I can remember when I was around 10 or 13 years old going to the park with my sister for a big picnic. Several of the kids I knew were there and we were all playing in the swimming pool. Mind you, they all knew how to swim and I did not. They all proceeded to the diving board and I, not wanting to be left out; I followed them to the diving board. I watch each person go before me and then came my turn to jump. I remember walking up to the end of the platform, looking into the water, and without a thought, I jumped in. Needless to say, as soon as my foot hit the water I was screaming for help!!! The lifeguard came in and rescued me from drowning. As I walked up the steps to be taken back to my sister, I can still hear the kids smaller than me laughing and saying, that’s the person who almost drowned. At that moment I wished I would have drowned……But thank God I did not!

John 11:15-17 (NASB)

So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.” Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”

Let’s first look at the word death; Death could be summed up as separation from life. In this verse, Jesus said that Lazarus is dead! Lazarus’ life here on Earth had ended; expired! With this definition of death, if I had died, that day at the pool, my life in this world that we live in would have ended I would no longer exist or have any connection to the world and it would have no connection to me.

Yes, Jesus came to rescue us from our sins but he also came to separate us from our old life through his death. Out of all people, Thomas is the one who said, “Let us also go, so that we can die with him.” Can you imagine hearing Jesus say,” I am glad for your sake,” I probably would have responded, “Let me die with him also.” In dying, God raises you, and He does not raise you to the same old life, He raises you to a new life! (2 Cor. 5:17) A life with a new purpose, a life for the works He has already prepared for you (Eph. 2:9).

He has not sent the Holy Spirit to indwell the old you but the new you! Once you have been raised, you are raised to a new life. Paul wrote to the Romans.

Romans, 6:6 & 7

“Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”

Or (Will Smith paraphrase)

understanding this, that our old self was Killed with Jesus, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be under the control of sin; for he who has been separated from the life connected to sin is freed from sin

See, it is through death that we are set free; yes you read it right, freed from sin. Now that is something to say Hallelujah about. The life of the old sinful nature that we inherited from Adam which became a part of Adam’s DNA through the fall, is now gone. This life was passed down from Adam to every person born; that is why it is written that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, death entered through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned (Rom. 5:12). There is no true escape from this life connected to sin other than having that life come to an end through death.

Roman 7:4

“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”

When we were joined to the life of Adam, his sinful DNA was a part of us,and we bore fruits of sin. But as we see in Romans, it is through death that we are joined to one another, Christ himself and now his life; his DNA produces the fruit of righteousness.

Romans 6:20-22(ESV)

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.”

Maybe you are drowning and don’t know what to do; now is the time to take that one last gulp of air, say goodbye to the old you, and allow God to raise you to a new life, where the old life is gone and a new a fresh life is has come for you to embrace. It is Christ as your life.

Colossians 1:27

“to whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

And

Colossians 3:4

“When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

If you have died but you still find yourself struggling with sins, bad emotions, or anything that may be hindering your walk with God in Christ, maybe it is time that you remind yourself of this truth:

Romans 6:11(ESV) – “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus”

Or, I like how the message Bible puts it:

Romans 6:11 – “From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God.” That’s what Jesus did.

The words “must consider” can be read as, “to count or check it off as absolute truth!” You have been freed from sin, you are not in the process of being freed from sin but you are freed from, so stop trying figure out why you keep doing something and learn to rest in the fact that it is a done deal! Jesus Christ took care of the “Why” on the Cross-! Jesus’ payment for sin was good enough for God the Father; therefore let it be good enough for you! You are DEAD to SIN!

Therefore when Sin comes knocking at your door, Stop going to the grave visiting that dead person who belonged to sin and look to Christ in you, and start enjoy living your new life as a New Creation of God for God!

Colossians 2:6

“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,”

How did you receive him?

Ephesians 2:8

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; “

Thank God you are a New Creation and start enjoying the free Gift of God!