Lesson 81
The Christ-Centered Life
The Foundation
is our Position in Christ - Rom 6
Review:
Observations: 6:7-10;
1. This whole context is not directed toward the unbeliever,
unsaved at all but to the believer.
2. Christ's death, burial,
resurrection and our identification with Him are all His work on behalf of us,
the believer in Christ.
3. The believer is now to look
back to the cross, upon all that Christ has accomplished and to see just how it
all applies to him/her in their life after salvation.
4. Only as we apply these
truths are we able to walk in newness of life, to walk worthy of our calling in
Christ!
5. Need to Rem: none of it is
effective apart from the ministry of the 3rd person of the Trinity.
6. The sin nature is still
alive/well but it has been judged by Christ's death to it, and our
identification with His death!
7. What we need to learn, is
that none of this works or is effective if we attempt to live in this sphere of
the newness of life, in our own
energy!
8. The whole argument of the
passage revolves around our vital living union with Christ.
9. The ultimate purpose is to
get us to realize one great truth!
- that we are able through the grace
resources given to walk in newness of life; God honoring, holy life, to walk
worthy.
10. That I believe is the
ultimate divine objective here in this context; the manner of the Christian's
walk. 2 Cor
Intro: Next section
Ø
6:11-13
Our Responsibilities in view of the Cross; as a result
of our Identification with Christ's work on our behalf.
ØPaul teaches that we as
Christians have certain responsibilities (6) in light of our freedom from the
sinful nature and our resurrection with Christ. [our CPT]
Ø
6:11a Our first responsibility [1 of 6]
"Even so consider yourselves to be dead to
sin,"
- consider [reckon] logizomai
The stress of the use here lies with the process of reasoning;
i.e. to calculate, to take into account, to
deliberate, the idea is that it refers to something that is carefully thought
through.
- Our first responsibility as a Christian, then, is that
every time the sinful nature tries to us, to manipulate us and motivate us to commit
sin we should remember the fact that
that the old nature is no longer our .
Ø
6:11b
Our Second Responsibility [related to
our CPT]
- We are to reckon ourselves
"alive to God in Christ Jesus"
The
second responsibility of the Christian, then, is that every time the sinful
nature tries to exert control of our decisions and actions which always result
in sin;
We are
to remember the fact that we now live in a unique personal relationship with God;
therefore, our life is to be characterized by that relationship, i.e. remember
its Christ's life.