Freedom From Sin's Oppression

By Fred Handschumacher

One thing that always puzzled me was the way the institutional church handles the subject of sin. If Jesus died for our sins why does it still remain such a problem? Why is it discussed Sunday after Sunday to such an extent that we get preoccupied with it? The Bible calls it "sin consciousness", and it isn't something that should dominate a Christian's life. There is a good reason for this fixation on sin. However, the explanation will cause criticism from the religious community. In this article, we are going to cover a topic that will set Christians free if they dare to believe it.

The spiritual blessings we enjoy as Christians are possible because of what Jesus accomplished on our behalf. Our salvation benefits are the result of our heavenly Father taking the works of Jesus Christ and "imputing" them to our account. To "impute" in this sense means to credit a person with the work or sacrifice of another. The "imputing" of the life of Christ to the believer is a divine "exchange" that takes place as a result of the New Covenant. But, the "imputing" process taught by the Bible works in two directions. If we understand how God works through this process, it will forever settle to question of sin for the Christian.

SIN'S POWER SOURCE IS REVEALED
Romans 7: 1-8

"Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. FOR WITHOUT THE LAW SIN WAS DEAD."
Galatians 2:20-21

"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 the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do no frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
Colossians 3:2-4

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. FOR YE ARE DEAD, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."
Romans 6:11

"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
When you read the Scripture references above a powerful truth can be seen that can be illustrated in four incredible facts:

As a Christian, your old life was "imputed" to Jesus Christ. You have been "crucified with Christ"--In God's mind you died on the cross with him.

God's law only has dominion over a person as long as he lives. The law loses it's power when death occurs.

Sin gets its authority to condemn you from the law. Without the law--sin is dead.

Christ's life was "imputed" back to you. You now live by the faith of the Son of God. God considers you alive in Christ.

When you initially put your trust in Jesus Christ, your old life was judged by God and condemned to die on the cross. God crucified you with Christ. God's perspective is the only one that counts in eternity. As far as He is concerned you have already paid the price for your sins even though someone else experienced the agony of the execution. God "imputed" the punishment of the cross, to your account as if you had actually been condemned to die there. God considers all the sins you've committed and all the sins you will commit in the future as "paid for." You have already died, once--and that was enough to terminate the law's dominance over your life. Therefore, sin and the law that empowers it no longer has dominion over your life!

In Romans chapter 7, Paul states that the law of God is good. The law hasn't disappeared just because the Christian has died to it. It remains in full authority over the unbeliever and all those who are under the bondage of religion. Freedom from the law and from the dominion of sin does not mean that the Christian never commits sin. It means that a Christian's sin no longer carries condemnation or eternal consequences. Sin no longer has the power to condemn (Romans 8:1-4)--it no longer has the power to project guilt when you know the truth. The only thing God requires from a Christian who has committed sin is acknowledgement. I John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we sin--we confess it immediately to God, get up and keep going as if the sin never happened. This is the good news of the gospel. However, it takes discipline and a commitment to God's ways. The guilt of sin will prevent us from walking in this liberty if we allow it. Ignorance about sin and its guilt is the secret snare of religion and God wants us to avoid this dangerous trap.

If all of that wasn't enough good news, the truth of the believer's freedom from sin is stated even more clearly in Romans 6:14

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."