One of the most intriguing exhortations in the bible comes in Paul’s letter to the Romans. ‘reckon (count) yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Paul has been expounding the wonders of grace and then tackles the problem of those who might then say something like, “Well Ok then it doesn’t matter if I sin, I might as well enjoy myself however I like, because there will always be more forgiveness available.” Paul’s counter argument goes like this….
‘don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him…………Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him……… The death he died, he died to Sin once for all, but the life He lives he lives to God.
By faith, like Paul, we can say, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”. Galatians 2:20. When I am tempted to sin or fail God in some way, the Lord wants me to shift my default setting from ‘Must try harder’ to ‘Thank you Lord for the grace to live out my new life in Christ in this situation’. By turning to Him with thanksgiving I am lifting my thoughts again to the true facts of the situation. Thanksgiving for ‘my new life in Christ’ enables me to ‘reckon’ on His life in me, and the grace available at a time of testing. I ‘reckon’ on this life and power being within, for me to draw on, in the same way that my salary or pension is there in the bank to pay those bills.
In the same way, reckon (count) yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.’ . Romans 6:3-11.
It’s that wonderful word ‘reckon’ that I want to focus on today. It’s another word that indicates that it’s very ok to use our minds, our reasoning and our thinking on this life journey of ‘faith’ (See blogs 256 and 257).
I don’t think many of us would fall into the category of the people, mentioned above, who think that grace means that I can now do whatever I like because forgiveness will follow, but Paul’s exhortation to ‘reckon yourself dead to sin’ certainly applies to those of us who are still seeking to subdue our ‘old man’ in order to live a Godly life in the Spirit.
Christians who want to follow the Lord, and honour Him in all that they do, are very often plagued by the enemy’s accusations, showing them their failures and where they could really do better. We’ve all been there, and if we are not careful this can push us into just ‘trying harder’. Trying to stop what is not good in our thoughts and behaviours, and then ‘trying’ to live out our new life in Christ is something that can be very hard work.
The enemy’s tactic here is simply to keep our focus on our mistakes, sins and shortcomings. What I did or didn’t do that I should have done, or could have done. What I thought or said that I shouldn’t have etc. It’s not hard for him to do that, and sometimes the more we try to compensate and make up for these things the harder it gets. This is because whatever takes our focus, and fills our mind and spirit, will be magnified. We are in fact ‘looking’ at the wrong thing and so keeping ourselves living out of that same ‘old man’ mentality.
When we ‘reckon’ on something being right or true, we act accordingly. So if I ‘reckon’ that my employer or pension provider has transferred some money into my account, I will feel free to go and spend it, and I most certainly won’t try and earn that money all over again, because it is now legally mine. Likewise if I reckon that I am now ‘dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus’, I will also reckon on His life within, empowering me to ‘walk as Jesus did,’ 1 John 1: 6. Focusing and reckoning on ‘My new life in Christ’, releases the faith in me that allows that new life to grow stronger and stronger.
By faith, like Paul, we can say, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”. Galatians 2:20. When I am tempted to sin or fail God in some way, the Lord wants me to shift my default setting from ‘Must try harder’ to ‘Thank you Lord for the grace to live out my new life in Christ in this situation’. By turning to Him with thanksgiving I am lifting my thoughts again to the true facts of the situation. Thanksgiving for ‘my new life in Christ’ enables me to ‘reckon’ on His life in me, and the grace available at a time of testing. I ‘reckon’ on this life and power being within, for me to draw on, in the same way that my salary or pension is there in the bank to pay those bills.
Likewise, when I have failed or sinned, replacing ‘Must do better’ with thanksgiving for God’s love, forgiveness, and my new life in Christ, enables me to ‘reckon’ on that flow of grace, without having to earn it in any way, or do any kind of penance. What a wonderfully liberating truth this is. It’s the truth that becoming a Christian is not a patch up job on the old me, but a whole new way of living powered by the Holy Spirit,. Thank you Lord so much, this is indeed almost too good to be true!!
