On January 30, 2022, Kitwe Gratia Church held Sunday service with 17 attendants including two newcomers namely Emmanuel and Davies. The message was shared by Matthews from the book of Romans 6:1-14 about sanctification
Paul is starting by asking a question that he assumes that Jews would ask him. Romans five is talking about the grace of God, how we have been forgiven freely, the debt is fully covered. So he is thinking that if someone hears about grace, they will have this question. Shall we just continue sinning? Shall we continue going on sinning so that grace may increase?
And so Paul answers that question very clearly. He says, By no means, we died to sin. How can we live in it any longer? We are the ones who have been justified, we are the ones who have a different identity. How is it possible that we continue sinning? Paul wants to emphasize that we are not like we were before. Our life is very different. There is a uniqueness to us now because we have become children of God.
So he wants to say that we who have been saved, we have been justified, our identity has changed. We are now in the ground of Jesus, where we’ve been engrafted in the family tree of Christ, how can we go on sinning? He’s saying it’s impossible. It’s impossible, very unthinkable, that you go on sinning knowing that we are the ones that have been justified.
Sometimes, many times we don’t realize our position. We are in a new world with Jesus Christ, John 17:16, they are not of this world anymore. Now you’re in the world of grace, you’re in the world of Christ. It’s a different life, a different world. So Paul answers by saying, by no means!! We die to sin. He’s saying we are dead to sin. Paul emphasizes this many times in chapter six by saying we are dead to sin, we have died to sin. Sin is dead, we’re away from it.
Lastly, after the message, the members prayed together to ask God to help them to continue living a Holy life as they are going through the process of sanctification.
(Written By Matthews)