An Overview Of Dead In Sin vs Dead To Sin
The expressions dead in sin in Ephesians 2:1 and Colossians 2:13 and dead to sin in Romans 6:11 are relevant in the Bible. What do they mean and what are their differences? This article defines and explains the meaning of both of them.
What Does Dead In Sin Mean?
When people hear the expression “dead in sin” , they would begin to imagine physical death but it is not physical death. To be dead in sin means to be under the power of sin. It means that sin in control of or have dominion over you. So, being dead in sin does not mean that you’re not physically alive. Billions of people today on earth are physically alive yet dead in sin.
The Consequence Of Being Dead In Sin
Being dead in sin is neither a joking matter nor a funny situation. All humans must endeavour to find out the way of escape. When you are dead in sin, you remain separated from God. This makes Satan, the devil, your spiritual father. Satan is a cruel and unrepentant enemy of God and humanity. Sin itself is destructive both to the sinner himself and to the society, at large.
What Does Dead To Sin Mean?
Apart from being dead in sin, have you ever heard of being dead to sin also? I think you have. Having explained the first expression, it is necessary to explain this second one, too. Thus, to be dead to sin simply means to be free from the power of sin. It means freedom from the control or dominion of sin.
The Benefits Of Being Dead To Sin
Being dead to sin should be your ultimate goal as a human. This is because, when you become dead to sin, you get reconnected to God and Satan will lose his fatherhood over you. You will become God’s own special possession, the apple of his eye. Additionally, you will escape the destructive power of sin.
How Does Someone Become Dead In Sin?
As a human being, because you descended from Adam, there is nothing you have to do to become dead in sin. When Adam, the first man, disobeyed God, in the Garden of Eden, from the time of the creation, he became dead in sin. Consequently, all his descendants, the rest of humanity, inherited this his status. I have to explain this because some people may think that you have to steal, kill or commit any other sin before you can be described as dead in sin.
How Does Someone Become Dead To Sin?
Becoming dead to sin should be the top priority of every human being as no one is exempt from this problem of being dead sin. However, what I want you to know is that there is nothing you can do by your power to become dead to sin. You only need to surrender your entire life to Jesus Christ because he is the only one empowered by God to set all humanity free from sin.
The Bible made it clear that sin entered the world through the first Adam and that righteousness will also enter the world only through Jesus Christ who is the second Adam. If you argue about this, you will remain dead in sin.
The Difference Between Dead In Sin And Dead To Sin Summarized
Having seen all the above, I want to just give you the summary of the difference between the expressions dead in sin and dead to sin.
On the one hand, to be dead in sin means that sin is dominating you and so you are a slave to sin. This makes you an enemy of God and a child of the Devil. You don’t need to do anything wrong to become dead in sin because, as a human being, you are automatically and naturally so as a result of Adam’s disobedience.
On the other hand, being dead to sin means that you are not under the power of sin. This makes you a friend and child of God. You cannot deliver yourself. Only Jesus Christ can free you from the dominion of sin.
Jesus Christ is waiting to deliver you from your deadness in sin to make you dead to sin. Just believe in him and he will do it.
ADDITIONAL READING
To Deliver Or Hand Somebody Over To Satan Explained?
Should Christian Believers Go To Court Of Law Or File Lawsuits?
