Freed From Sin

Freed From Sin

“For he who has died has been freed from sin.” This is a powerful instruction that Paul gives us here. There are demands on a criminal who has been sentenced to life in prison; however, there would be no more demands on him if he had been executed. Then people’s minds would be at rest. He would be freed from sin even though he did not go this way voluntarily.

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him . . . .” Others cannot lead us into this death; we must go this way voluntarily without reservation. We must come to the light of our own free will and agree with the judgment, and I must voluntarily surrender my life into the death of Christ. This is the dying of my human nature so that the life of Christ can be manifested in my mortal flesh. 2 Cor. 4:10-11.

The death of Christ is a mystery that is only revealed to those who hate their own life. To them it becomes a reality whereas it is only knowledge and a figure of speech to others. Many people come into bondage when the virtues of Christ are being proclaimed. They try to live that life without having received light over the death of Christ. That is why many of them grow weary. However, if they had hated themselves, they would have received light, and they would have been set free and become happy through the death of Christ. Instead they feel like martyrs when they are in tribulations and meet malevolence from other people. They think they are being treated unjustly. When it is a question of requiting evil with good and being thankful for all things, they do not find anything in themselves that they can judge and hate, but they do see many things in the others. The more they suffer, the greater “saints” they become in their own eyes; they can also relate long stories about their sufferings. They do not live a resurrection life. To do that, a death would have had to take place first. If I see myself, my own sin, I do not feel that I am being unjustly treated; then I no longer feel like a martyr, but I hate myself. Then the death of Christ can work.

“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 6:10-11.

Therefore, as the apostle says, as it was with Jesus, so it must be with us. People love themselves; they defend themselves and justify themselves; yet when sickness breaks down their body, they have to die. This death is not a fruit of self-acknowledgment. By this death they are not freed from sin nor do they attain to a resurrection life. The death of Christ is a fruit of the cross of Christ which we are to take up every day and follow Jesus. Then we do not die as martyrs. Not at all! He died His death to sin, but He lives to God. We have no use for the cross of Christ if we are not living in a state of acknowledgment, for it was our old man that was crucified with Christ.

We will come to a state of self-acknowledgment and the death of Christ by loving the truth. The death that we die, we die to sin; then the life of Christ will also be manifested. The result will be a resurrection life.

“Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.”

If we are dead, we are freed from sin. We shall not die a second time. Death puts its victim out of action. The death of Christ puts sin in the flesh out of action. I will not die again if it is true in me. Then I am freed from sin.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” John 8:51.

We will not die when the day comes for us to leave this body. We will not become inactive. Not at all! If we can live our life for God while we are in the body, how much more shall we not live it for God once we have left this body! Paul says that then we will be with the Lord. Phil. 1:23. We are not going to die when we are with Him, are we? Then we shall be with Him in everything He is going to do. And when the time comes, we shall receive glorified bodies just like Jesus and will appear together with Him. Phil. 3:21; Col. 3:4. Then every eye will not only see Jesus, but also us. Rev. 1:7. Then we will appear to take the false prophet and the Beast and cast them into the lake of fire. Rev. 17:14, 19:20-21.

Satan will be bound, and the first resurrection will take place. Rev. 20. Those who will then be resurrected have been inactive in all the things in which the bride has been permitted to have an active part. However, they will be along in the Millennium and in what will happen thereafter. The other dead will continue to be inactive until the last resurrection; then they will arise either to be cast into the second death (the lake of fire) or to be on the new earth.

Everyone wants to get to heaven when they are about to leave their body, but only the few love the truth so that they, through self-acknowledgment, are conformed to Jesus’ death (Phil. 3:10) and are freed from sin. Moreover, it is also righteous that these few are permitted to live with Jesus, and to share His glory and be along in everything He does.