Putting Sin to Death

We were having a discussion in our Tuesday morning men's Bible discussion meeting on Romans 6. One of the guys asked about the concept of putting to death the old man (that part of us that is controlled by sin).

In Romans 6 it talks about that old self being crucified with Christ. But it is hard to imagine us up on the cross when in reality we still walk around on the earth.

So then I was in Leviticus 3:2 today and thought of a good way to picture it. In the days of animal sacrifices (before Jesus became the only and only true sacrifice for sin) people would bring a goat or a bull or whatever to the Tent of Meeting.

They would then lay their hands on the head of the animal. This was a picture of transferring their sin onto the animal. Then the priest would take the animal from their hands and slit its throat. As it bled and died, so too did their sin get washed away (on credit, mind you, until Jesus came).

Romans tells us that we no longer have to sin because the power that sin had over us has been destroyed on the cross. To help us picture that process, think about your sin nature as a goat. You place your hands on it, it is you in your former self. Then that goat dies and along with it is your desire to sin.

In Jesus you don't have to do things that are outside of God's character any more. You are free now to become a slave of right things. You can do anything you want, but you only want to do those things that please God.

The next time you are tempted to sin, think of your hands on that goat and the goat dieing right in front of you. That idea of sinning can't move now. It's dead.

Then lift your eyes to the risen Savior Jesus and listen instead to his call to serve in newness of life!

Pastor Tom