...we are buried with him by baptism into death:  that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.   — Romans 6:4

Your old nature, your old person, your old being was crucified with Christ on the cross, and he was buried!  Baptism is an outward sign of an inward work of God.  As you were taken under the water in baptism, so was your old man taken under the ground and buried, once and for all.  When you came up out of the baptismal water, it represented a new man arising, a new creature living, a newness of life available.  You no longer have to live subject to sin, to sickness, to worry, to fear, to the devil.  A new life has been made available to you!  It is a life of righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24).  It is a life of being justified before God (Rom. 5:9).  It is a new life of being made the victor rather than the victim, the head rather than the tail, a conqueror rather than a loser.  Get a picture of the old man dead–-the old man gone–-the old man buried, and do not claim and identify with old habits and weaknesses.  You can walk in a newness of life.  He has paid the price and made a way for you!  Bury the old and let the new be raised up in your mind.  Newness of life awaits you!

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.    -- Romans 6:5

Jesus became like you on the cross so you could become like Him in the resurrection.  When He went to the cross He became on that cross sickness, sin, guilty, condemned, shamed–-He became the entire curse.  This was all done to redeem you from the curse or redeem you from who you were (Gal. 3:13).  He went to the cross and by faith took every old man and every old creation to the cross with Him and crucified them!  The old man is dead.  When Jesus was buried, the old man was buried once and for all.  But when He was raised, you were raised.  When He was seated, you were seated in the likeness of Him.  When He defeated hell, you defeated hell, when He rose in glory and honor, you rose in glory and honor!  You have been raised and been made in the likeness of His resurrection.  That means resurrection life is available to you, the newness of a “Christ-life” awaits you!  It is available for you if you “know” the old man is crucified and buried and a new man now lives!  You can live in a new, resurrected lifestyle because of Christ’s work on the cross.  Identify with that!  Associate with that!  Think on that, and watch your life change!

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.   -- Romans 6:11

You are told to reckon, consider, or believe yourself to be dead to sin.  Notice-–not dying to sin, struggling with sin, fighting against sin–-but dead to sin.  I’m going to reckon myself dead to anger, dead to impatience, dead to worry, dead to all sin!  I am not an angry man trying to overcome anger–-the old angry man is dead and gone, crucified and buried with Christ.  I’m going to reckon myself dead to anger.  How am I going to do this?  I’m going to reckon myself alive to God!  Alive to a righteous man; alive to a holy man; alive to living sin-free!  I am dead to sickness and alive to health.  I am dead to lack and alive to abundance.  I am dead to sin and evil and I am alive to goodness and God.  It is up to you!  You can reckon yourself to be dead to and alive to whatever you choose.  Many consider themselves alive to sin, alive to the old man–-“just a sinner saved by grace.”  If you do, you will live like a sinner.  Sin will stay alive in your life.  Reckon yourself alive to your new nature, alive to new resurrection life, alive to a Christ-kind of life.  What you reckon or think on you will become!  Reckon yourself alive to God through Jesus Christ.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

– Hebrews 4:16

You are invited to come into the Holiest of Holies, to the throne of God, at any time, to obtain what you need in the time of need.  Notice the attitude that God desires for you to have when you come-–come boldly, and expect to obtain.  Boldness will only come from an understanding that you and God are on good terms-–that there is nothing between God and you.  Because of the shed Blood you can come to the Father, not with the thought of sin and guilt, but with a sense of belonging in the presence of God.  He has paid for your ability to once again get up close and personal with God!  So come!  And not only come, but come boldly into His presence to obtain in a time of need for you and others.