Set Apart by Christ • Romans 6:5-14
By Don Hicks
One of the most exciting worship songs I know is, Victory in Jesus, written in 1939. It is so exciting to sing with enthusiasm because of its great truth that we have TRUE ETERNAL VICTORY IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD!
Think about these words and their deep meaning and if you are reading this overview in a place where it is possible, sing them out loud in worship of the One who gives us true eternal VICTORY!
I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory,
How he gave his life on Calvary to save a wretch like me:
I heard about his groaning, of his precious blood’s atoning
Then I repented of my sins and won the victory,
I heard about his healing, of his cleansing pow’r revealing,
How he made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see;
And then I cried “dear Jesus, come and heal my broken sprit,”
And some-how Jesus came and bro’t to me the victory.
O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever, He sought me and bo’t me with his redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew him, and all my love is due him,
He plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood.
The words of the hymn say, “Then I repented of my sins and won the victory,” which is an explanation of the truth in Romans 6:6 when the Apostle Paul writes, We know that our old self was crucified with him (Christ) so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless.
If we are really honest, it is very obvious that it is a great victory when sin is rendered powerless. Or as Paul says, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin.
Prior to our emancipation from Satan’s enslavement and sin’s enticement, human beings are all helplessly trapped by sin. (Thank you, Father Adam.) The real victory does come from Jesus and no other way.
Remember John 14:6 (AMP): Jesus said to him, I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Paul lets us know a person who has died (with Christ) is freed from sin (Romans 6:7 CSB).The death with Christ also includes new life in Christ.
Look back a couple of verses: For if we have been united with him (Jesus) in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection (Romans 6:5 CSB).
Some of you studying this lesson have been using what many call the Roman Road to tell family and friends how they too can have Victory in Jesus. Many who have used this method to lead one of their children away from a life of slavery to a life of victory use the last verse of this chapter as the second step on that road: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Roman 6:23 CSB).
A logical first step to Victory in Jesus is Romans 3:23. L. D. Ball, our new pastor, started his new ministry with a presentation of the Gospel at Special Sunday School Assembly quoting: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23 KJV).
I am pretty sure that Dr. Ball did not use references to slavery that morning but in our study today about the enslavement to sin in the non-Christian life, we can find an understanding of this terrible aspect of life without Christ.
I do remember with clarity and great certainty that as an eight-year-old boy, I accepted Christ Jesus as my Savior and Lord that October morning.
The life without Christ is enslaved to sin and not love. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him (Romans 6:8-9 CSB).
So, you too consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11 (CSB).
Let me summarize how to have Victory in Jesus this way: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:9 KJV).
Hicks is missions director for Jasper Association in Bay Springs. He may be contacted at donaldwhicks@gmail.com.
