<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Roman’s 7/4<div><br></div><div><b>4. &nbsp;Likewise, my brethren, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.</b></div><div><br></div><div>Paul uses the analogy of the law as it applies to&nbsp;marriage, in order to give us insight into our true identity as the Bride of Christ, made one with Him.</div><div><br></div><div>By our baptism into Christ we were joined with Jesus in His death to sin on the cross. &nbsp;Our <i>“old self” </i>&nbsp;with its selfish, self-serving&nbsp;passions and desires has been put to death. &nbsp;We have died with Christ to who we once were, spiritually dead sinners under the condemnation of the ‘consequential law’ of God. &nbsp;The <i>“old self” </i>was ruled and controlled by the law of sin and death. &nbsp;We were bound to, married to,&nbsp;and controlled by this carnal nature.</div><div><br></div><div>But, in Christ we have been released, <i>“discharged” </i>from the authority and control of the law of sin and death.</div><div>We,&nbsp;with Christ, have died to sin and death, and now are free to belong to our true Husband, Jesus.</div><div>The Church of Jesus Christ has been married twice.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Our first marriage was&nbsp;to sin, with all its&nbsp;evil desires and death. &nbsp;Through our baptism into Christ, that <i>“old self” </i>(who was devoted to self and sin)&nbsp;died,&nbsp;that marriage to sin ended. &nbsp;By our baptism into Christ, the new man was born anew, regenerated,&nbsp;&nbsp;no longer&nbsp;under the law of sin and death, but set free by Christ’s death and resurrection, to joyfully&nbsp;belong to Him, our Savior, Husband, and Lord.</div><div><br></div><div>To be a Christian is to be ‘remarried.’ &nbsp; &nbsp;Just as earthly marriage is intended by God to be physically fruitful.</div><div>So now our ‘second’ marriage is to be spiritually fruitful. &nbsp;By our new obedience given us in Christ, we the Church are giving ‘birth’ through the preaching of the Word of Life, the Gospel, and the&nbsp;waters of Holy Baptism. &nbsp;Just as a woman’s waters break as she brings forth new physical life, so also the ‘Seed’ of the Gospel with the&nbsp;waters of Holy Baptism, brings forth <i>“born anew” </i>children of God. &nbsp;The Church, you and I, by God’s indwelling presence are made spiritually fruitful.</div><div><br></div><div>Therefore, Evangelism and Catechesis, (both of which are&nbsp;the proclamation of the living Word, the <i>“S</i><i>ower’s Seed”</i>) is the way the Church <i>“bears fruit for God.”</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>Please note: &nbsp;The Church is to make disciples by <u>both</u>&nbsp;baptizing <u>and </u>&nbsp;teaching (the <i>“born anew,” </i>) <i>“</i><i>to&nbsp;obey all whatsoever I command you.” &nbsp;</i>(Matthew 28;18-20). &nbsp;This obedience is accomplished by the <i>“born anew” </i>Believer, by faith which believes he is&nbsp;indwelt by Christ by the Spirit. &nbsp;It is done joyfully by the “<i>born anew”</i>&nbsp;man, not under compulsion or coercion of the old law of sin and death, but willingly, by&nbsp;Christ himself indwelling us. &nbsp;God Himself&nbsp;inspires and empowers this new fruitful life. &nbsp;This is full communion and oneness with God, through Christ, by the Spirit.</div><div><br></div><div>The <i>“born anew” </i>child of God, must daily drown the old Adam, the <i>“old self” </i>in order to <i>“walk in newness of life” &nbsp;</i>as children of God, making disciples and doing good works.<i>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</i>The&nbsp;<i>“old self”</i>&nbsp;is a ‘spiritual zombi,’&nbsp;(he is dead, there is no life in him, but he still serves his master ‘Sin’).&nbsp; He&nbsp;never stops following us, complaining, resisting, and tempting us to “misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice.”&nbsp;(Luther’s Small Catechism, the Lord’s Prayer, Explanation of the Sixth Petition)<i></i></div><div><br></div><div>We have by God’s grace, received the Holy Spirit in baptism, so that, <i>“by the Spirit, we </i>(may)&nbsp;<i>put to death the deeds of the body.” &nbsp;</i>(the <i>“old self”</i>) (Romans 8;13)</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, we praise You for the death to sin and the old self which&nbsp;You have given us in Christ. &nbsp;Bless us to reject and ignore the zombi, the&nbsp;old self, denying him and drowning him by faith in our baptism into Christ, and our rebirth and remarriage to Christ&nbsp;for&nbsp;Your glory.&nbsp;Such living by faith is&nbsp;our participation in&nbsp;the divine nature. In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we, broken-hearted, contrite, forgiven, believing, born anew children of God, are His.”<br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Roman’s 7/4
4.  Likewise, my brethren, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.
Paul uses the analogy of the law as it applies to marriage, in order to give us insight into our true identity as the Bride of Christ, made one with Him.
By our baptism into Christ we were joined with Jesus in His death to sin on the cross.  Our “old self”  with its selfish, self-serving passions and desires has been put to death.  We have died with Christ to who we once were, spiritually dead sinners under the condemnation of the ‘consequential law’ of God.  The “old self” was ruled and controlled by the law of sin and death.  We were bound to, married to, and controlled by this carnal nature.
But, in Christ we have been released, “discharged” from the authority and control of the law of sin and death.We, with Christ, have died to sin and death, and now are free to belong to our true Husband, Jesus.The Church of Jesus Christ has been married twice. 
 Our first marriage was to sin, with all its evil desires and death.  Through our baptism into Christ, that “old self” (who was devoted to self and sin) died, that marriage to sin ended.  By our baptism into Christ, the new man was born anew, regenerated,  no longer under the law of sin and death, but set free by Christ’s death and resurrection, to joyfully belong to Him, our Savior, Husband, and Lord.
To be a Christian is to be ‘remarried.’    Just as earthly marriage is intended by God to be physically fruitful.So now our ‘second’ marriage is to be spiritually fruitful.  By our new obedience given us in Christ, we the Church are giving ‘birth’ through the preaching of the Word of Life, the Gospel, and the waters of Holy Baptism.  Just as a woman’s waters break as she brings forth new physical life, so also the ‘Seed’ of the Gospel with the waters of Holy Baptism, brings forth “born anew” children of God.  The Church, you and I, by God’s indwelling presence are made spiritually fruitful.
Therefore, Evangelism and Catechesis, (both of which are the proclamation of the living Word, the “Sower’s Seed”) is the way the Church “bears fruit for God.”
Please note:  The Church is to make disciples by both baptizing and  teaching (the “born anew,” ) “to obey all whatsoever I command you.”  (Matthew 28;18-20).  This obedience is accomplished by the “born anew” Believer, by faith which believes he is indwelt by Christ by the Spirit.  It is done joyfully by the “born anew” man, not under compulsion or coercion of the old law of sin and death, but willingly, by Christ himself indwelling us.  God Himself inspires and empowers this new fruitful life.  This is full communion and oneness with God, through Christ, by the Spirit.
The “born anew” child of God, must daily drown the old Adam, the “old self” in order to “walk in newness of life”  as children of God, making disciples and doing good works.     The “old self” is a ‘spiritual zombi,’ (he is dead, there is no life in him, but he still serves his master ‘Sin’).  He never stops following us, complaining, resisting, and tempting us to “misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice.” (Luther’s Small Catechism, the Lord’s Prayer, Explanation of the Sixth Petition)
We have by God’s grace, received the Holy Spirit in baptism, so that, “by the Spirit, we (may) put to death the deeds of the body.”  (the “old self”) (Romans 8;13)
Prayer:  Merciful Father, we praise You for the death to sin and the old self which You have given us in Christ.  Bless us to reject and ignore the zombi, the old self, denying him and drowning him by faith in our baptism into Christ, and our rebirth and remarriage to Christ for Your glory. Such living by faith is our participation in the divine nature. In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we, broken-hearted, contrite, forgiven, believing, born anew children of God, are His.”

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