4.1 – Dead men can’t jump

Today’s Readings: Col 3.1-4, I Pet 2.24, Rom 6

What a terrific week! I hope and pray that everyone has been enjoying these studies as much as I have! I am excited about the new opportunities we have with the new schedule on Wednesday’s at the Fridge. It has been great to see some of you grasping this concept from the DIRECTIONS study! This is honestly a KEY TRUTH to the Christian life if we will only grasp a hold of it.

Today, I just want to share one simple truth to start us off. As we continue through these verses in Col 3, preparing for our study on Wednesday night, you’ll notice that Paul says we are DEAD! Wow. How is that? Because the last time I checked I was still breathing, thinking, and doing all the stuff folks who are alive do…so how am I dead? The Scripture is talking about something more than our physical existence.

Do you remember when we first started this series and we talked about our IDENTITY in Christ. How we EXCHANGED LIFE with Him when we were saved? That is exactly what this passage is talking about. Finish verse 3, you are dead – sure, but your LIFE (currently) is HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD. There you have it. You still have life. However, the life you now live, is to be lived by the operation of Christ, not yourself! If we ARE RISEN then we ARE DEAD because we exchanged our sinful life for Christ’s righteous one, and in the process we were applied to that payment from the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord.

Check out Romans 6, Paul goes into details about how this relationship works. He gives some keys to getting this down in our minds…answer these questions and see how we are to live like dead men everyday of our lives:

• If we are dead to sin, what should we not live in? (v3)
• What do we need to KNOW to live this life correctly? (v6)
• What are we to reckon (or make an accounting of) in our lives? (v11)
• Why is the word “yield” important in verses 12-13 &16, what does it apply about our role in the process of living for Christ?

Spend some time asking God today to help you KNOW the things you should about who you are in Him and what that means. Then pray about how to RECKON or realize that truth in your life toady. And lastly, because of those two things, what do you need to be YIELDING your life to today???