation", Romans 16:25, i.e. the mystery as hidden from plain sight to the Old Testament prophets but fully disclosed in the New Testament. This mystery is two-fold. Firstly, how God would send forth Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, to incarnate Himself in the humanity of Jesus of Nazareth. Then secondly, included in the mystery was the commissioning of the church as the main instrument for propagating the Gospel in this present age until Christ's return (see Matthew 24:14; 28:18-20). 

3. "according to the commandment of the eternal God", 16:26. The Gospel is rooted in the "all-wise God". The covenant of redemption agreed upon by the Father, Son and Spirit concerning the Son's incarnation and plan of salvation came before the creation of the world (see Isaiah 43:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:15-21; Ephesians 1:1-14; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; Revelation 13:8). God found it best to raise up a chosen nation among the nations, namely Israel, in the Old Testament (see Exodus 19; Deuteronomy 7:1-9; Amos 3:1-4). Once Christ came, God temporarily set-aside Israel so as to call for all sorts of people from every nation and language (including those among the Jews) to compose His church. Romans 11 spells out the two complementary arrangements God has for Israel and the nations. The salvation of the nations will drive Israel to jealousy to pine after the Messiah - Christ. Meanwhile in temporarily setting aside Israel, the nations get the chance to hear the Gospel in this present age. Once Christ returns, Israel as a nation (not necessarily every individual Jew) will be redeemed upon seeing her Messiah (see Romans 11:25-26; Revelation 1:7). This combined arrangement enables sinners responding to the Gospel call to compose the body of Christ - i.e. the church. 

Closing thoughts:

When one takes the time to read the introduction and conclusion to Paul's epistle to the Romans, the discovery is made of God's grace and wisdom framing the letter. The details are extraordinary when we begin to see how God's grace (Romans 1:1-7) and wisdom (Romans 16:25-27) weave their ways like two threads of gold through the tapestry of Romans. May we look today to the God of grace who is all wise in setting forth salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. 

P2 - How Jesus Christ Provides For Christians That Feel Spiritually Drained

Romans 15:5-6 "Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Introduction:

In our last post, we considered how Jesus Christ provides for the Christian whenever they feel spiritually drained. We introduced this subject by first identifying the typical spiritual ailments that afflict all Christians. In this post we aim to explore how Christ has specifically provided for any Christian that has experienced what it is like to be spiritually, physically and emotionally drained. 

1. Jesus' incarnation enabled Him to experience fatigue

Jesus did experience, as man, what is was like to get drained. In Luke 8:46 we read of the account where a woman with a severe hemorrhage sought Jesus for healing. She was crawling along the ground among the mob of people encircling Jesus. The woman desired to touch the hem of his robe. In Jewish culture it was common for the men to have tassels on their robes that symbolized the promises and commands of the Torah or God's law.  As soon as the woman did this, Luke 8:46 tells us: “power went out from him to heal the woman”. Jesus sensed this "draining".

To remind the reader briefly: Jesus of Nazareth ever remained God. Isaiah 40:28 asserts that God never grows tired nor weary. Jesus of Nazareth ever remained the Divine Person of the Son. With that said, the reader must remember that from the moment He entered into the virgin's womb, the Holy Spirit joined a truly human nature to the Son of God - resulting in union of two natures within the Person of the Son. Henceforth, the Son of God could experience reality as both God and man. He never grew tired in His deity and yet, He would experience the fatigue of human existence as a man. The Lord Jesus Christ knew what it felt to pour out Himself for the sake of others. 

2. Jesus became incarnate to model how getting alone with the heavenly Father will replenish the spiritual fuel-tank of the Christian

To cite one more example of Jesus' experience of being "drained", consider Mark 8:24. Mark 8:24 plainly states that Jesus was fast asleep in the bottom of a boat. The Son of God did experience fatigue as such experience touched His humanity.

Yet, we never once see Jesus get distressed, delay obedience nor get discouraged over fear that God may had somehow abandoned Him. As one writer has note:

"our Lord was often imposed upon by life, by people and by circumstance, yet, He never once was unsettled in His spirit."

Whenever Paul cites Jesus in Romans 15:3, He describes how Jesus "never pleased Himself". Jesus willing took whatever this world and humanity threw at Him. He put Himself last. Is it no wonder we find Jesus retreating in solitude to get recharged with the Father (see Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; 6:12).  Such an example set before the Christian by the Lord Jesus portrays the path to replenishment - namely finding time alone with God.

Most certainly, other important disciplines are needful for replenishment, which the Apostle Paul lays out in Romans 15 (meditating on scripture, making time for God's people and majoring on the Holy Spirit's leadership). Yet, Jesus gives us the foundation for refueling the spiritual tank of the Christian-life - time alone with God. Why? All the other Christian disciplines are but means to this singular goal of knowing the Heavenly Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Jesus became incarnate to provide the Christian what they need whenever they get drained 

The Apostle Peter's sermon on the life of Jesus in Acts 10 gives abundant testimony of all that Jesus did in the course of His earthly ministry in the Gospel accounts. Acts 10:38 records an excerpt from that address:

"You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."

Jesus went about "doing good". Jesus went about "healing all who were oppressed by the devil". Yet, in the midst of all the business of ministry and life, Jesus never lost His sense of the presence of the Father. Whenever a Christ-follower is able to walk-about with that supreme awareness of God's working in and through them, others will take notice. With the work of ministry and the involvement of one's soul in communion with God comes the draining of one's physical body. Jesus never let the work of God take priority over His time-alone with God. Jesus would get drained - but never empty.

By becoming truly man, the Son of God provided the resources every Christian can access in living daily for Him. The Apostle Peter describes the Christian's access to the benefits accrued by Christ in His incarnation as that of "partaking" or "participation" in the Divine nature (compare 2 Peter 1:3-4). Paul uses different terms to describe this availability every Christian has to get refueled in their spiritual walk by the vocabulary of "union with Christ" and "drinking in of the Spirit" (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-13).

The Person of the Son will ever have residing in Himself the two natures of true deity and true humanity. The wonder of the Christian in union with Jesus is that all He is and all He did makes me a beneficiary of all I need to live out effectively for Him in this world. Quite literally, I'm living the Christian life as Christ, in-turn, by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, lives out the life in me (see Galatians 2:20).