Romans 6:1-14
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We 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.
5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For 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— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11In 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 the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Romans 8:1-17
Life Through the Spirit
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 7:7-25
Struggling With Sin
7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." 8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Ephesians 2:1-10
Made Alive in Christ
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
John 3:1-17
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Jesus tells us when He is teaching Nicodemus we must be born again to get into the kingdom of heaven...This must be our goal to get into the kingdom of heaven...This is where God is, in His kingdom...
St. Paul tells us that we die from sin...How can we live again?...He tells us that Jesus has overcome death and has been resurrected...Since He lives after His initial death, He cannot die again...For us to live again, we must be born again...We must be born again in Spirit...The sinful mind of man is death, but the Spiritual mind of man is life...The Spiritual life is also peace...If we live according to sin, we will die...But St. Paul says if we live according to the Spirit, we will live...We will be at peace and have life...But, it is very difficult to walk in the Spirit, when we are earth...We struggle with sin everyday...Even the great St. Paul wrote about his struggles with sin...I want to do good, I can't do good...I want to do what is right, but I can't do what is right...I want to be perfect, I can't be perfect...I want to be holy, I can't be holy...Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ our LORD, who frees me from sin...
If we follow the ways of this world we are dead in our transgressions and in our sins...On earth we can be physically alive, but spiritually dead...But because of God's great love, who is rich in mercy, made us alive even though we sin and struggle with transgressions everyday...Because we sin and transgress everyday, it is hard to get close to Him...He does not hide from us, we hide from Him in our sins...We cannot and do not please Him when we sin...We do not live the lives God wants...Only the Father and Son knows our eternal potential...Only God can make us alive in the Spirit...No matter what we do, we are fallen in nature, since we ate of the fruit in Paradise...Thanks be to God for His grace, that He expresses in His kindness to us in His Son Jesus Christ, our LORD...For it is by His grace, we have been saved, through our faith- and not from ourselves, but by the gift of God- not by works or deeds, so that no one can boast...For we are God's work, created by Him- in His image, through Christ Jesus to do good works and deeds...
So we must be born again, to get close to our Father, who created us...Nicodemus asks how or what is the way...If we stay the same as we are, in the flesh, it is impossible to please God...Something has to change for us to get close to God...We are that something, we have to change out of our fallen, sinful nature and into the Spirit...That is why Jesus tells Nicodemus, we must be born again...When we are changed, we will be much like the wind...We can hear and feel the wind, but we do not know much about it...Like the ways of the Spirit, only God knows the ways of the wind and where it comes from...Jesus says we should not be surprised or shocked by this at all...God is Almighty...He knows when any sparrow falls, and even knows the number of hairs on our head...So we must be born again...We must change...We cannot go on sinning and transgressing...We will never get close to Him doing that...Anyone who knows Jesus, knows the Father..That is because Jesus is in the Father, and the Father is in Jesus...Jesus is the way to get to the Father...No one gets to the Father, except through Him...When we have a personal relationship with Jesus, we change...We then get closer to God...When we are closer to God, our life has changed...
Nicodemus, a Pharisee, and in the Sanhedrin studied the Old Testament for many years...He was Israel's teacher...But he did not understand these earthly things, so how can he understand the fantastic things of the Spiritual and God's Kingdom...We must believe that Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Him...But Jesus tries to explain this, and tells him, that no one has ever gone into heaven, except the One who came from heaven- the Son of Man...Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the the desert the Son of Man must be lifted up on the cross, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life...
You see God so loves the world that He sent His One and Only Son to die for us...So that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life...That is how we can be born again...