Dead To The World -- Dead To Sin

When we reckon ourselves dead to sin, just what does this mean to us? We know it has to do with taking inventory and marking it as a finished fact, but what is it to be truly dead to sin? Let us put it this way: If a person is physically dead, he is dead to the world. He cannot respond in any way to the world around him; for he is dead. The world can no longer inspire, encourage, tempt or entice the man whatsoever. It cannot hurt, depress, or cause anguish to the man in any way. There is no fragment of the world that is powerful enough to reach inside the man's body and cause it to respond. Beat the body, and there will be no grimacing of pain, tickle the feet and there will be no reflex or smile to break over the rigid face, blast a cannon over the head and it will not cause the slightest flutter of the eyelids. For he is dead to the world.

To be dead to sin is the same. If we are dead to sin, we cannot respond to it in any way; for we are dead. Sin can no longer inspire, depress, tempt or entice us whatsoever. There is no fragment of sin that is powerful enough to reach inside and cause us to respond. Bombard us with sin from every direction, and we will not submit to its force. Dangle a pretty piece of flesh before us and there will be no wanton smile to break over our face etched in Christ, and blast a cannon ball of lust, perversion, greed, power, and vanity over our heads will not cause the slightest flutter or blink from our single eye in Christ. For we are dead to sin!

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: AND HE CANNOT SIN, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9). Do we believe this? Indeed -- WE CANNOT SIN!

You disagree? Oh my, I can already hear the wailing drones and lamenting cries of dead men, saying -- "We are not dead! We are alive to the world! We have a nature to sin, and without self-control and the bridle and bit of the law holding us back -- we are sure we would quickly fall to the wiles of the devil and fill every lust our hearts could imagine! Therefore, we will set our minds to do good, abstain from evil, and put forth our hands to fulfill every law."

This, of course, does not fit every believer; but it is the covering for many. Oh foolish "Christians." Who hath bewitched you? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Let me ask -- Who are the "WE" which John said CANNOT SIN? They, of course, are the "WHOSOEVER ARE BORN OF GOD." Also, with whom do we identify? It is He of whom we were born; namely, GOD OUR FATHER! Our identity, our existence, our life, the person we are -- is all of God! And if we happen to miss the mark, it is as Paul said, "Now then it is no more I that do it, but SIN that dwelleth in me" (Rom 7:17). If we have a houseguest who lives below our standard, are we that houseguest merely because he resides with us? Of course not! Yet traduced minds believe the sin which dwells in our members, in our minds, is who we are. Let them embrace the lie and die; but I will not.

Now then, Reckon yourselves dead -- "For YE ARE DEAD, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col 3:3). "My Brethren, YOU ALSO WERE PUT TO DEATH by the LAW through the BODY of the ANOINTED one, in order that you may BELONG to another, -- to HIM who was RAISED from the Dead, that we should bring forth fruit to God" (Diaglott).