What is Reasonable?
Dearly beloved, sin and death no longer reign over us! Isaiah 53:12 says, “He was numbered with the transgressors: and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
That’s why in Luke 22:37, he said, “For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in Me, and He was reckoned among the transgressors:’ for the things concerning me have an end (a fulfillment).”
You see beloved, “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5)”.
As he was reckoned with the transgressors, we must now reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God in Christ Jesus! This is the first exhortation God gives to us in the book of Romans.
Knowing that Christ was raised from the dead and he dies no more; death has no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he lives, he lives unto God…LIKEWISE…reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus!
As certainly as he was reckoned with the transgressors, we are to reckon ourselves to have died to sin and to be alive unto God in Christ Jesus.
We are no longer under death’s reign, we received an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness and we will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. Now grace reigns through God’s justness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
So, beloved, how should we now live? Should we continue in sin that grace may abound? Oh God, NO!
We should not let sin reign in our mortal bodies, that we should obey its cravings. We should now present ourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and the particular parts of our bodies as instruments of righteousness unto God.
What is the first body part that comes to mind when you read this? The first body part that God addresses is the mind. What should we do with this instrument?
In our minds, we should reckon or account that we are who we are in Christ Jesus. We should believe who we now are in Christ Jesus and renew our minds to live as dead men raised to life!
We should use our heart, soul, mind, and strength to love God.
We should use our ears to hear the Word of God and the still small voice of the new-birth spirit.
We should use our tongues to speak God’s Word to the end it hits the mark, and so that it ministers deliverance and grace to the hearers. We should speak words that comfort, edify, and exhort others to a more worthy endeavor. We should speak loving words.
We should present ourselves -every part of us- to God as beloved children and serve Him in newness of the spirit to the praise of His glorious grace.
We should present our bodies to God as living sacrifices, holy and well-pleasing to God. It’s only reasonable since He raised us from death to life beloved.