Romans 6:1-5 “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.”
I’ve been told that Christian baptism is an outward, physical expression of our inward transformational conversion and regeneration of our spirit. We are a triune being of body, soul and spirit. The difference between a physically live body and a dead body can be identified and measured by “vital signs” – life in the body. I physically died as a toddler, having drown and found with no vital signs and clinically dead, but was revived and saved, praise God, by a CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – an emergency lifesaving procedure) performed a trained profession. My body was dead, but made alive again. The Lord had more for me to do here.
But, the body is only one part of the triune human being. There is the second element of being, which is our “soul”, which is the mind, will and emotion. Soul is defined as the spiritual, rational and immortal substance in man or woman, which distinguishes them from animals; that part of mankind which enables them to think and reason, and which renders them a subject of moral government. The immortality of the soul is a fundamental article of the Christian system. The third element of our trinity of being is our “spirit”, which is our spiritual connection to God. In Genesis 2:17 God said, “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Adam and Eve sinned when they doubted God (original sin) and died; not immediately on the physically side, but spiritually. To be spiritually dead is to be separated from God. Sin came into the world and all of mankind lost their spiritual connection to God. Habakkuk 1:13explains, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity [Sin].” The spirit of man died because of willful sin.
Sin is defined as the voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. Sin is either a positive act in which a known divine law is violated, or it is the voluntary neglect to obey a positive divine command, or a rule of duty clearly implied in such command. Sin comprehends not action only, but neglect of known duty, all evil thoughts purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God's commands or law. Romans 6:23 tells us “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And Ephesians 2:1-3 explains further, you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Let's continue this message about sin and salvation in Christ on the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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