‘Dead in Sin’ or ‘Dead to Sin’?

(Offerings in Righteousness part 2):

‘Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years’ Malachi 3:3-4.

I was about to send out the message I had prepared for this week, when I felt the need to share something different as we pursue this theme of bringing God offerings in righteousness. I will post the other message next week. But I believe some people on this list need to hear what follows.

There is no way a man who is not born of God can bring an offering in righteousness to God. It is just not possible. You might well expect a dead man to rise up and run in the Olympics than for an unregenerated man to walk in God’s righteousness.

The bible describes a man outside of Christ as ‘dead in sin’. He is dead spiritually because he is cut off from the life of God – this life of God that brings righteousness. And because of this deadness he lives on in sin, powerless against it and many times unconscious of his depravity.

I believe that one of the reasons why so many of those in our churches are unable to walk right is that they are like the king Agrippa. Agrippa said to Paul that he was “almost persuaded” to be a Christian (Acts 26:28) yet he never became one. In the same way, we have many who are persuaded and almost Christians but who are not yet born again. They might have responded to an altar call but they have never given their heart completely to the Lord. So they remain ‘dead in sin’.

Just because you are an active members of a vibrant bible-believing church, read your bible and pray, love attending Christian programs or even hold position in your church does not mean you are born again.

Being ‘born-again’ cannot happen until a man comes to the end of himself. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The invitation is only for those who have come to the end of themselves. It requires you coming to the place where you are tired of going in sin and you want to be changed.

Jesus has done everything we need to be born again. He died to pay for our sins. And through his death and resurrection, we can be reconnected to the life of God so that we are no longer dead, but alive to God. But we must respond to what Christ has done by repenting and accepting what he has done. We cannot change ourselves but God wants us to want to be changed. And to accept what Christ has done by simply asking him to come and become the Lord of our lives.

Like I said earlier the bible describes a man that is not born again as ‘dead in sin’. But it describes those who are born again as ‘dead to sin’. So beloved, which are you ‘dead in sin’ or ‘dead to sin’? If the former describes your state, I invite you to pray with me now with all your heart:

‘Lord, I am tired of my sins. I don’t want to continue living in sin. I want you to give me a new life. I am tired of playing Church. I am sorry for my sins. Lord, I thank you that you died for me. Please forgive me.  Come into my life and change me. I ask this in Jesus’ Name.’

If you have prayed this prayer with all your heart then God has answered you. And your new life has begun. I would like to send you some free materials to help you in this new life. Please send me an email immediately if you prayed this prayer.

Next week we will continue on this theme as we explore what it means to be dead to sin.