Greetings saints.

We begin in Romans chapter 6 with Paul’s solemn question in verse 2 (quoting): “How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

Paul’s question is not a challenge to our conduct, it is the iteration of a positional truth. Namely the impossibility of a saint having two simultaneous existences, one in which they are dead to sin and another in which they continue to live in it: “How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

Today, I want to consider what this truth means for our walk and our ministry, and what it reveals about humanity’s need for salvation and God’s willingness and power to meet that need.

Before our salvation we all lived “in sin.” Paul asked, “How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” “In sin” was our spiritual address, if you will. It was, as scripture declares it, where we had our conversation.

To be “in sin” was to be under the power of darkness, as we read in Colossians 1:13. But more than this, it was to be darkness. So we read in Ephesians 5:8, as Paul describes to the saints at Ephesus their spiritual condition prior to salvation (quoting): “For ye were sometimes darkness,”

But when we believed the gospel for this dispensation—that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again—we were given an entirely new identity by God. So, Ephesians 5:8 goes on (quoting): “But now are ye light in the Lord:”

Darkness and light. Ephesians 5:8 is about identity. The verse describes who we were – darkness – and who we now are – light.

And that change in our identity is achieved by means of a change of our position – we are now light in the Lord. We were previously darkness, “in sin”. Now we are light in the Lord, in Christ.

This transformation of our position, and of our identity take place takes place at the moment of salvation.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:13 (quoting): “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.” This is the Spirit’s baptism. This is the operation of God, placing us in Christ and giving us our new identity. And once placed in Christ, we cannot be any longer “in sin.”

As Paul describes in Romans 5, the consequence of our change in position is that the death sentence we inherited by virtue of our descent from Adam is overturned by grace. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20). Adam was created in the image of God, but his offspring were created in his fallen image, in sin. As saints in Christ, we no longer carry the sentence of that fallen image. At 1 Corinthians 15:22 we read (quoting): “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”.

All “in Adam” die; all “in Christ” shall be made alive.

Paul reflected the truth of this new position in his epistles. In his greeting to the church at Corinth Paul writes (quoting): “to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus”. He calls the believers at Colosse (quoting): “saints and faithful brethren in Christ.” He calls the saints at Ephesus (quoting): “the faithful in Christ Jesus”. He writes Philippians to (quoting): “all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi” and1 Thessalonians to (quoting): “the church which is in the Lord Jesus Christ”. Note the expression, “in Christ”; that is who we are now; that is our position; that is our identity; that is our reality.

Grace does not leave us where we were. Grace moves us.

Romans 5:10 reminds us that before salvation, we were enemies of God. We were not neutral toward God, nor were we spiritually agnostic. We were God’s enemies.

But now, Romans 5:1 declares (quoting): “…being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This peace is not a feeling—it is our standing. God has changed our position. The hostility is gone. The barrier is removed. We stand before Him reconciled, accepted and secure.

Being “in Christ” is not unique to the body of Christ. Paul notes in Romans 16:7 that Andronicus and Junia were (quoting) “in Christ before me.” In Galatians chapter 2 and in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 he references the churches of Judea which are in Christ.

But here is the distinction: Saints in the dispensation of grace are placed in Christ by grace alone, through faith alone, without works.

Ephesians 2:8–9 makes this unmistakably clear, telling us (quoting): “For by grace are ye saved through faith… not of works.”

Under Israel’s prophetic program, works were required as expressions of covenant faithfulness. Under the mystery revealed to Paul, salvation is entirely through faith.

So the uniqueness of this dispensation is not the fact that we are in Christ, but how we came to be so.

Colossians 1:13 describes our change in position as a translation: Speaking of God, it tells us (quoting): “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”

This is a description of our then-and-now spiritual positions and conditions. He has translated us and has delivered us.

Of necessity, our translation and deliverance had to be an act of God, because as Romans 5:6 tells us, we were without strength to save ourselves. God understood our need to be moved, and he moved us.

Where did we move from? In time past our spiritual home was among the children of disobedience. Ephesians 2:3 says before salvation we walked and had our conversation as one of them, and that we were by nature, with them, children of wrath.

And where are we moved to? Philippians 3:20 declares that now (quoting): “… our conversation is in heaven.”

A saint’s citizenship is not earthly. Our destiny is not wrath. Our identity is not tied to this world. We belong to heaven because we are now in Christ.

This change in position enabled by the finished work of Christ should result in a change in perspective for us. This is the (quoting) “reasonable service” that Romans 12:1 describes. Ephesians 5:8 says (quoting): “Walk as children of light:” Colossians 3:1–2 tells us that as saints we should (quoting): “Seek those things which are above”, and that we should set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

But we do not seek heavenly things to become heavenly people. We seek heavenly things because we are heavenly people. Because we have been placed in Christ.

Our affections follow our understanding. When we understand our new position, our priorities shift. When we know who we are and where we are seated, we know what we should value.

And this is all significant for the work of the ministry. Romans 16:3 speaks of Priscilla and Aquila as (quoting): “helpers in Christ Jesus.”

This teaches us two vital truths:

1. Firstly, it is only those who are in Christ who do the work of the ministry. Ministry work is not religious activity. It is service performed from a position of union with Christ.

2. Secondly, it teaches us that all true ministry flows from position, not performance. We serve because of who we are in Him, not to become something before Him. So at the judgement seat of Christ, it is the kind of work we have done of we give account of (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:12)

The work of the ministry is Christ’s work, carried out through those who are in Christ.

Conclusion and Exhortation

Brethren, to be dead to sin and to live no longer therein is not a feeling, not a process, not an achievement. It is a positional truth confirmed by God at the moment we believed.

We were:

• in sin

• in darkness

• of the course of this world

• in wrath

• in opposition to God

But now we are:

• in Christ

• in light

• in heavenly places

• at peace

• accepted in the beloved

This is our translation. This is our identity. This is our standing.

So let us walk as who we are. Let us minister from where we stand. Let us set our affection on things above. And let us rejoice that by the grace of God, we are dead to sin and live no longer therein.

Amen.