“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1-2.

In Chapter 6 of Romans the word sin in the Greek is actually a noun and not a verb.  It has a definite article in front of the word sin and in fact, says “the sin”.   For the purposes of this writing I will refer to sin as the “sin nature” just to distinguish the noun from the verb.  So many of us think of the “action” of sin instead of the “state” of sin.  Our “state” as a Child of God evolves as we go from glory to glory.  I am referring to sanctification; our learning and spiritual growth.  However, our “standing” as a Child of God will not and does not waiver.  Upon our Salvation, we are placed in Christ and no one can pluck us out…except us.

Death isn’t an extinction but a separation.  Our physical death is a separation of a person from our body.  Spiritual death is a separation from God.  We are born spiritually dead.  We are not spiritually alive until we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour and we don’t understand our spiritual death until we are spiritually born. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3.

Before Salvation we are in a relationship with our sin nature; it rules us.   Upon Salvation, the Holy Spirit comes in and severs our relationship with our sin nature.  We are dead to our sin nature and alive unto God (Romans 6:11).   We cannot sustain a relationship with both our sin nature and God, such is impossible.  This severing of our relationship with our sin nature by the Holy Spirit, this circumcision without hands (Colossians 2:11), is what enables us to live the holy life the Lord has called us to live.  Here, in this separation from our sin nature, our birth occurs and our “state” of Salvation (NOT our standing) evolves, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little we go from glory to glory, in His will and in His ways.  We are no longer sustain our relationship with our sin nature and we are a new man in Christ Jesus.

Our new nature is proof of our new creature.  This new nature is one of the primary characteristics of a Child of God.  You will know them by their fruit when you see the sin nature is no longer their master but they are the master of their sin nature through the works of the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ Jesus.   The “resurrected life” is our spiritual birth.

“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.” Romans 6:5-7.

The problem for so many struggling Christians is that even though the Holy Spirit has severed their relationship with their sin nature, instead of walking in the newness of life, man has taught them schemes to over come their sin (verb) which keeps them in relationship with their sin nature (noun).   This, in turn, is lack of belief / faith in what Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, has just done – sever our relationship with our sin nature.  In other words, our relationship with our sin nature is severed but we don’t believe it so we continue in man’s ways to keep severing it.  Our “standing” in Christ remains the same as a Child of God but our “state” is one of defeat.  We have left the Cross of Jesus and moved to man’s ways.

“And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.” Exodus 25:22.

The ONLY place God can meet us is at the Blood stained mercy seat, the Cross of Jesus Christ.  It is there that the bondages were broken and it is still there where our sin nature is severed.  We cannot serve two masters.  How long has it been since you have looked back to the Cross of Jesus for deliverance from sin?  God is still looking there for you.  God, through the Holy Spirit,  is still wanting to break that relationship with the sin nature and deliver you from that bondage…but we must go back to the ONLY place where He can legally deliver us – the Cross of Jesus.  The ONLY place where our Holy God can meet with the sinful human being is under the Blood of Jesus, not through our works, no matter how holy they are, but through a humble heart at the foot of the Cross of Jesus seeking to be freed from their master…their sin nature.  – Donna Clark Warren