A phrase that is often heard in many Christian circles today is ‘we must die to ourselves.’ Have you heard that before? The saying itself is quite correct and it is quoted from the Bible. However what I have been noticing in many places is a failure to understand what this phrase actually means.
So today we will be asking the titular question of today’s message, and exploring what it really means to ‘die to self’.
We will be taking a look at a block of scripture which is often quoted to bring people under condemnation, and if you have heard some of these common arguments before, then you have a special reason to be joyful today because you are going to be set free from that bondage today!
Now let us read Romans 6:9-17:
“Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death has no more dominion over him.
For in that he died, he died to sin once: but in that he lives, he lives to God.
Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Neither yield you your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin: but yield yourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
For sin will not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace.
What then? will we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?
But God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”
The common misunderstanding which errs into bondage from this comes mainly from verse sixteen, so let’s take a moment to look at this one verse under a microscope for a minute:
“Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?”
On the surface here, it seems as though Paul is once again arguing for righteousness based on our own works and merits doesn’t it? Yet this is not the case at all. This is actually an example of how our English translation of the scriptures does not really do the original language justice. You see my friends, the word “sin” in this verse is not a verb! But it is in-fact a noun! So you can see that knowing this small little detail changes the entire meaning of the verse.
And verse seventeen right after it goes on to further illuminate what Paul is actually talking about: Doctrine.
We were all once in captivity of sin (the noun), because of the original fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Because of that original fall, we were all enslaved by sin, in that no-matter what good deeds we did nor how hard we tried, we were always sinners; not because we sin but because of our fallen nature.
But now, because of the perfect righteousness and obedience of Jesus Christ alone, and His sacrifice in our place (as us) on the cross, we are no longer enslaved by sin, for our old selves have died with Christ on that cross. We have received a new nature! So what Paul is saying is that for those who believe that we must earn our salvation by our own merits are “serving sin” and it leads to death. But for those who reckon themselves dead to sin and alive in Christ are simply through faith “serving righteousness”.
When we “die to self” we are dying to our old nature. Sin has no more power or affect in our lives. This does not mean that old thoughts, emotions or desires do not come. Of course they will come because we still have an enemy trying to bring us down. But praise be to Christ Jesus that the enemy has been brought down and is no longer what he used to be!
Through the power of the finished work of Christ, today we can truly consider ourselves dead to sin, because we died on that cross along with Jesus. When the enemy tries to put a negative, sinful thought in your mind, you can simply realize the truth… that the thought is not yours, but his (the devil’s) and then just shrug it off as simply as someone else using a dirty word in earshot of you. It is not yours, so pay it no mind and do not worry about it or feel guilty because there is no need.
Dying to self, dying to sin means that you no longer feel the guilt, shame or condemnation or burden of any part of your old sinful nature. Instead you live now in your new nature of Christ Jesus. He died as you on that cross, so that today you can live as His resurrected and glorified self.
Do not hate your body, for it is now the temple of the Holy Spirit. Love your new nature in Christ, exist in it every day, and recognize that your old nature is forever dead and buried to the glory of God. Today you are truly alive in Christ.