Bible Study 11: His Death and my Death

11.1 Key themes⤒🔗

Every person is united to Adam or to Jesus Christ:
- Unbelievers (and their children) are united to Adam.
- Believers (and their children) are united to Jesus Christ.
Your old self is the person that you were when you were united to Adam:
- Your old self was carrying the guilt of sin.
- Your old self was a slave of sin.
If you are united to Jesus Christ, then your old self has died with him.
You do not have to be afraid of death, because when you die, you will not meet God’s curse and his wrath.
When we die, we will be with God in heaven, until he gives us new bodies and a new world to live in.

11.2 Romans 6:1-11 (NIV)←⤒🔗

^1. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase?

^2. By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

^3.Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

^4. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

^5. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

^6. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin–

^7. because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

^8. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

^9. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

^10. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

^11. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

11.3 United to Adam or to Christ←⤒🔗

When a king makes war, then his whole country makes war. When a king makes peace, his whole country makes peace. A country (or a tribe) is united to its king. Whatever he does, is also done by the people.

The Bible tells us of the two greatest kings who have ever lived. The one is Adam. The other is Jesus Christ.

Adam was the “king” of all people, because he is the father of all people. When he sinned, he brought death to all of us. Just as a king leads his whole country into war, Adam led all people into sin and death.

But God sent another king: his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came to lead us back to life. When we believe in Jesus, then he is our king. Then we are united to him, and not to Adam anymore.

Every person is united to one of these kings. Unbelievers (and their children) are united to Adam. But believers (and their children) are united to Jesus Christ.

11.4 You have died with him←⤒🔗

In our passage from Romans 6, Paul is speaking about people who are united to Jesus Christ. He says that we have died with Jesus. For example, in verse 3 he writes that “all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” And in verse 5, he says that “we have been united with [Jesus] in a death like his.”

When Jesus was hanging on the cross, it was as if you were hanging there with him! On that day, your “old self was crucified with him” (verse 6). Your old self is the person that you were, when you were still united to Adam.

Your old self:

was carrying the guilt of sin.
was a slave of sin.

But your old self died with Jesus. Now you are free from:

the guilt of sin (because your sin has been fully paid for).
the slavery to sin (because now God lives in you through his Spirit).

11.5 Free to live!←⤒🔗

Do you see? The death of Jesus is your death. Your old self is gone! You are free to live for God now (verses 10-11 of our passage). When you fall into sin, you can stand up again. You can tell yourself, “This sin has already been paid for on the cross. I am not a slave to it. Through the grace of God, I can overcome it.”

Remember these things, when you feel guilty about your sin or when you are tempted to sin. Together with Paul, you can say, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, NIV).

11.6 No need to fear death←⤒🔗

Jesus was afraid to die on the cross, because he knew that he would carry God’s curse and wrath. But you do not have to be afraid to die. Through the cross your sins have been forgiven. When you die, you will not meet God’s curse and his wrath.

You may ask, “Then why do I still have to die?” That is an important question. Death is not a good thing. Death came into the world because of sin. God did not create us to die. Death brings pain and sadness, especially for the family and friends who are left behind.

The reason why you still have to die, is because this world is still an old world and your body is still an old body. One day, God will give you a new body and a new world to live in. He will do it on the day when Jesus Christ comes back. On that day God will live with his people. There will be no more sin, death, or suffering (Revelation 21–22).

But until then, all of us must die. We must leave this old world and this old body, to be with God. God wants us to be with him in heaven, until he gives us new bodies and a new world. Heaven is such a good place, that we can even look forward to our death (Philippians 1:23)!

Yes, death is always difficult. It is the last enemy that we must face (1 Corinthians 15:26). But we should not fear this enemy. Jesus Christ has already overcome death. And he has given us this promise: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25-26).