A Broke Evangelist

November 12, 2024

Romans 6:11-14

The Meaning of Death and Resurrection with Jesus

“11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”

These days, I'm a regular at the doctor’s office—more than I ever was at the local bar back in my youth! You get used to the routine: sign in, get your blood pressure and weight checked, answer a few questions from the medical assistant, and then wait for the doctor to come in. But this was a special day. My old doctor retired a few months back, which meant I’d officially outlasted his career! Today would be my first appointment with a new primary physician.

A quick knock on the door, and in walks my new doctor, looking young enough to have been in high school with my daughter! Talk about energy—this guy practically bounced into the room, a bundle of quick, efficient questions and non-stop knowledge. He had a smile plastered across his face, and he moved through the appointment like he was on fast-forward. To my delight, we were done in about 15 minutes, and I was on my way with some new medications to help with a few long-standing ailments. Even better? As a new Medicare patient, the cost of my meds was zero. I couldn’t have been happier! The only “problem” was a 20-minute wait for them to be ready.

Waiting wasn’t too bad, though—I’m a big people-watcher, and a pharmacy lobby is prime territory. It’s always a mix of folks: some walk up to the counter without ID, digging through fanny packs and handbags like they’re panning for gold. Others are the models of efficiency. You’ve got your friendly types chatting up the counter staff, and those who seem to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. All ages, all backgrounds, in everything from professional suits to sweats and even pajamas. At one point, I spotted a man who looked eerily like George W. Bush—if George had been Japanese! For a second, I thought, “Well, maybe Papa Bush took a trip to Okinawa back in WWII!” But, hey, we all had one thing in common: we were there to get a little healthier, hoping to improve, one prescription at a time.

Eventually, my name was called, and I grabbed my meds. As I turned to leave, I spotted an old friend in line. I couldn’t resist sneaking up to him and saying, “Wow, they’ll let anyone buy drugs here!” He laughed, then told me about a scare he’d had a few weeks ago. He’d woken up dizzy, seeing double, and feeling terrible. His son rushed him to the hospital, and it turned out his blood sugar had shot up to over 700! I asked him how long he’d known he was diabetic, and he replied, “That’s when I found out!” Ouch. But thanks to some good medical care and his faith, he’s on the mend, and I’m grateful—I’d hate to lose another friend so soon.

It reminded me that blessings can be found in the most unexpected places. Even in a doctor’s office or a pharmacy lobby, God shows up if we’re paying attention. It’s a good reminder as I think about the life God promises us—a blessing to be lived, shared, and appreciated, as we read Romans 6:11-14…

Romans 6:11 – In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Some versions of this use the phrase “reckon yourselves” instead of counting ourselves. Reckon is an accounting term, a short version of reconciliation. Paul tells us to consider or reconcile the old self as permanently dead. Interestingly, God doesn’t ask us to crucify the old self—it's already been taken care of. Instead, He calls us to acknowledge it as dead because we are united with Jesus in His death on the cross.

Think of it like closing an old bank account. Imagine you used to have an account filled with all your debts and past mistakes, and no matter how much you tried to deposit or balance it, the account was always in the negative. Then, one day, someone comes along and pays off the entire debt and closes the account for you. It's officially done—gone, no more access. Now, any money you need or receive is deposited into a brand-new account with a perfect balance. That old account is dead, canceled, and you never have to deposit, withdraw, or deal with it again.

This is what Paul means when he says to “reckon” the old self as dead. God isn’t asking us to keep paying into an account of past mistakes and failures—He already closed it. Instead, He wants us to fully accept that we’ve got a new account, united with Christ. The old self, along with all the baggage, was crucified with Jesus. Now, our job is to live from the new account, recognizing that our old account no longer exists.

Romans 6:12 – Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

This message is for Christians—for those who have had their old self crucified with Christ and have been given a new life in Jesus. Only someone who’s truly been set free from sin can be told, “Do not let sin reign.” It’s a unique freedom. For someone who hasn’t experienced this transformation, they’re technically “free” to sin, but they aren’t free to stop sinning and live righteously, because they’re still under the rule of the old self. In Jesus, though, we’re genuinely set free and given a new way to live. Now, we have the freedom to follow the natural inclinations of our new self—a self that desires to honor and please God.

Imagine you’re a prisoner who’s been locked up for years. One day, the warden comes in with official documents that declare you’ve been fully pardoned and set free. You’re handed the release papers, your prison record is wiped clean, and you’re escorted right out the front gates. But here’s the twist: the old prison guards who knew you well still shout at you every time you pass by, acting as if you still belong behind bars. You start to wonder, “Am I really free? Or are they right, and I should still be locked up?”

This is where many Christians find themselves. They’ve been fully set free from their old “prison” of sin through Christ, yet old habits and voices from the past keep telling them they’re still bound. In moments like these, the reminder of who they really are—the freedom papers signed by Jesus—are what they need to trust and lean into. As these next verses show us, Jesus not only opened the doors but gives us the tools to live out that freedom confidently each day.

Romans 6:13 – Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 

A person can be “officially” set free, yet still live as if they're locked up. Imagine someone who’s spent years behind bars, only to be released one day. Even though they’re free, they might still think and act like a prisoner because the habits of freedom haven’t had time to settle in. Paul, in these verses, gives us a blueprint for building those habits of freedom into the Christian life. It’s like learning to stretch and enjoy our newfound space, discovering what it really means to live free.

Years ago, there were two brothers who were fighting over a kingdom to rule. The older brother was morbidly obese but ruled with an iron fist. After a big battle, the younger brother led a successful revolt against his fat brother and assumed the title of king over the land. Instead of killing his fat brother, the younger brother devised an interesting imprisonment. He had a room in the castle built around his brother, a room with only one door. The door was not locked, the windows were not barred, and the younger promised the elder that he could regain his land and his title any time that he wanted to. All he would have to do was leave the room. The obstacle to freedom was not in the doors or the windows, but with the older brother himself. Being grossly overweight, he could not fit through the door, even though it was of near-normal size. The only thing he needed to do was diet down to a smaller size, then walk out a free man, with all he had before his fall. However, his younger brother kept sending him an assortment of foods that were too good to pass up, and the older brother’s desire to be free never won over his desire to eat.

This is where many Christians (or dieters) find themselves. Jesus has already purchased their freedom, giving them a new life and setting them free from sin’s hold. Yet, old habits and comforts lure them back, keeping them in a life far smaller than what’s possible. The door to freedom stands open, but until they choose to walk away from the “snacks” of their old life, they remain trapped, not by force, but by choice. They offer themselves as instruments of unrighteousness by wallowing in their old habits.

By offering ourselves to God, it is the first key to walking in the freedom Jesus won for us: don’t let any part of yourself be used in the service of sin. Paul tells us not to let any part of our body become an instrument of wickedness, to be used for sinning. In other words, we’ve got to keep every part of ourselves—mind, body, and soul—focused on the good path, using our gifts and actions for things that build us up, not weigh us down. Our bodies are like a toolkit in the battle for right living. When we use the parts of our body for good, they become tools—or even weapons—for doing what’s right. But if we give them over to sin, they become weapons for harm. The choice is ours: we can arm ourselves for good or let our actions become destructive.

Romans 6:14 - For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

These words offer us a test, a promise, and some much-needed encouragement.

The test challenges us to examine our claim to be Christians. Does anger control you? What about murmuring and complaining? Does covetousness hold sway over you? How about pride or laziness? If any of these sins have dominion over us, it’s time to seriously ask ourselves whether we've truly experienced a life-changing transformation.

The promise isn’t a promise that sin will never show up in our lives—that’s something we’ll experience fully when we’re resurrected in glory. But it does promise that sin won’t have control over us because of the amazing work Jesus did when we were born again.

The encouragement is from God. He hasn’t condemned us to live under the control of sin—He has set us free through Jesus. This is a message of hope and strength, whether you're fighting the battle against sin, just starting out in your faith, or even feeling a bit lost and in need of a fresh start.

More to come…

A Broke Evangelist – November 12, 2024

Also on Substack:

Previous Day Next Day

November 2024