Freedom from the Power of Sin

Dead Old Man (5)

When God created the world, there was no sin. Everything was very good, even in God’s eyes. Knowing God’s standard, when he says it’s good it must be good. Man had everything he needs and enjoyed all that God had created.   But when sin came into the world as a result of Adam’s disobedience, things changed. This verse sums up the practical side of things (God was speaking to man):

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return. (Gen 3:19, NKJV)

Because of sin, man got a curse instead of blessing. Man was created to live on God’s blessing and favour; that was his confident posture before God. It was as natural as breathing. But after sin, curse had become his lot.  

Because of sin, the ground was also cursed and man had to work hard for a living - this is the source of poverty on earth. Poverty is not only a sense of lack, but also a sense of difficulty in fulfilling need.

Because of sin, death came upon man to return him to dust. Sickness either became an agent to cause weakness in the body or sickness resulted due to weakening of the body. Either way, sin brought sickness into the world.

Sin is powerful and its effects far-reaching, the above are the effects it had on the Old Man. Not only was the Old Man a slave to sin, he was also a slave to curse poverty sickness and death. But since our Old Man is dead we are no longer under the power of sin. Our Old Man who was ravaged by, or susceptible to, the power of sin was crucified with Christ on the cross. We are no longer under the power and effects of sin. We have been freed from its power!

If the Old Man was a slave to sin curse poverty sickness and death, then the New Man’s nature must be one of righteousness, blessing, wealth, divine health and life. I am not saying that we will not die physically, but as long as we live here on earth we should live free from the power of sin and in the nature of the New Creation, which we are in Christ. Why call ourselves the New Creation if we see ourselves the same as the Old Man?

This is indeed good news. Do you see yourself as poor and sickly? It’s time to see the poor and sickly “you” crucified on the cross.  The new “you” is a different person: one who is rich healthy and strong. You are a New Man. Have the correct image of the new “you” and you will live out the life of the New Man.

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You Have Died

Reminder: your Old Man is dead!

Dead Old Man (4)

You have died!

I am not kidding you.  If you have scarcely given it a thought it’s high time you do so; it will change your life for good. Not just a thought, let this fact sink in and grab hold of you, and be absolutely sure about this: your Old Man is dead. You can live by it.

There can hardly be better news than this. Imagine one day Mr. Sin wakes up and wishes to dispatch his slave to run some errand – inevitably something bad: to steal; to worry; to get sick; to condemn a cell group member because she failed to turn up in cell group (mind you, all these and more the Old Man used to faithfully comply) – but alas, the slave is no more. He is dead! Mr. Sin has just lost the instrument to propagate darkness in your life and in the world around you.

What Jesus has done on the cross is not only to put your sins on Himself so that He could pay the penalty on behalf of you. More than that, He put you – your Old Man the sinner, Mr. Sin’s slave – in Himself so that you were crucified together with Him.

Do the following scriptures mean anything to you? These should do in convincing you that you have been crucified with Christ and died with Him.

… our old man was crucified with him… (Rom 6:6, NKJV)

 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me… (Gal 2:20, NKJV)

For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:3, NKJV)

How God managed to do so I don’t know, but the result is far-reaching. Mr. Sin used to have a legal right over you – your Old Man. But because your Old Man died, even if you are alive now Mr. Sin has no right over you. His relationship was with your Old Man. He knows that your Old Man is dead.

The problem is that many believers don’t know. Perhaps I should put it this way: many believers are not sure what it means that their Old Man is dead and they act as if he is still alive. They do things only meant for the Old Man. They pull out God’s Law and try to become righteous by trying to fulfill the Law. They get miserable when they cannot. They try to become righteous when they are already righteous. They try to become wealthy when they are already rich. They try to become healthy when they are no more sick.

It’s vitally important that you realize your Old Man is dead. Don’t try to do anything to him. Don’t try to resurrect him! Be very glad that he is dead.

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Get the Old Man Killed

Dead Old Man (3)

How God solved the sinner problem?

The sinner was the old “you” – called the “Old Man” - before you became a born again believer. The Old Man was a slave to sin, to the extent one might say he could be expected to sin. Anyway, being a slave meant he’s bound to heed the bidding of his master, to do what his master wanted even if he didn’t like it.

When you read Romans you cannot fail to notice that most times “sin” takes on personality. That is to say it is quite alright to regard “sin” as a “he”. This “Mr. Sin” was the master of the Old Man. Mr. Sin is a tyrant. He loves to dominate and wants things his ways. If he is a good man than it’s still okay, but the fact is that he is evil personified. His very nature is evil and he is not capable of good. All that he could think of and all that he could do are opposite to what’s good.

Now, imagine what it’s like to be a slave under Mr. Sin. That was the lot for the Old Man. Sad, isn’t it? How could our Old Man be freed from this miserable state? How could we be separated from Mr. Sin?

In the first century slavery was commonplace. Paul expected everyone to understand what it meant to be a slave. Bonded to his master, a slave could only be free when either of two conditions was met. First, a ransom was paid. Second, the slave died.  According to Paul, God did work by way of the second. He said that we must know this:

that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that  we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. (Rom 6:6-7, NKJV)

So that’s how God solved the problem for us: get the Old Man killed!

Somehow, when Christ was crucified our Old Man was crucified with him and we died with him. It’s only logical that once the slave has died his master has no more claims over him. He is now free. In the same manner, we are now free from our old master Mr. Sin. He can no longer command us to do this or do that. Sure he would still want to boss us about but we have the liberty to say no to him and he can’t do a thing.

This is a most liberating truth: we don’t have to listen to Mr. Sin any more. He could yell or holler all he like, but the man who was bound to obey him is dead. The Old Man is no more.

Have you ever said no to Mr. Sin? Of course, if you didn’t know that the Old Man was dead and thought that you were him you would obey Mr. Sin. But now you know. If Mr. Sin comes around and ask you to do this or to do that, tell him off like this:

You got the wrong man, the Old Man is dead!

Paul Scholes, Football and Kingdom Living

Have a most blessed Lunar New Year! I want to wish all my Chinese readers a happy time at family reunions and may the Lord prosper you much more all the year round. I also pray that you have a good rest in the midst of all the festivity.

In the last few days I found some time to read. I managed to get hold of a copy of Paul Scholes’ autobiography at the Borders. Finally, on the fourth attempt! I have been on the look-out for it since its release late last year. It certainly does not disappoint me. It is truly enlightening - not only on his life, but life in general.

Probably you would not have heard of his name without you being an ardent football (soccer) fan. Paul Scholes is my all-time favorite player playing for my all-time favorite football team Manchester United.  A low-profile guy and a man of few words, you seldom hear any news about him although he has played for United for some twenty years. He retired from football at the end of last season but came out of retirement recently when his team needed him.  Click Here if you want to find out what world-famous footballers have to say about him.

But what Scholes has to say about himself and about his life?

The following words are as defining as any you can get from his book:

The God-given ability to make a football do more or less what I want it to – though not always, obviously! – has given me a standard of living that I could never have dreamed of had I left school to take up any other job accessible to me. What might that have been?  I haven’t got the faintest idea because it never entered my head that I would be anything else but a footballer. That said, I didn’t even dwell on a future in the game. The truth is that I didn’t agonise over anything as a kid; I just got on with life and, incredibly fortunately for me, it led me to Manchester United.

This is how a footballer assessed his own life after living it out to the full. Not just any footballer, but the distinguished Paul Scholes, for not every well-paid footballer lives like he does. There are some important truths our young people – no, actually everyone young or old – could learn from these words about life, and about Kingdom living: 

We don’t have to worry about life (Matthew 6:25), just as Scholes “didn’t agonise over anything as a kid” - he “just got on with life”. Needs could be legitimate, but to worry about them is not God’s way of getting them met.   We also don’t have to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34), just as Scholes “didn’t even dwell on a future in the game”. Our business is to live today, and let God take care of tomorrow.

God has given each of us unique ability. He will lead us to the right place at the right time where and when our ability is needed. A rival manager, Jose Mourinho, said that Manchester United are lucky  to have Scholes; Scholes said that he was “incredibly fortunate” to be led to United. This is Grace - it’s all God’s doing.

Any time we look at our circumstances and try to make the best out of them ourselves, we unwittingly steered away from what God is doing for us. Give your entire attention to what God is doing and don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met (Matthew 6:33-34). Scholes said that “it never entered my head that I would be anything else but a footballer” and what he got as a result? “A standard of living that I could never have dreamed of had I left school to take up any other job accessible to me.”

You might think that it is too much to equate playing football with seeking God’s Kingdom. You might think that it’s because I idolize Scholes that I see the parallel in all these. No, certainly not. Mind you, this is Kingdom living at its best - whatever people would have you believe about Matt 6:33.

What Made You a Sinner?

Dead Old Man (2)

The fact that Jesus has wrought for us much more than the forgiveness of sins is clear from this verse: For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Rom 5:10, NKJV). Through His death we have forgiveness from our sins, so that we are reconciled to God – restored to fellowship. But the verse clearly states that that’s not all. After this His life also saves us. Saves us from what? It is like this:

His death saves us from our sins. His life saves us from ourselves – the sinner.

How one is constituted a sinner? Is it because of anything he does? Actually, we are not accorded the “honour” by the Bible.  The Bible says it’s because of Adam’s disobedience that we become sinners. So, we were made sinners quite apart from anything we did: For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners… (Rom 5:19, NKJV). Contrary to popular opinion, we don’t become sinners because we sin, not according to the definition in the New Testament. “It’s not my fault!” - Probably there’s more truth in this statement than we realise.

So, what about the condition we inherited from Adam our forefather? What have we become as a result? What kind of nature did we inherit from him?

The sinner is one prone to sins. He cannot help it. To sin is his nature. Before one comes to Christ, he carries this nature. There is one verse that never fails to amaze me, it is astounding:

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. (Rom 6:20, NKJV)

Let me give you some orientation. Paul was speaking in term of conversion. He calls those who have not come to Christ “slaves of sin”. We were all once slaves of sin because of Adam’s disobedience. Because of Jesus’ work we are no more. But we really need to take in the full impact of the above verse to begin to understand the condition we were in.

According to Paul, we were “free in regard to righteousness”. I don’t know about you, I find his language rather peculiar. Normally we use the word “free” to denote exemption from bad things. Free from debt, free from sickness etc. But “free in regard to righteousness”? Paul really wanted our attention! He was essentially saying that we were excluded from the state or position of righteousness and thereby exempted from the acts of righteousness. In a sense, we were imprisoned in sin. When we were in such a state, we were not expected to be good or to do good. In fact, we were expected to sin! Slaves of sin can only sin! The following verse (Rom 6:21) states that only bad fruit can come forth from such a state: a sinner can only sin.

There you have it: the problem of the sinner. Now you know what made you a sinner, and a sinner cannot help but sin, do you know how God solve the sinner problem for you?

Stay tuned …


Scripture Link: BibleGateway.com

Sins and the Sinner

Dead Old Man (1)

Overheard somebody evangelizing his friend:

“You will agree with me that everyone has sinned,” said the evangelist.

“No. I don’t steal or kill; I don’t drink or womanize. I have done nothing that will put me in jail. I am a good man, not a sinner,” replied the non-believer.

“But you do lose your temper on your wife; and you couldn’t quit smoking though you wanted too,” the evangelist pressed.

“Well… I admit to that, but who could be perfect?”

“Jesus said you must be perfect like God. His standard is very high. Elsewhere – in Rom 3:23 – the Bible says all have sinned and fall short of God’s standard. That’s why you need Jesus; He can wash away all your sins."

…                             …                             …                             …                             …                         ...

Can you see through the simple technique? Most people like to think of themselves as being good, no matter if they believe in God or not.  You agree with them that they are no big sinner but press them to admit to their “little” sins. Play with their conscience, it is always more than happy to back you up. When they say no one can be perfect, you go along with them but stress that God has a different standard that He requires of us. There you have them cold. If they are still with you, bring out Rom 3:23 – memorize it if you need to. What about Matthew 5 where Jesus claimed that so much as you gaze at a sexy girl you committed adultery? Nudge them in that direction and before long you’ll have them confessing.    Since the non-believer admitted he has sinned, and that makes him a sinner, it follows that he needs a savior - here comes Jesus. Job done; give yourself a pat at the back.

Before, I would be elated if I manage to pull this off. I reckoned even Jesus would have been proud of me. I don’t mind telling you I’ve tried this many times over. But now I know better.

The problem with the above presentation is that it speaks only half the truth. And if we are not careful, we could find ourselves propagating a lie. What is true is this: Jesus could wash away all your sins – all the wrongs you’ve committed. What is not true is this: because you sin – commit wrongs - that constitutes you as a sinner. The truth is that because you are a sinner you sin; it’s not because you sin that you become a sinner.

Hold your fire if you feel like shooting me, I can prove to you what I say rather easily. But just think for a moment the implication of my proposition. If it’s true that because one is a sinner thereby he sins, then it’s not enough that Jesus only takes away his sins. The sinner will still sin. There are essentially two problems: the problem of sins (related to our actions and behavior) and the problem of the sinner (related to our nature and identity).

The question to ask is this: Does Jesus’ finished work provides for the forgiveness of sins only, or does it also deal with the problem of the sinner?

Make no mistake about it; I think the forgiveness of sins is most important. If we only have this it is still fantastic. It is still very good news. But if Jesus has also dealt with the problem of the sinner, then many have only heard half the truth. There is much more.

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Favor Comes, Suddenly

Mei Wan's Christmas deco 2011

Christmas is upon us, suddenly.

Many of us are like that, so busy living life that we wouldn’t notice if Life has crept up on us. Whatever keeps us busy has a way of sucking us into its system, enticing us to look at things only from its perspective. This is especially so when we try to eke out a living. Our work becomes our life, and we have a great excuse to be complacent keep on going on. Even when good things are happening around us and for us, we are oblivious of them. We actually run the risk of losing our life trying to find it.

Perhaps this was the case also with the shepherds out in the field the night Jesus was born. They were minding their own business, unaware of the greatest blessing that has come upon them. That is, until the angels turned up. (Read the shepherd's story here)

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them…(Luke 2:9, NKJV)

The night the shepherds found themselves in speak of the night in their hearts and in their lives; maybe yours and mine too. With our meagre effort, we could never hope to escape this darkness however hard we try. In fact our eyes would soon get used to the darkness.

But the good news is this: God is very eager to let His light shine on us and all around us. No matter what we are going through in life it’s never God’s will for us to get used to the darkness. He will do something. He will bring a bright and glorious morn.

This is what God’s messengers essentially said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid, God has sent you His son Jesus to bring you peace and favour. His light has come.” (Luke 2:10-14) Today He says the same to us.

The shepherds put down their work and ran to find Jesus. They celebrated the first Christmas. Perhaps we should also lay down what we are doing to go into His presence. We will see what He is doing and receive from what He is doing. Then we’ll find:

His favor has come upon us, suddenly.

Merry Christmas!

Photo Credit: Mei Wan
Scripture Link: BibleGateway.com