"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; for he who has died is freed from sin." Romans 6:6-7 (NASB1995)
Paul unpacks for us a profound paradox: how we can truly live. To truly live is to truly die in the flesh, to step away from our self-induced egos, from our old self that was crucified with Him.
For he who has died is freed from sin.
How do you know when you were dead? When you were set free from sin? Every single day we need to crucify ourselves. I was dead, but God sent Jesus and He touched the casket, and now I am a new creation bought with the blood of Christ.
Satan had a plot, but Jesus had a plan.
1. Die to Sin to Live in Freedom
Separation must happen from sin to live in Christ. We can't date sin and be married to Christ. We need to fully die to sin. There is no death that is pretty. Sin always feels like home and good until you move into God's freedom.
A false gospel will make you feel comfortable, that "God loves you anyway" kind of theology. But what can a dead person say, do, or go? Absolutely nothing. Likewise, have your being in Christ so that you are relying on Him.
Freedom is not found in self-discovery but rather in self-denial. Paul says, "I deny myself daily." In order to have eternal life, we need to die daily in our flesh.
"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." Galatians 2:20 (NASB1995)
2. Die to Self to Live for Christ
Freedom is found not in self-discovery but in self-denial. It means dedicating one's life to saving others from death and relying on Jesus for every breath, thought, and action.
When we die to self, we surrender our ambitions, our desires, and our plans at the foot of the cross. It is no longer about what we want, but about what Christ wants for us. This is the essence of true discipleship, taking up our cross daily and following Him.
Dying to self means:
- Surrendering control: Letting go of the need to have everything figured out and trusting God with the outcome.
- Serving others: Shifting our focus from self-preservation to self-sacrifice, putting the needs of others above our own.
- Seeking Christ first: Making Him the center of every decision, relationship, and endeavor.
The world tells us to look inward to find ourselves, but the gospel tells us to look upward and lose ourselves in Christ. Only then do we discover who we were truly created to be.
3. Die to the World to Live in Hope
"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ." Philippians 3:7-8 (NASB1995)
What the world calls loss, the gospel calls gain.
The path to true life runs through death, death to sin, death to self, death to the world. Only then do we discover the freedom, purpose, and hope that Christ offers. Will you choose to die today so that you may truly live?