Dead in or to sin a choice??

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life... For he that is dead is freed from sin. (Romans 6)

Here Sin is personified as a slavemaster. This picture is clearly shown in the Exodus from Egypt. We are dead to the Sin because we have been baptized into Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. We share in His death.

... for in that he died, to [u]the sin[/u] he died once, and in that he liveth, he liveth to God; (YLT)

Notice how Young uses the definite article [u]the[/u] sin. This is Sin the dynamic. This is the Sin that 'entered' the human race through Adam. This is what makes men by 'nature' the children of wrath. This is why men must be born again of the Spirit.

Our choice is the 'reckoning' part.

...Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (v11)

It is through Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection that we are dead to Sin and alive unto God. At death all contracts are off. Slaves are free from their master's. When then do men need to 'reckon'? Because opressors never willingly relieve those they opress. Those that are IN CHRIST have the right to reckon themselves dead to Sin. Slavemester's in the Mid 1800's surely did not go to the fields once the Emancipation Proclimation was signed and declare liberty to their captives? Satan does not do it either. He will lie and confuse and trouble their former captives into serving him still. This is why Paul has to remind the people RECKON yourself free. They needed to see it- You are FREE! But this is only true to those that are truly in christ. One cannot reckon what they have not received.

Brother Robert wrote:

Here Sin is personified as a slavemaster.

This is Sin the dynamic. This is the Sin that 'entered' the human race through Adam. This is what makes men by 'nature' the children of wrath. This is why men must be born again of the Spirit.

This precept, I believe, is further understood in Genesis 4:

Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Look to the personification (I'm not sure that is the right term) of sin in verse 7. Look to the qualities given to "sin." "Sin lieth at the door," and sin is given the attributes of "his desire" and finally Cain is expected by God to "rule over him."

Likewise in the Scripture you posted, sin is a slavemaster. We also find this precept defined by man's relationship to sin...

Rom 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

In this Scripture Paul defines two paths which we have may travel as believers. Paul defines the believer as a "slave." We as slaves either "obey" sin or "righteousness."

One path leads to spiritual death the other path leads to "righteousness."

Now in Scripture Paul teaches that there is freedom from bondage to sin and to reckon that we are enabled to overcome the bondage of sin...this reminds me of this picture found in the OT...

Zec 3:1 ¶ And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

Zec 3:2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: [is] not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

Here we see a ceremony for the high priest Josuha. We see here that the Angel of the Lord plucks from the fire, Joshua. Joshua is given freedom from his former slavemaster Satan...then...

Zec 3:7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

The teaching in Zechariah is a mirror to what Paul teaches in Romans 6. He like Zechariah teaches that the door is opened by Christ to experience freedom from our former slavemaster Satan. Paul like Zechariah also teaches that there is a condition of "do you not know to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey" and in Zechariah "if thou wilt."

What do you see in the choices given to us according to the spiritual world?

In Christ
jeff

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In Christ
jeff