The Life I Now Live

The Christian life begins with a death. As a slave to sin, the old man must die, in order to give way to new life (Rom 6:1–4, 6, 16–20). The Apostle Paul wrote, “I have died with Christ (Gal 2:20).” He wrote the same to the believers at Rome, “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him (Rom 6:8).” Christ died to sin (Rom 6:10), as the Father imputed the sins of the elect from every age and from around the world on to Christ (2 Cor 5:21).

Having bore our sins in his body on the cross (1 Pet 2:24), Jesus, the Lamb of God was our sin bearer, our substitute (Heb 9:28). His substitutionary atonement reconciled God’s chosen people to Himself (Rom 5:10). In love, Christ laid down his life for His bride, His church (Eph 5:25). In offering Himself to God, in our place, Jesus saved His people from their sins (Mt 1:21). He secured for us, the forgiveness of sins (Mt 26:28; Acts 10:43; Eph 1:7).

The resulting benefit of Christ’s atonement is a change of ownership. The slave to sin (Rom 6:6), bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20; 1 Cor 7:23), by the precious blood of Christ (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 1:19), is now enslaved to God (Rom 6:22), having been freed from sin. The Christian is a slave of Christ (Eph 6:6); therefore, a new life is to be lived (Room 6:4). Sin is no longer master (Rom 6:14); but Jesus Christ is Lord, and the saint is a slave of righteousness (Rom 6:18).

Having been justified by the blood of Christ (Rom 5:9), by grace (Rom 3:24), through faith (Rom 3:28), the new creature in Christ is identified by his new self, living a new life of sanctification (Rom 6:19, 22).

Paul uses the term “baptize” to explain this to the Roman Christians. The elect, redeemed are baptized into Christ (Rom 6:3; 1 Cor 12:13). This is Christ Jesus who died, so the old man dies, as he is transferred from the domain of darkness and into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Col 1:13). This is a bloodless death because it is spiritual.

Having been dead in sin (Eph 2:1), the one who is being regenerated, by the Holy Spirit, dies to sin (Rom 6:11), by means of Christ’s crucifixion. Jesus died, was buried, and was also raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:3–4). Baptism places the one — being made alive — into Christ’s reality, spiritually (Eph 2:5; Col 2:13). The soul, dead to God, is quickened (Jn 3:1–8; Eph 2:5; Col 2:13). The life of God has been brought into the soul, by the Spirit.

Grace has usurped the reign of sin and death (Rom 5:21). Grace reigns because the power and wisdom of God now abide in the heart and the mind of the born again (1 Cor 1:24; Gal 2:20). Grace is the new influence maker in the soul of the adopted child of God (Rom 8:15, 23), who is no longer inclined to his old evil ways, from a deceived heart and futile mind (Jer 17:9; Eph 4:17).

Grace abounds to the beloved in the fulfillment of God’s plan for sanctifying the Israel of God. Christ, the Israel of God (Is 49:3), was sanctified (Jn 17:19), so that his body of people, the Israel of God (Is 49:6) would be gathered to God (1 Pet 3:18).

God’s predestination of His royal priesthood (1 Pet 2:9) has an end — to present them holy and blameless before Him (Eph 1:4; 5:27; Col 1:22). Therefore, the way to Christ-likeness (Rom 8:29) is the way of suffering purification (Rom 15:16; 1 Cor 6:11; 1 Thess 4:3, 7; 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2).

There is discipline from God, our Father (Heb 12:4–11). There is persecution from the world (Mt 5:10–12). There is a new hatred for sin, even an exposing of evil (Eph 5:11). There is a radical change in position and experience.

Walking in newness of life is Spirit-led (Rom 6:4; Ga; 5:16, 25). It is the Spirit who guides us into all truth (Jn 16:13). God’s Word is truth (Ps 119:160; Jn 17:17). The Word of truth is the Word of life, and because Christ is alive from the dead, He lives to God (Rom 6:10).

Union with Christ has brought us through death, burial, and resurrection (regeneration of the soul from spiritual death). Christians present themselves to God, as those who are alive from the dead (Rom 6:13). This new life, dominated by God’s grace, is not licentious (antinomianism). In other words, the children of God do not abuse the goodness God has bestowed upon them, by position and practically.

The new life in Christ comes with a new way of life. Jesus is that way (Jn 14:6). His is the way of obedience to the form of teaching, to which we were committed…and it is attributed to the Holy Spirit, meaning it is obedience by grace. The prophet Ezekiel captured this when he wrote the Word from God, “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and you will be careful to observe My ordinances (Ezek 36:27).”

Christian, your life is in Christ (Col 3:3). It is also by Christ, who is authoring and perfecting your faith (Heb 12:2). Every inclination of your heart and every thought should be held captive to Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Fixing your eyes on Jesus, by seeing Him on the pages of Scripture, is the power of God to transform you (Rom 12:2).

Always be assured of the Holy Spirit’s permanent presence (Heb 13:5), and be confident that He who began this good work in you — He will do it (Ps 37:5) — and will bring it to its proper and perfect end (Phil 1:6). God has proven his eternal love for you in election (Eph 1:4–5), in redemption (Jn 3:16; Eph 5:25), in regeneration (Rom 5:5; 1 Jn 4:7), and in sanctification, as it is written, “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him (1 Jn 4:9).” The believer in Jesus says, “This is the life I now live.”

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

September 13, 2022

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