"God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Know ye not, 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."
HOW SHALL WE, THAT ARE DEAD TO SIN, LIVE ANY LONGER THEREIN?
Let me ask, why would you want to live in sin any longer? The Apostle puts it much stronger, saying, "How shall we?" Oh the foolishness and folly of those who say we cannot live free from sin in this life! If we cannot live free from sin in this life then Jesus Christ died in vain, and Christianity has nothing more to offer any man than a set of vain religious observations. The New Covenant not only demands holiness, it provides holiness. It provides holiness through baptism with the Holy Ghost. If the Holy Ghost cannot make me holy, then no one can. Yet that is His ministry - to make us "holy" as "He is holy".
The very meaning of the word salvation - sōtēria - is rescue. When someone is rescued they are no longer in danger of the situation they were rescued from. If a person is rescued from drowning in the sea, when they are rescued they are no longer in the sea drowning. When a person is rescued from a burning house, they are no longer in the burning house. And when a person is rescued from sin they no longer live in sin. That is the meaning of salvation from sin.
People ask, "are you saved?" I would like to ask such an enquirer, "what do you mean by that question?" Now if they were to enquire if I am saved from sin, I could give them my answer. But again I would enquire of them, "what do you mean by the term - saved from sin?" If they told me they meant forgiveness of sins, then I would have to ask them, "why didn't you ask if I know my sins were forgiven, rather than ask if I were saved from sin". There is a vast difference. Forgiveness is not salvation, it is forgiveness. Jesus forgave sin before He was crucified. When He was crucified "our old man" was crucified with Him, that "the body of sin might be destroyed". Let me repeat that, Jesus Christ when He was crucified 'destroyed' the " body of sin". He destroyed it. He didn't forgive it - He destroyed it. He forgives you and me, but He destroyed that which is the reason we sinned.
The Apostle Paul said, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. 6:11). The word translated reckon - logizomai - means to conclude by counting, or more literally "this is the logic of the sum". Clearly, the Apostle is stating in no uncertain terms, that as a consequence of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross of Calvary, we must conclude that we are indeed "dead to sin". So the question remains my dear friend,
HOW SHALL WE, THAT ARE DEAD TO SIN, LIVE ANY LONGER THEREIN?
