The Old Self Was Crucified

An engineer, a psychologist, & a theologian were hunting in NW Canada’s wilderness. Suddenly a furious snowstorm began & temperatures dropped. They found a tiny cabin. People in the area were hospitable, so they knocked on the door for shelter. No one answered. Since the door was unlocked, they went in. Inside was only a bed, a table, a chair, & a large, pot-bellied, cast-iron stove. Strangely, the stove was suspended in midair. Wires attached it to ceiling beams. “Fascinating,” said the psychologist. “It’s obvious why this isolated, lonely trapper elevated the stove. He can curl up under its warmth as if he were returning to the womb.” “Nonsense!” replied the engineer. “He’s practicing the laws of thermodynamics. By elevating his stove, he’s found a way to distribute heat more evenly through the cabin.” “With all due respect,” interrupted the theologian, “He hung his stove from the ceiling for religious reasons. Fire lifted-up has been a religious symbol for centuries.” They debated for hours, until the trapper returned. Immediately they asked, “Why?” His answer? Succinct. “Plenty of wire. Not enough stove pipe.” Understanding “why” hinged on understanding a pivotal reality. It’s the same with understanding how the old self was crucified. That too hinges on understanding a pivotal reality. What does it mean to be united with Christ? Understand that, & we’ll understand how the old self was crucified. To understand how we’ve been united with Christ, Let’s look at Ro 6:5-11. 5aWe’ve been united with Christ like this in his death. But how are we united with Christ? United (σύμφυτοι / symphytoi in Greek) is grown together. Fused. A branch bound & grafted into the trunk. Grown together & still growing together. That’s our union with Christ. And that’s the hinge on which all else in Christian life pivots. We can’t see our union. How can we ever understand it? Apart from faith, we can’t. But in faith, we can accept it as established fact. In faith, we choose to act as if it’s true. The instant we choose, all God’s blessings are ours in a deeper way. We can experience all His blessings. We can experience freedom from sin’s guilt. We can experience freedom from sin. We can experience all the fruit of His Spirit. Just trust Jesus alone for salvation. He’ll unite us with Himself—whether or not we understand it. From then on, we’re faith seeking understanding. Start there. Trust that we’re in Him. Trust that His Spirit is in us, whether or not we understand how. To show our trust, act on it. Reckon it as true. Count on it. Ready to start seeking to understand how we’re united? If so, Paul’s words are for us. (If not, we’ll wake you in a few minutes.) Once we’re united with Christ, His whole life is ours, too. His righteousness is ours. His death is ours. And His resurrection is ours. Now, let’s look again at our verses.5aSince we’ve been united with Christ in His death, 5bwe’ll certainly be united with him in his resurrection. United with Christ, & His death & resurrection are ours. 6aWe know that our old self was crucified with him. This is good news. Why? Death cancels all debts. Including our sin debt. Our union with Christ is how our sin all got stacked on Him. In our union, He trades His righteousness for our sin. The result? 6bOur body as a vessel for sin was done away with. Sin is no longer operative. All its debts? Our sin-debt? Paid. Canceled. 6cWe’re no longer slaves to sin. How? 7Anyone who’s died has been freed from sin. We’re free from the obligation, addiction, & necessity to sin. Sin is dead & can no longer rule us. With our sin-debt canceled, sin loses all power over us. Including the power of death. That’s exactly what Paul says next. 8Since we died with Christ, we believe we’ll also live with him. We believe it. Greek believe is the verb form of the noun faith. To believe, faith it. Just like we faith (trust) our union with Christ. If we died with Him, we’ll live with Him. Forever. Why? 9aSince Christ was raised from the dead, he can’t die again. And we’re in union Him! We can’t die again, either! It’s a past fact. We experience it in the present by faith. Because He already died, 9bDeath no longer has mastery over him. He’s been raised to the Father’s right hand. He’s been given all authority in heaven & on Earth. And we’re grafted to Him! That’s Who we’re fused with! We’re grown together in Him & growing together with our Creator! The Creator! 10aThe death he died, he died to sin once for all. His life was perfect. And He lived to die. To offer His life for ours. 10bThe life he now lives, he lives to God. Fused with Him, in union with Him, His righteousness is ours. Now! And, so is His eternal life. One question remains. How will we respond to such a great salvation? Paul’s answer? 11In the same way, reckon yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Reckon = count our old selves dead to sin. In union, fused with Christ, it’s past fact. We’re regenerated. New creations. Let’s reckon ourselves alive to God in Christ Jesus. By faith (trust), count it as true. Act on it. Each time we do, His power is in us to be holy, as He is holy. So, let’s fight sin. How hard? One winter, a hunter went out into the forest hunting for bear. He needed a warm coat. When he saw a big bear heading for him, he raised his gun & aimed. “Wait,” said the bear. “Why do you want to shoot me?” “I’m cold & need a coat,” said the hunter. “But I’m hungry,” the bear replied. “Let’s talk this over. Maybe we can come to a compromise.” They sat down & talked over the pros & cons. In the end, the hunter was well wrapped with the bear’s fur. And the bear had his dinner. We can’t compromise with sin. If we do, it’ll devour us. We’re a bit like an African convert to Christianity. His missionary gave him position of trust. But he violated it by stealing something. The missionary asked, “Why’d you steal what didn’t belong to you?” The man replied, “It wasn’t I who stole. It was grandfather in the bones.” What’s he really saying? It was his old sinful nature who stole. As months passed, his faith grew stronger. From time to time, the missionary asked him, “How’s grandfather in the bones?” He’d reply, “Well, grandfather isn’t dead yet. But he doesn’t get around like he used to.” More & more, that should be true for us, too. Yield to Christ. (Surrender, if needed). Walk with Him daily. Grow in union with Him. As we walk with Christ, grandfather in the bones will get weaker & weaker. And our union with Christ will be stronger & stronger. Let me close with this. D. L. Moody was once invited to preach at a Presbyterian church. They warned him that some congregation members usually left before the end of the sermon. Moody rose to begin his sermon & announced this. “I’m going to speak to two classes of people this morning. 1st to the sinners, & then to the saints.” He preached to the “sinners” for a while. Then he said they could leave. For once, every member of the congregation stayed till the end. Which will it be—saint or sinner? We’re saints, but only because of Jesus Christ. We are saints in God’s eyes of God because of Jesus. In the flesh, we’re still sinners. We still sin even though our sins have been “bought & paid for” by Jesus. We always face a choice. Our verses today are really about our choice. Yes, we still struggle with sin. But we can learn to live like saints. We need to. And that can only happen in union with Christ. As we learn to abide in Him. As we learn to walk with Him daily in prayer & study of His Word. As we do, we can reckon our old body of sin dead. Crucified in Him. Trust Him that our union is true. Walk with Him in prayer & study of His Word. As we do, we’ll experience our union as fact. And the old self? It was crucified. Our new life? It’s now. Forever. In Him.