We are considering the new life of victory that we have been given in Christ. The first key word to this new life of victory was “know.” It is imperative for us to “know” what we have in Christ. Second, we will be considering that we “reckon or consider” that we have died to sin and have been made alive in Christ. “Reckon” is an accounting term that applies what has been appropriated to one’s account.
Romans 6:6-7 NKJV Knowing 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.
Our old self that was dominated by sin has been crucified with Christ to liberate us from the “body of sin.” The “body of sin” is not just the “physical body,” but the whole of us that was subject to sin, (spirit, soul, body) (thoughts, feelings, actions). The “body of sin” is every part of us that is subject to transgressions, failures and sins. Our “old man” has been crucified with Christ so that the “body of sin” might be done away with. As a result, we are set free and are no longer slaves to sin.
Romans 6:8-10 NKJV Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
It is important for us to know that we have died with Christ, but our connection with Christ is not just in His death, but also in His resurrection life and victory. If we have been connected with His cross, we shall also be connected with His resurrection life. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us and quickens (gives life) our mortal bodies. His victory over death and sin was for all.
Romans 6:11 NKJV Likewise you also, RECKON yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
What does it mean to “reckon” ourselves to be dead?
The normal process is first to know and then to reckon.
“Reckon” means to expect, believe, or suppose something to be true, to have faith or confidence.
Before we can reckon it to be true, we must have some knowledge, we must know. It is impossible to reckon it to be true without the knowledge of what Christ accomplished. We must receive what the Bible has revealed about Christ, His suffering, death, resurrection and victory. Then we must believe that the Bible is the true, inspired, and infallible word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Peter 1:21 NKJV Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 4:12 NKJV For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
From before the beginning of creation, God’s words were spirit and they were life. As such, God’s words have consistently been filled with power, life, and truth.
We can know the truth by reading the Word of God.
John 8:31-32 NKJV Jesus said… “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
The Bible reveals the truth that we must know.
- We must know that Jesus was qualified to die for our sins.
- We must know that He was the spotless, sinless, undefiled and only begotten Son of God.
- We must know that He died on the cross for our sins.
- We must know that we have been crucified with Christ.
- We must know that our sins, sicknesses, and judgments were taken care of by His sufferings on His cross.
- We must know that He was raised from the dead, has ascended back to the Father in heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father.
- We must know that we have been raised with Christ and are seated with Him in heavenly places.
When we know the truth, then we must reckon it to be so.
When we know God’s Word, then we must believe it, have faith in it, and take action upon it. When Abraham believed God, it was accounted or credited to him as righteousness. God credits righteousness to those who count themselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
We cannot reckon the word to be true without the Holy Spirt’s intervention.
John 16:13 NKJV However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
John 6:63 NKJV It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
2 Corinthians 3:6 NKJV Not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Matthew 4:4 NKJV But Jesus answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
We must know that the Word of God is true, reliable, trustworthy, and without error.
When the Holy Spirit comes, He will testify of Christ.
Listen again to what the Word of God says.
Romans 6:6 NKJV Knowing 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.
Romans 6:11 NKJV Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We know that Jesus Christ died on the cross. We know that He took our sin, sickness, and judgment in His body to the cross. We know that Jesus Christ our Lord died for our sins and we were crucified with Christ.
After we know that Jesus Christ took our sins, sickness, and judgment, we must reckon ourselves to be dead.
More is accomplished than the death of the old man, we have been made alive in Christ. Consider yourself to be dead to sin. We need the Holy Spirit to make it real to us that our sin and pain was put on Jesus Christ. Our whole self was crucified with Christ. We cannot make something a fact by trying to manipulate faith to make it a fact. If Jesus Christ has not taken you and your sins to His cross, you cannot make it happen by faith. If Jesus Christ took you and your sins to His cross, then they have been dealt with. If Christ took them, we must accept it by faith that they are laid on Him. Consider what the scripture has told us about what Jesus did on the cross.
Isaiah 53:4-6 NKJV Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
We must have a revelation of the facts of our crucifixion. Jesus Christ is your personal substitute. He has taken your penalty, sin, and sickness in His body to the cross.
God’s Word tells us to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
All of our sins are dealt with by the blood of Jesus Christ. His blood is the covering and cleansing for our sin. His cross has dealt with all of us.
Do you know this to be the truth?
We must cease being a vehicle for sin and become a vehicle for righteousness. We must be instruments of righteousness unto God.
Romans 6:13 NKJV And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Sin is still present in this world.
We have the capacity to take it up and practice it. We learned how to pick up sin and practice it. Now we must not yield our bodies as instruments of unrighteousness to sin. We must not be a vehicle for sin.
We must RECKON the life of Jesus Christ has been planted in us by the new birth.
The “nature of Christ” is to live above sin. The “nature of Christ” that has been born in us does not sin. What is “in Christ” cannot sin. Our old nature that was from “Adam” can and will sin. If we allow it, the nature of Adam will exert its power.
We have a choice.
To whom will you yield your body and mind? Who will you obey? It is easy to obey the old image and nature of what we were before Christ. You must have faith and believe that Christ has taken you up and has given you His life.
The life of Christ has been planted in us.
1 John 4:4 NKJV You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
The Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of Life is working in you. Do you believe that?
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is being sure of what is not seen.
Sight and hearing help prove the truth of the world around us.
We have colors: red, yellow, green, blue, white, and black.
These colors are real to us. If you close your eyes you do not know which color I am holding. If color loses its reality, we have no way to know. If we know that something is a certain color, our faith bears witness to that fact. For instance we know what color the sky is supposed to be. We know it.
We cannot substantiate divine facts with natural senses.
Faith makes the truth of God’s Word real in our experience. We are not dealing with promises, we are looking at facts.
John 17:17 NIV …“Your word is truth.”
- We believe that God knows what has happened.
- We believe that God’s Word is true.
- We believe that what His Word has said has indeed happened.
- We believe that Jesus Christ has indeed taken us unto Himself.
Those words in Isaiah are true.
Isaiah 53:4-5 NIV84 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
The book of Romans says: “we have died with Christ.” We are truly dead with Christ.
The book of Romans says: “we are alive with Christ.” In Christ, we have new life.
John 15:4 NKJV Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
We cannot struggle to get into Christ. God has done this work for us in Christ.
Romans 6:6 NKJV Knowing 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.
Ephesians 2:5-6 NKJV Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 2:10 NKJV and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Everything you need from God is already provided in Christ.
We can never produce life or fruit apart from Christ. Christ Jesus is the vine and we are merely branches. We are branches because He has made us part of Himself and we are totally dependent on Him. The character of the branch is determined by the vine. Every true spiritual experience is discovered in Christ. In Christ, victory and strength are mine. In Christ, healing and righteousness are mine. Christ is the foundation of all our experience. Abiding in Christ is the way to deliverance, healing, glory, spiritual fullness and new life.
2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
When you open your eyes, you can clearly see which color of cloth I am holding up. The Holy Spirit is holding Christ Jesus up for you to clearly see.
“Of God you are in Christ Jesus.”
God has put you in Him. He has done it. Now we must abide in Him. Rest in the fact, that God has put you in His Son. Live in the expectation that what He said has happened and is working in you. Expect His power and life to find expression in you. God will make His promise good.
