Consider this practical analogy.
Both a pig and a sheep can fall into a mud hole. The pig remains perfectly content in the mud because it is its nature to roll in the mud. The sheep is not content to roll in the mud because it is contrary to its nature. It wants out as quickly as possible because living in mud is uncomfortable, unpleasant and weighty when the mud saturates its wool. Similarly, if a believer truly possesses the divine nature within them, they will be uncomfortable around sin, and sin will be unpleasant and feel weighty on their spirit because it is contrary to their new nature.
Dealing with the inevitable question:
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Shall we sin knowing that we are entirely justified through Christ in the sight of God?
Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
God doesn't want us to sin, but if we do sin in a moment of weakness, then that sin is already legally pardoned and can never condemn or punish us having already been dealt with in Christ.
1 John 2:1-2 "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation [appeasement, conciliation] for our sins..."
As a believer, you don't live trying to be "dead to sin". That will be a self-work which inevitably will fail. No! Understand that you ARE ALREADY dead to sin in your SPIRIT. This is a new paradigm to get used to. We don't live trying to be acceptable to God only to bring condemnation and guilt upon us when we fail! No! God will never account sin against you (2 Cor.5:19) because you have died to sin (through Christ's cross-work and victory over sin). In God's eyes (and in God's reality), you already stand completely pure and blameless before Him.
Another way to understand what it means when Paul says we are dead to sin, is to view it positionally. In other words, to see it from a spiritual perspective and not from our current flesh perspective. The moment we are saved by hearing and believing the grace gospel, we are given (imputed) the blameless and perfect life of Christ. We wear Christ's righteousness as a garment. So before God, we are clothed in absolute righteous and innocence.....even though we daily still sin in our flesh and can feel like a dirty sheep in the mud!
What you read above deals with your spiritual position before God. But what about our flesh, and what about these sins that I commit in temptation or weakness?
Dealing with our mindset
God understands that we still have a flesh nature and we are prone to temptations and weakness. God made a way to fully deal with sin, and that is a completed work through His Son. In God’s eyes, we are dead to sin positionally (or in spirit), being in Christ (and covered with His righteousness), but our condition in the flesh is still a problem. We are not to ignore sins in our life. God does not want us to sin, but it can, and DOES still happen, and this is where His Word continues the work. The truth of God's Word will shine a light on sin, but it also provides the wisdom to overcome it. Meditate on the Word which is truth. Let it permeate your thoughts. Let it become your default pattern of living. Let it provide you with the strength to choose right from wrong.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
The road of sanctification is a life long journey! God does not expect us to overcome ALL our old habits and bad behaviours in one go! We grow in God daily. Small things get shed off our lives over time as the convictions of Christ's Spirit works within us. Eventually people start to see a change in us, in the lifestyle we live, in our mannerisms, in our kindness and humility. It takes time, but the Spirit is relentless in sanctification. This is all to the glory of Christ within us.
In summary, our mindset should be that, thanks to the cross work of Christ, positionally (in spirit and right now before God), we are dead to sin. God does not count sin against us (2 Corinthians 5:19) because of Christ’s completed work. It cannot affect our right standing with God in Christ. But we should be mindful of sins and avoid them by allowing the word of God to renew our thinking. As our faith grows and we walk according to the Spirit within, our lives will steadily become more and more sanctified, resulting in a living witness of Christ and in a natural and effortless way, we become ambassadors of grace living and fulfil that calling of being reconcilers of people to God simply through our pattern of life.
" What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ... 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ... 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. "
Quote: Paul, Rom.6
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