“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Question: How do you experience that?

Context

Verse 11 is the answer to the question in verse 1, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” That is not a silly question that Paul raises, it’s similar to the childhood view us Protestant kids had of Catholic confession and absolution, that Catholics were free to sin and then have whatever they did forgiven at their next confession; later in life we found that forgiveness applied to us Protestants too, but we were still not free to sin as we liked.

Dead to sin

In verses 2 to 10, Paul explains that our being united with Christ in baptism means entering into his death and burial, and by that death we are freed from slavery to sin.

Alive to God

And through this unity with Jesus’ death, we shall also be united with him through his resurrection, to live with Him, to walk in the same newness of life that Jesus lives to God.
But verse 5 adds the condition, “if we have been united in … His death”. So, if our heart is still given to sin, we are not united with Jesus, neither in his death to sin, nor his resurrection to life.

Reckon Yourselves

Each day I am reminded of how my old sinful self is still active, that sin remains, not just in what I do or neglect to do, but in times of bad attitude, of wanting to go my own way, so I do not see myself as being dead to sin. In fact, the longer the journey with Jesus, the more I am shown the extent of my sin.
But the term “reckon yourselves” refers to the direction we set for our lives, what we focus on, not on our failures, and that focus is known only by God who sees our hearts.

Personal Experience

When we live by faith in Jesus and place our trust in Him, we find His Spirit lives within us and does things we cannot:

• We are given a revulsion to our old sinful selves, and our present failures;
• Instead, we are given an earnest desire to do God’s will, to follow in the wonderful path He has prepared for us;
• And with that desire comes the assurance of His forgiveness for sin through Jesus. He raises us when we fall, not to sin, but to resume our walk in His path. Those who reject His gift in Jesus feel the weight of needing to excuse and justify their failures, and they are thereby trapped in bad attitudes and behaviours;
• As we follow His will, life may still be hard, but He saves us from many of the physical hardships that come from sin;
• With faith comes the wonderful hope that nothing can separate us from Jesus, we will be united with him forever, and that brings a true contentment that nothing of this world can take away;
• We are given new sight to see the glittering attractions of this world as baggage that would only weigh us down. Part of life’s journey is getting rid of superfluous baggage, of the mind and body, including unnecessary knowledge and activities that distract us from the real life Jesus offers;
• And we are given sight to see that the skills, opportunities, blessings, and responsibilities in life that God gives, are all for his good purpose, they are temporary gifts that will not last. While we take pleasure in the encouragement and joy they give, we need to give God the glory, to thank and worship Him only, and to avoid the temptation to make idols of the many blessings He gives.

Praise God for His wonderful grace in Jesus.