Ah, Death…

Here we are, smack dab in the middle of the year, and just like our Father promised us… it just keeps getting better!

Ahhh… the immeasurable joy and inexpressible peace of dying… This understanding creates a reality and an attitude of proper focus towards God’s will in the present and future. This is the glorious exhortation that comprises nearly the majority of Romans chapter six. This is a well-worn place in my old, paper Bible, and also a well-visited place in my heart. I can honestly say that a major pillar of the spiritual foundation of my life is the revelations outlined dramatically in that chapter. Here is a taste:

“We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. For anyone who has died has been freed from sin.”
Romans 6:6-7 (BSB)

This is why I opened up with the positive language about death. Please consider that Jesus was not dying for Himself, for His broken life, for His sinful nature, for His problems and miseries… no, Beloved. He was dying OUR death so He could LIBERATE us from the shackles of broken humanity. This was literally the only way He could get His divine life into us. His cross was the open doorway into His quality and quantity of “zoe” life that we were originally designed to experience. His torn body was the torn veil between the divine life and the sin-slave life. The thrusting away of the stone sealing His tomb was the bursting forth of the resurrection life in us being blocked by fallen humanity. We were born to live in the beginning… we were re-born for the same ultimate purpose.

One of the reasons that the afflictions, heartbreaks, and oppressions of this world’s system that are forced upon us are so egregious and painful is because we were NEVER supposed to experience them. I know that is quite a bit outside of most people’s grid, but it is nevertheless true. If you were to revisit the creation story in Genesis, you would see that the Father’s intentions were for us, His progeny, to live eternally in the Seventh Day. We were designed and desired to be in the Sabbath rest, intimately walking with our God, ruling and reigning in this brand new realm, expanding the beautiful abundant garden, and having adventures beyond the scope of our imagination. Then death came through a subtle, deceptive, talking snake in the grass.

God prophesied that if we, humanity, were ever to try and obtain life or knowledge from any source besides Him, it would force us to “die die.” When the scriptures say, “surely die,” it is actually just the Hebrew word for death repeated twice. Now, I am certain that many of you know the story well enough to remember that it took 930 years for Adam to finally, “die,” as we would describe it. But, death to God is different, just as life to God is different.

In the passage from Romans above, please consider that Jesus’ crucifixion was, “THE body of sin,” being put to death (die die) so that the nature (embodiment) of sin (missing the mark of life) would be, “rendered powerless,” for those accepting that glorious liberation. This is the true Independence Day celebration for those who are alive in Christ!

“Anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” We have been completely liberated into the divine freedom that was intended from the very beginning! Our former slave-master has been beaten to death by our Great Liberator, Jesus, and we are now to rule and reign with Him, with the authority of His name, from today into forever. We are in the Sabbath Day era that our Creator intended for us.

We are now prompted into learning how to walk in greater and greater freedom as the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the people of God disciple us forward. Beloved, let us walk this day in more freedom than we did in any former day. Your days of being influenced by the, “body of sin,” have ended and now, “the best is yet to come!”

I love you passionately!
Steve