Dead to the sins of the past

‘In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin…’ Romans 6.11 

The second way in which we are ‘dead to sin’ is that we are free from the guilt of past actions.  The message of the Cross is stunningly simple – Jesus took upon himself the punishment for our sins so that we do not have to bear that punishment ourselves.  Yet the reality is that we are often engaged in a spiritual tug of war with Jesus!  He has taken the punishment, yet we tend to heap it back on ourselves.

The Bible instructs us to, ‘…count yourselves dead to sin’.  Yes – they happened; yes – they may have been serious – but despite this, the truth is that Jesus paid for them on the cross.  Therefore when a memory reoccurs, rather than immediately reliving all the guilt and shame, remind yourself of this truth: you really are dead to sin and all the effects of it.

To count yourself ‘dead to sin’ is not merely an invitation but is actually a command.  It is not a privilege that you may aspire to for a day, but instead it is an open door through which God is pushing you – so why not run through it!

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