Many believers know and understand their salvation and, more specifically, the forgiveness that the Lord provided through Christ's crucifixion on the cross. Yet many believers experience continual defeat and powerlessness in combating the power of sin. Are we as believers powerless in regards to sin's power? Read what God says through Paul about the effect of the cross on sin's power. "Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin." (Romans 6:6,7) "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:14)

These verses teach us that the elimination of the old man at the Cross results in freedom from sin, not freedom of sin. Why is it important to understand the difference between freedom from sin and freedom of sin? Freedom of sin would mean sinless perfection during this human life which is impossible. Freedom from sin would mean freedom from sin's power over us. Oswald Chambers described these truths this way, "I John 3:9 ("No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.") does not mean that we cannot sin; it means that if we obey the life of God in us, we need not sin." The sin in us, even after we become Christians, is not able to overcome the Spirit in us if we submit to the Spirit's control. Believers having died to the control of sin are similar to a slave gaining freedom from the slave owner. The slave owner doesn't necessarily die but his control is nullified. The slave has freedom to choose not to obey the slave owner. While believers are free from sin's control, sin still dwells in them as Paul indicates in Romans 7:17 "So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me." As sinners (before Christ is in us) we were under the bondage or control of sin (see illustration #1). The cross of Christ severed this bondage to sin's control (see illustration #2). As saints (after Christ is in us) we may still sin, but we now have a choice. The Son has set us free to say no to sin by His power. Christ's life within gives the believer freedom from the power of sin.

Let's return to the last phrase in Romans 6:6-7, "For he who has died has been freed from sin." Emphasizing only the death side of the cross leads us to know forgiveness but no power. It is the resurrection side of the cross that provides the victory over sin and freedom from the bondage to sin's power (Romans 5:10). Paul expresses this new life (that is empowered by the life of Christ) in us as resurrection life, available to us right now. Paul goes on to say that the believer becomes a slave of something very different -- a slave to righteousness, Romans 6:8 (see illustration #3). You see this new indwelling life of Christ is motivated to righteousness. Imagine what it would be like to be a slave to righteousness! Remember how easy it was to live in bondage to sin? Could it be as easy to be in bondage to righteousness?

If it were not true that we are freed from the bondage to sin, we would be left to try to defeat sin on our own. Unfortunately this describes what many believers believe about over-coming sin. The problem is that left to ourselves we can never overcome sin and free ourselves from it's bondage. Only Christ can overcome sin. Christ overcame sin and put His life in His children so that they can overcome sin through His provision of new life. How does His resurrection life impact the believer? This question brings us to the next aspect of the exchanged life. Through the exchange the believer now has resurrection life available to them.

Perhaps the clearest verse that speaks to the believer's new resurrection life is Romans 6:4 "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Thankfully God did not bury us with Christ and leave us there! Part of the believers identity with Christ is to understand that not only have we been buried with Christ, we have also been resurrected with Him!

Paul wants us to know that on the cross we exchanged the old life for a new life. The old life (the old man) was crucified with Christ, and when He died the old man (Adamic, sinner spirit) died. Fortunately Paul did not stop there as some Bible teachers do today! When Christ was raised, so were we! This means we are now able to walk in a new kind of life. We now bear the likeness of His resurrection life. Read how Paul describes this similarity in Romans 6:5 "For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection." This is most beautifully illustrated in the emersion of believers into the baptismal waters and then raising them back up. Baptism represents our death, burial and resurrection with Christ. Remember it is not the baptismal water that removes sins, but the blood of Jesus washed away our sins. Baptism represents the removal of Adam's lineage in exchange for Christ's lineage.

The result is that we have not only what is often called positional righteousness but also His righteousness expressed in a changed life. In other words, the exchange of life source (Adam for Christ) in the believer results in a changed life. This changed life is a life which is increasingly victorious over sin (sanctification). It has been called Christ living in us as us.

If it were not true that we have resurrection life (Christ's life) within, we would be no better off than a pagan trying hard to become pleasing to their idol. There would be no new life within the believer or no power to resist sin. Ultimately believers would have no hope. Some say that life will come in the future when one dies. There is no indication that resurrection life is only for the "sweet by and by." Resurrection life is available to the believers the moment that God touches their lives and saves them. This resurrection life is Christ's righteousness in us which brings us to the next aspect of the exchanged life.