Because this is such an important topic, I thought you might appreciate a reminder.

Did you know the Bible addresses true believers in Christ as saints? If that’s true, then why don’t we feel and act like saints?

We’ve Changed.

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

Even though Jesus conquered sin, the flesh (the remnant of who we were) and the Spirit still fight against each other. Romans 6 gives us three action words we must practice to win this battle: know, consider, and present. Let’s look at the first verb: know.

Know your identity.

Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus... (Romans 6:3, NASB). In biblical days, when a fuller baptized or submerged a piece of white cloth into a vat of red dye, the cloth was forever identified with that red color. No one looks at a red shirt and says, “What a nice white shirt with red dye on it.” No, it is identified with the color red.

Likewise, when we place our faith in Christ, we are identified with Him. God doesn’t look at us and say, “Look at that dirty sinner with a sprinkle of Christ.” He sees a saint submerged in the righteousness of Christ. Instead of calling yourself a sinner saved by grace, it would be more accurate to say that you were a sinner, but now you are a saint saved by grace who sometimes sins (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Knowing that when you trusted Christ you were identified with His death, burial, and resurrection, you can affirm:

• When Christ died, I died.
• When He was buried, my sin was buried in the deepest ocean, separated from me as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).
• When He rose in newness of life, I rose with a new nature.
• I was darkness, I am now Light (Ephesians 5:8).
• I was God’s enemy, now I am His beloved child and friend (Romans 5:10, John 1:12, Romans 8:15, John 15:15).

Proverbs 23:7 says, “As one thinks within himself, so is he.” What I believe in my heart comes out in my actions. If I see myself as a sinner I am defeated before I start. After all, what do sinners do? On the other hand, who do saints want to please?

Look back at our opening verse.

• Who died?
• What is true about the one who has died?

Remember the red shirt? We died in Christ. Take some time to read through Romans 6 to get the whole picture. Jesus broke the power of sin. It now has as much power over us as death has over Him. Jesus washed us clean from guilt and shame.

For help implementing these truths, contact our office and check out Give Yourself a Break. Today, remember who you are.

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Blessings,

Debbie W. Wilson

Linking to #Live free Thursday, #wordswithWinter