I was up early after being pounced on by a five year old (literally awakened by a 50# sack of inhibition saying “daddy get up”). I might not have appreciated it at the time but I know I will look back 15vyears from now and wish I could re-live it over and over. With that being said I arose and prepared the morning cereal and sat down for a morning snuggle. We turned on some cartoons and one of the characters had a quote “I have two words for you, Nach O’s.” Ok, so it wasn’t actually two words but it has been stuck in my head ever since. I have been in Romans again.

Romans 6:6-9 NLT

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.

He died ONCE for sin. We died with him we arose and were set free from the earthly hold of sin. He did it! I have walked 99% of my life living under the paradigm of living under the weight of bwing a sinner and because of this the guilt, condemnation, and performance based Christianity I have lived under has been well… awful. In the past 6 months God has changed my perspective towards the sin nature. This brings me back to my Nacho’s.

Picture a party scene, the host has put out a platter of nachos, they are there for all. They were freely put out and were assumed to be there for all the attendees. To eat those nachos do you have to;

1. Pay for them?
2. Do a stupid human trick to gain access?
3. Bribe the guy watching the food table? 4. Beg?
5. Put on sack cloth and cover yourself with ashes?
6. Go mission impossible, drop from the ceiling via zip line snd stealthy grab them?
7. Dress in your Sunday best and look marvelous?
8. Have the high score on Pac Man or Halo?

The answer is none of the above. The nachos are yours freely, they came with the invitation.

Drop dead to your own efforts.  God is not sitting in a  revolving chair. He does not turn his back and pull the nacho tray if I/you sin. He already died for my/your sin past, present, and future.  He no longer sees it (past, present, and future). We don’t have to grovel and reach if we make a mistake. He is not sitting in a chair looking at us continually,  he is permanently set in us. Whether I fall on my face or am sprinting forward he is in me and likes it there regardless of me.

Confession of sin is not your telling God about your sin it’s teling sin about your God. Sin lost its authority to  run my life. It’s a done deal.

Romans 6:6 TMT

We perceive that our old lifestyle was co-crucified together with him; this concludes that the vehicle that accommodated sin is in us, was scrapped and rendered entirely useless. Our slavery to sin has come to an end.

Romans 6:9 TMT

It is plain to see that death lost its dominion over Christ in his resurrection; he need not ever die again to prove a further point.

How many sins have you commited? How many have you confessed? I’m looking for a number. Do the numbers match?

Guess what God died once and took care of your sin one time. He doesn’t have to die again and again. Your sin was taken care of past, present, and future all at the same time. He does not pull the nachos if you mess up. Grace covers you eternally.

Paul’s message throughout the NT was of extravagant love because he was extravagantly transformed, his identity was not of this world he saw the eternal here on earth. He was able to withstand life long persecution because he saw the other side here and now.