Part 13: Sin and Identity

Part 13: Sin and Identity

There is just so much to talk about in this one topic that it is impossible to cover in a short sharing.

For far too long, many of us have been taught that we are sinners saved by God's grace. We are taught that we still have a sinful nature that has an inclination to sin. We are taught that our flesh is sinful and we can't help but sin. At the same time, we have sermons going, "If you truly love God, you will not sin! Let your love for God be greater than your desire to sin!"

Well, that is not empowerment. That is religion. It has no power to set us free from sin.

Read Romans 5-8 in one sitting and you will discover that Romans 6 reveals the truth of our identity in Christ, Romans 7 reveals a life without Christ and Romans 8 reveals the true life with Christ. However, if you choose to think that Romans 7 is for you, then you will never be free from sin. Because only right believing produces right living.

The Gospel did not begin with us as sinners. That would miss a huge part of truth. We were sons of God. Adam was God's son. We became lost because of the Fall. We were never created with a sinful nature. We were not sinners to begin with. We were sons!

Jesus did not just come to die for our sin. He came for FAR MORE. He died to restore us back to our original created value - sonship. The Cross is not a revelation of sin. The Cross is a revelation of sons. 

The Perfect Son was bruised beyond recognition so that we can be recognised as sons. For a moment, Jesus lost His identity (2 Cor 5:21; Matt 27:46) so that our identity can be fully restored. Because of His Body, we have forgiveness. Because of His Blood, we have redemption. We are redeemed to the position before the Fall of Adam - true sons of God.

Just as Jesus and Adam had a divine nature (Gen 2:7; Jn 20:22), we too, have a divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), created & renewed in the image of God (Gen 1:27; Col 3:10). We are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) who have been made righteous in Christ (2 Cor 5:21).

Since the very nature of Christ is in us and we are one with Him (1 Cor 6:17), our natural inclination is to live righteously. We no longer have a desire to sin (Rom 6:6). Our flesh is no longer sinful, but neutral (Rom 6:13). We can now choose to present the members of our body as instruments of righteousness. We are now FREE from sin (Rom 6:7). Jesus!

Romans 6:11-12 -  Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts...

If a person is dead to something, he can no longer respond to that thing. He simply has no desire for it. He simply doesn't respond to it. Similarly, if we are dead to sin, we can no longer respond to it.

This is our identity in Christ: Dead to sin, alive to God. The old man had died (Rom 6:6). The new man is alive (2 Cor 5:17). To say that we still have a sinful nature is to resurrect what is already dead. That's what the devil wants us to do. Resurrect the old man and continue to live in sin. Because if you don't know the truth, you will never be free (Jn 8:32).

"...do not let sin reign..." - If we can choose NOT to let sin reign, it is clear that we are no longer sinful. Don't let sin define you. Let Christ define you.

"...do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts..." - Notice, it refers to sin's lusts, not your lusts. Because when a sinful thought or desire knocks on your door, it is standing outside the door and trying to come in. You can choose to open the door or you can choose to thank God that it is NOT your thought and desire.

If you believe that it is still you having that sinful thought and desire, then you allow sin to become your identity and you let it enter your house. That's when you stumble.

But if you believe that it is NO LONGER you who has that sinful thought and desire, and it is on the outside trying to come in, then you are walking in your identity, and you shall remain free from sin.

If Jesus could walk 100% free from sin, we too, can walk 100% free from sin. Most parts of the church don't teach that. But I like a quote from Georgian Banov - "If we can't be free from sin until we die, then death is our saviour, not Jesus."

Apostle John taught clearly in 1 John 2:1 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Apparently, John wrote to the believers truth SO THAT they may not sin. John did not think that sinning is a commonplace that would eventually happen. He wrote, "IF anyone sins", not "WHEN anyone sins". If we are called to represent Christ, then we are called to represent Him in every respect, be it love, power or holiness. As Christ is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). 

Question: What if I stumble?

Rom 6:4 - Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death...

The words "have been" reveal what is present perfect continuous. In Hebrew, it can be used without regard for past, present or future. While we (the old sinful man) had been buried with Christ into His death, we are to let that truth remain true even IF we stumble. It was a past event that is still true to this day.

One day, I was communing with God on this verse when He suddenly gave me a vision of a coffin sinking deep into the ocean. I had raised my voice at my son earlier in the morning due to his continual disobedience to respond to what I was saying. That response from me sure didn't match the life of Christ at that moment.

He said, "Well. What you did just now is not the true you. The true you is the life of Christ. Therefore, that man who raised the voice at your son is already dead in the coffin, sinking deep into the ocean. Do not think about it. Because you are a new creation, created and renewed in the image of Christ. Think Christ."

I immediately understood what He meant in the light and the context of Romans 6. IF you ever stumble, whether it was years ago, months ago, days ago, hours ago or even seconds ago, that man had been buried with Christ into His death. You can thank God that it is not the true you. Because the true you is who Christ is. That's your identity.

Do not let what you have done (sin) become your identity. Let what Christ has done become your identity. If we continue in the truth, we will know the truth and the truth shall make us FREE. #identity

P.S: There is so much more about sin and identity. It's one of the biggest topics where we need to know the truth from the Scriptures.