O Death Where is Your Sting

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  
Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death
Rom 6:4  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.
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6  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.
Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Rom 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When we think of the resurrection of Jesus we want to be reminded of how God conquered death, and by conquering death destroyed the power that sin had over our lives.  So we can walk in newness of life. Instead of walking in bondage to sin.

Walking in newness of life means for your life to be born from the persuasion that says I am the possessor of an incorruptible life.  I am the possessor of that eternal life that has been from the beginning.  I have everything I need for life and godliness in Christ.  

An incorruptible life is a life that is not subject to destruction or decay from anything.  Meaning there is nothing that can negatively impact this life.  Or take this life from me.  Not death in this world.  Not tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword.  

Well Greg how can that be?

The life that We have been made a partaker of in Jesus is not contained in this world.  It is not contained in the flesh.  It is not contained in the good I can bring forth or get to manifest in my life.  It is not contained in the good I can see happen to me in this world.  It is not contained in what I can accomplish in the world through my ability.

I am not saying we shouldn't expect good things to happen.  Many times when people hear me say this they think I am saying we won't enjoy life in this world.  Or we must wait for Jesus to return in order to enjoy life.  

But, I am not saying we cannot enjoy life here.  I am talking about how we can find real life; resurrection life animating our lives while we are in this world.  I am talking about how we can experience a life that has overcome the tribulation in the world.  I am talking about how we can experience a love, joy, peace, kindness that is not at the mercy of what happens in this world.

Walking in newness of life means to have your life born from the belief that death has no dominion over you.  

Remember death is not just I cease to be in this world.  Or I cease to exist.  The bible calls the world the valley of the shadow of death.  Death is in the world now.  

Death is anything in this world that communicates to your heart that you lack something you need for life and godliness.  

Whether it be through something that says you lack acceptance.  You lack a good report.  Whether it be your financial situation.  Your living situation.  Your spousal or significant other situation.  It could be a situation involving your children.  It could be through a situation involving your health.  Or the health of a loved one.  It could be something concerning your safety.  Or your protection.  And through these things death communicates to your heart that you lack some good thing you need for life.  

Any word in any area of your life that says you lack some good thing you need for life are branches of the vine that is death.  All with the intent to put you in bondage to sin and bring forth the fruit of death in your lives.  

A person walks differently when their lives can be born from the belief that they are the possessors of an incorruptible/indestructible life, and they have all things that pertain to life and godliness in Christ.  

They live from abundance instead of lack.  They no longer live as if they lack some good thing they need for life.  They begin to live by the passion in their heart instead of lust.  They begin to live by the desire in their heart instead of by an obligation of I must do to get.  I must do to become.  I must get or attain to something in order to have peace, love, joy, kindness, meekness, etc..  They live free of the cares of this world. They live free from fear.  

The power sin had over our lives came as a result of death reigning over us.  The way sin is able to put us in bondage is through death.

1st Corinthians 15:56 says The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  

The law is the ministration of death.  It ministered death to show man that death was reigning over them.  And this strengthened sin in the lives of people by subverting their souls.  

Paul says something profound here.  He says the result of death reigning over people is sin.  We have always just looked at it as the result of sin is death.  And this is true.  But it is also true that the result of death having dominion over us is sin.  It is death that puts us in bondage to sin.  

Hebrews 2:14-15 says Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.  

Through the sin of Adam death reigned over man.  There was a word of death that was made flesh in that everyone beginning with Adam died.

Death communicates a word to people that says they are not the possessors of life.  People could see everyone from Adam on perishing in the flesh.  They could see the death and destruction in the world.  This subverted their souls because they could see they lacked what they needed for life and godliness in the flesh and in the world.  This put them in bondage to sin by filling their conscience with laboring and toiling to attain to life.  It put them in bondage to sin because they were always living from the belief that is lack.  And it caused their souls to remain in a state of unrest.  

By one man Adam the life of all people was hid in the flesh, and in this world.   And through this, death reigned over all people.  This subverted their souls, and caused them to be alive to sin.  Because of this their members were taken captive to laboring and toiling to try and attain to life.  And this worked in their members to bring forth the fruit of death in their lives.  

The way this works is that when the substance of a person's life can be contained in the flesh, or in the things of this world.  It causes them to be alive to sin.  It subverts their souls, and it takes their members captive to laboring and toiling to try and attain to life.  And this works in their members to bring forth the fruit of death.  

The way in which sin is able to reign over us is through death.  It is through the belief that we are lacking something we need to be as we ought to be that causes us to walk after the flesh. 

So God comes and says "Man, these guys could enjoy real life, and live in so much freedom if they could function from the place that they are possessors of that eternal life that We have in Ourselves.  These guys could walk in a completely different way if we can make them partakers of an indestructible life.  If their lives could be born from the belief that they have all things that pertain to life and godliness.  So God comes in Jesus to make us dead to sin and alive to Himself and His life.  

****So the way God delivers us from death having dominion over us is He takes the substance of our life out of the flesh.  He takes the substance of our life out of the world.  

Explain how God destroyed the power of sin in our lives by conquering death in the body of Jesus.  And removing our life from the flesh; from this world.  And hiding it in Christ.  In order that there could be a word promising eternal life in Jesus to all who believe on this word.  

In the resurrection God has destroyed the power sin had over our lives by conquering death in the body of Jesus.  And by removing the substance of our life from the flesh, and from this world.  And hiding it in Christ.  So that our life would no longer be held in the flesh, or in the world.  And our life could be hid in Christ seated at His right hand.  

The reason death could reign over us is because Adam hid our lives in the flesh, and in the world.  But, Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh and on account of sin.  So that God could conquer the death that was reigning over us by absorbing our death into the body of Jesus on the cross.  And then ending death's dominion over us in the body of his resurrection. 

Jesus came and lived by the persuasion that said the substance of his life is not contained in the flesh.  It is not contained in the world.  And this Faith strengthened him to resist the sin of trusting in the flesh and the world for life.  Because of this it resulted in his death to the life that is contained in the flesh.  It resulted in His death to the life that is contained in the world.  So that in his death we could die with him unto the life that was held by the flesh; held by the world; that was subject to decay and to death.  And we could be raised up with him to an indestructible life.  A life that has overcome death.  A life that is no longer subject to the decay and destruction that is in this world.  A life that is contained in the Spirit of the living God.

Verse 9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Jesus was raised from the dead so that in the same way there was a word communicating death to our hearts because we saw everyone from Adam on perishing.  There could now be a word through the resurrection of Jesus communicating to our hearts that death has been conquered by God and His doing.  

Jesus was raised from the dead so there could now be a word containing the power of an indestructible life in human flesh.  So there could be a word of an incorruptible eternal life in human flesh that could be declared to all people.  So we could be partakers of that life through belief.  And we could be set free from the fear of death, and our bondage to sin.  And we could walk in newness of life and be slaves to righteousness.   And we can be alive to God and the life He has in Himself.  And be dead to sin, and the life that is contained there through Christ Jesus.  And we can walk in newness of life, and the fruit that manifests in our life can be born from the life of God instead of being born from death.

Now In light of what God has done in Jesus.  Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God.  

Consider self dead to sin:

How can we consider ourselves dead to sin.  For so long I looked at this as an exhortation to use my ability to live right. 

Remember the sting of death is sin.  Meaning the way death impacts you is it causes you to be alive to sin.  We were in bondage to sin through the fear of death.  We were alive to sin through death reigning over us.  

The way you Reckon yourselves dead to sin is to reckon yourselves dead to death.

Consider yourselves dead to death through the faith that says you have all things that pertain to life and godliness in Christ Jesus.  Consider yourselves dead to death through the persuasion that says you are a partaker of an indestructible life through Christ Jesus.  And you will find the power of sin in your lives destroyed.  

To be alive to sin is to continue as if the old man is not dead.  The old man is the man whose life was hid in the world, and hid in the flesh through Adam.  

We were alive to sin through the old man because the life of the old man was contained in this world.  It was contained in the flesh.  And because of this the old man looked for life in the world and through what he could produce in his flesh.  This put him in bondage to sin because there is no life in the flesh.  There is no life in the world.  There is only death.  In the flesh we lack everything we need for life and godliness.  In the world we lack everything we need for life and godliness.  When we look to the flesh for life.  When we look to the world for life it causes death to have dominion over our lives because there is no life in those things.  And this puts us in bondage to a life of laboring and toiling to attain to life.  

Alive to sin means for your life to be born from the belief that says the substance of your life is hid/contained in this world.  That the substance of your life is contained in what happens to you in this world.  That the substance of your life is contained in what you can see manifest in your lives/flesh, and what you can accomplish in this world. 

To be alive to sin means to look for life in the world & through what you can produce in your flesh.  

Consider yourselves dead to death through Christ Jesus:

Consider yourselves dead to a life where you look for the evidence that you are the possessor of life by the good you can see happen for you in this world, and the bad you can avoid in this world.  

Consider yourselves dead to the man whose life was contained/hid in the flesh; in the world.  Consider yourselves dead to the man that looked at the world and defined whether he had life or not by what happened to him in the world, and the good he could see manifest in his life. Consider yourselves dead to any word that says you lack what you need for life and godliness.  

Consider yourselves dead to the word that says you lack a good report. Dead to the word that says you lack acceptance.  Dead to the word that says you are not worthy of God's love.  Dead to the word etc...

Example:  Jesus said in this world there will be tribulation.  But, be of good cheer I have overcome the world.  In this world there is death.  And the things in this world are always trying to communicate death to our hearts in order to put us in bondage to sin.  In order to cause us to walk after the flesh.  

The way that Jesus has overcome the world for us is by removing the substance of our life from the flesh and from the world, and concealing our life in the Spirit.  

You know we see all this disease, and calamity in this world.  If the place we reason from to determine if we are the possessor's of life is whether we encounter tribulation or not in the world then we are continuing to let death have dominion over us in this world.  

Consider alive to God:

To be alive to God is ....

I see that God is the possessor of an incorruptible life.  That He is the possessor of that eternal life that has been from the beginning. That within the fellowship of the Father, Son, and Spirit is contained all things that pertain to life and godliness.  

I see that this life is not subject to death or decay.  And that through Jesus I have been made a partaker of this life.  Through Jesus I am a partaker of that eternal life that has been from the beginning.  Through Jesus I am the possessor of an incorruptible/indestructible life.  I have all things that pertain to life and godliness.  Death has no more dominion over me.  I do not lack any good thing.

Through this I find myself walking in the likeness of Jesus' resurrection, and I become a slave to righteousness.  

In the same way my members were taken captive by sin through death reigning over me.  My members are taken captive by righteousness through life reigning over.  When you walk in the power of an indestructible life your members are taken captive by the fruit of God's life.  

Use Jesus at the cross as example of this

Paul connects walking in newness of life to having a revelation that we are in the likeness of Jesus' resurrection.   And to be in the likeness of Jesus' resurrection means that the death and destruction, and decay that is in the world no longer has dominion over my life.  

There is a new life that comes from having all things that pertain to life and godliness.  In the same way I was a slave to sin through the fear of death. When I walk in the revelation of what it means to be alive to God through the resurrection of Jesus.  I will be a slave to righteousness.  My thoughts; my feelings; and the fruit in my life will not be the fruit of death. But, it will be the fruit of eternal life.  

The fruit of death is that when my life was hid in the flesh, and in this world through Adam.  Death reigned over me.  And there is a certain fruit that is produced in our lives from death reigning over us.

When your life can be born from the belief that you can never lack any good thing.  That you possess everything that pertains to life and godliness in Christ.  That nothing in this world can take your life.  You live free from the fear of death.  You live free from the bondage of fear. You live free from the cares of the world.  The things you say and do are not born from the foundation of fear and lack.  But, they are born from the foundation of I lack no good thing.  

In Romans 6:8 when Paul says "we believe we shall also live with Christ" he is talking about living from the persuasion that death no longer has dominion over us.  

When you can begin to see your life in His life.  You find yourself being strengthened in the innerman.  You find yourself walking in newness of life.  You find your life born from the persuasion that says death has no dominion over you.  This world and the things that happen in this world have no dominion over you.  They can never be a word about whether you have life or not.  They can never be a word that you are lacking some good thing.  

And this acts as an anchor of your soul.  Keeping your souls from being subverted by the things of this world.  It is the resurrection of Jesus declaring that death has been conquered, and has no more dominion over us that is the anchor of the soul. 

The word of this resurrection life when dwelling in a person's heart sets them apart from a life of walking after the flesh, and sets them apart to a life of walking after the Spirit.  Not by their self effort.  Not by their own desire or willpower.  Not by a commandment.   Not as a means of gaining acceptance and approval from God.  But, by the power of God that is manifested through His Word.

You cannot make an intellectual choice to walk in the resurrection.  It is something that happens as your heart is persuaded by the truth of what the resurrection says.  And as your heart is persuaded by the truth of the resurrection as it pertains to your life.  You will find yourself walking in newness of life naturally.  Glory to God!

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You walk free from the flesh because you no longer function as if you are lacking life.  But, you function knowing you are the possessor of all things that pertain to life through the Word God has spoken over you in Christ.  You walk free from the flesh through the word that God has conquered death in the resurrection of Jesus, and He has taken your life out of the world; out of the flesh.  And Hid it in it Christ seated at the right hand of God far above all principality and power.  

Example:  Jesus said in this world there will be tribulation.  But, be of good cheer I have overcome the world.  In this world there is death.  And the things in this world are always trying to communicate death to our hearts in order to make us alive to sin.  In order to cause us to walk after the flesh.  

You know we see all this disease, and calamity in this world.  All those things are trying to communicate death to our hearts.  If I look to those things and define whether or not I am the possessor of life by if I am able to avoid those things in this world then I am continuing to live as if I am under the dominion of death.  I am not saying that we will not or cannot have good things happen for us in this world.  I am saying that the place we reason from to determine if all is well is not what happens in the world.