Part 6 - Needing To “See” Our Freedom From Sin’s Power

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Identification.

Note that it was male goats that were used. The progeny of a race is passed on in the seed of the male. That race is ended when his progeny die out. Thankfully, 1 Cor. 15:22 For as in Adam all die... Every human has died in Christ, but it is only applicable to those who receive it by faith. We have had a transfer of race, having died out to the old, and made alive to the new by Christ in us. 1 Cor. 15:22… even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Every believer in Christ is now made alive by the indwelling of His spirit of life, but this is only enjoyed and appropriated by those who receive it by faith.

As noted earlier, Christ is the last Adam, not the last Eve. He would be the progenitor of a new race. In His cross we have two sides, for a termination and also for germination. In termination, Christ’s cross ended Adam’s race by the giving of His human life, which He had received from Mary who was in the lineage of the first Adam, who brought Sin into mankind. On the germination side of the cross we see the resurrection to life; it is this resurrection life of Christ that comes to indwell each member of His body – “the body of Christ”.

Many Christians understand the symbolism of the goats here in Leviticus 16. This deals with our sins and turns away the wrath of God. That is the extent of the gospel for many Christians. Yet there are thousands of hungry Christians who are trying to be crucified, and wishing they were crucified. No, no, no. You were crucified. You have been crucified! It is a fact concerning every believer. Most Christians can readily identify with the blood to wash away their sins, but they then go onto live and sin, seeming to  say, “Well, its my old nature, its the way I am”. They do not recognize their liberty from their old fallen sin nature – they are free from Sin’s dominion. (See this writer’s 8-part paper called “Freedom From Sin’s Power” at http://www.artlicursi.com ) This notion is the lie that has permeated Christianity and leads its adherents to a less than victorious living. The fact, as seen in Paul’s writings, is that you are dead and your “life is hid with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). How can a dead person keep on sinning? Romans 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from (the power of) sin.

Identification: If this is a fact and truth, and it is, then what could be the problem? The problem is our lack of identification with Christ As Us. Victory over Sin, which will still be resident in our human flesh until this body is exchanged for incorruptible (1Cor 15:52), requires our identification with Christ as us, just as we have trusted that our identification with His blood is effective to wash a way our sins.

What do we identify with? We identify with Christ death being our death for victory over our Old Man.

Romans 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized (placed) into Jesus Christ were baptized (placed) into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Gal. 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of (from) the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Will you believe and identify with the facts of the 2nd half of the gospel of your salvation as you do with the first half of the gospel message, as seen in Christ’s blood to washing away your sins? We are free from the power of Sin by the death of Christ as our death. Whose death do you think God was interested in when He sent Christ to die? It was not the death of the Devil that was His interest; no it was our death that God was interested in, to put an end to the remnants of the first Adam, to disarm Sin in the flesh. Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed (Greek, kartargeo, made of no effect), that henceforth we should not serve sin. Yes, we still have Sin as a fallen nature of the Serpent in our flesh body but we as a fallen soul have died in Christ – this is the fact of the 2nd half of the gospel of grace. This is to be received by faith, identifying with Christ’s death as our old man’s death.

The Accuser of the Brethren: The only remaining power in the hand of Sin in your flesh is the lie, if you will believe it. We need not give credence to random sinful imaginations of our mind place their by Sin’, as fiery darts. 2Cor 10:5 Casting down imaginations (thoughts), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge (our learned knowledge) of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience (submission to) of Christ; Condemning accusations are not of God. By Rom 8:1a we know we are not condemned. We know who we are by our identified status in Christ; His blood ever speaks for us on our behalf, so we can never be condemned. Rom 8:1 (NASB) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We are to cast down thoughts that are contrary to the truth we know. Paul tells us to quench the fiery darts of the evil one by the shield of faith (Eph 6:16). Faith identifies us with Christ’s work that He did as us.