“…How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ³ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?⁴ 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. ⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: ⁶ 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. ⁷ For he that is dead is freed from sin.” Romans 6:2-7.

Until we are baptized into the death of Jesus, we cannot be in the likeness of His resurrection.  We are not born again into the newness of life until we are planted together in the likeness of His death.  The body of sin, our flesh, is not destroyed until we are crucified with Him.

We are all born with a sin nature because of Adam’s fall, his original sin.  It rules and reigns in our flesh until we are born again.  Once we are born again, we are dead to our sin nature because we are baptized into Jesus’ death.  Jesus paid the price for our sin debt and our dominion over sin on Calvary’s Cross.  Those who want to just talk about the Resurrection of Jesus, which was a given and I’m oh so thankful for It, are missing the baptism into His death where the debt was paid and dominion afforded.  They are crucifying their own flesh trying to overcome their sin nature, which they cannot do.  We cannot have dominion over our sin nature unless we are dead to our sin nature.  Once we are dead unto our sin nature, we are now alive unto God.

“¹¹ Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” Romans 6:11-13. 

We are not even alive unto God, until we are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ.  It is only, and I do mean only, through Jesus’ shed blood that we are alive unto God.  It is only then that we have dominion over our sin nature – when we are dead to it and alive unto God.

All of this happens upon our Salvation.  We are saved from sin and death by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.  Sadly, what happens many times is religion steps in with their various programs to now help with your “spiritual growth”, or more accurately called your “sanctification”.  They grab the new Believer’s attention and take them down a path of failure.  For the bondage the new Believer once had before their Salvation, they now have a class to help maintain their new found freedom afforded them by the Blood of Jesus.  You see, and make no mistake about this…they (many of the churches) are now pointing the new Believer to another bridegroom.  “³ So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. ⁴ Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” Romans 7:3-4.

As a Believer our Bridegroom IS NOT dead.  When we turn to schemes of man for deliverance, we are committing spiritual adultery and this is EXACTLY what the modern church is doing.  They point the Believer to 40 days, 21 days, 100 ways and what ever other doctrine is coming down the pike.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2.

As soon as our faith is directed to another, the law of the Holy Spirit when we are IN Christ Jesus, because of our faith in Christ Jesus, will no longer free us from the law of the sin nature.  Our sin nature once again reigns in our heart.  We do not have dominion over sin.  The law of sin incites our sin nature.  We were once dead to our sin nature through Jesus but because our faith has shifted to our self efforts, self will or 40 days, the Holy Spirit cannot give us dominion over sin…He is not commissioned to endorse faith in anything or anyone other than Jesus.

There are many defeated Christians out there who truly love the Lord but live a defeated sinful life.  They have tried every program the church organization has to offer but their sin nature still reigns.  They have left their first love for another bridegroom and all the power and dominion they claim, they do not have.  Christians frown on lying to others but they will quickly lie to themselves about their circumstances.  They somehow think this will change things.  Faith in Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross remains the only way to have dominion over our sin nature.  The same way we gained our glorious Salvation the day we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, is also the same way we maintain our dominion over our sin nature…simple faith exclusively in Jesus.

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2.

-Donna Clark Warren