Introduction
Dead – no longer alive. Death a noun of dead. They both mean the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. Bury means to place a dead body in the earth, a grave, or the sea. As beings, in the image of God, we have a spirit, soul and body. The body will cease, and as the custom, will be buried. You must bury the dead!
Main Points: Ephesians 2:1-5
- Our position has changed in Christ: We were alive to sin and dead in Christ. But in Christ our position has changed, our situation has been reversed. God made us alive again because we were 'dead in trespasses and sins'. Why are we dead to sin? The reward of sin is death, for in Romans 6:23 we read: "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord".
- Death is sleep, but sin must be buried: Scriptures teaches that "death" is sleep from which we will awaken. Hallelujah! But do you also know that you can awaken sins that were once dead because you did not bury them? You must bury these sins for our bodies are to be buried in brokenness but raised in glory. They are buried in weakness but raised in strength 1 Corinthians 15:43 . So without this burial, you cannot gain strength and glory.
- Sin separates us from God: Sin is what separates us from God. It's damaging, and for the unredeemed, it is damning Romans 6:23 . So, shall we then continue in sin that grace may abound? Paul replies with a resounding "God forbid" Romans 6:2 .
- Die to the old way of life: To become a Christian means you have to die. Die to what? You have to die to the past. You have to die to the old way of life. This past, this old way of life; must not be in a coma, for it may wake up. It must be dead, and then buried with its full rights. This is why Romans 6:2 says, "… we died to sin, how can we live in it any longer?". Romans 6:6 says, "for we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin".
- Three key events: There are three key events: a) kill; b) death; c) bury. Killing, as we have seen in previous session require fight. You must fight. The next stage is that you must ensure complete death. Cessation can sometimes not mean death, as the situation can be a vegetative state – the state of comatose. It may rear its ugly head again, particular at your weak point. You must bury.
Memory Verse
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry— Colossians 3:5
This is a command: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry". You must kill, ensure death, and then bury.