Stepping into the Reality of Christ: A Comprehensive and Exhaustive Treatise on Knowing, Reckoning, Yielding, and Walking in Newness of Life

Introduction: The Struggle Between Knowing and Experiencing

Many believers struggle with a significant gap in their Christian walk:

• They know that they have died with Christ and been raised with Him (Romans 6:3-5).

• They know that Christ is their life (Colossians 3:4).

• They know that sin no longer has dominion over them (Romans 6:14).

Yet, despite this knowledge, they often do not experience the fullness of these truths. Instead of joy, peace, and victory, they encounter frustration, self-effort, and inconsistency.

Some respond by trying harder—forcing themselves to live righteously through sheer willpower. Others respond by waiting for God to change them, believing that if they just pray enough, the experience will one day "click."

Neither approach is the biblical pattern of sanctification.

This treatise will explore Romans 6:1-14 and clarify the biblical framework of:

1. Knowing the truth

2. Reckoning it as reality

3. Yielding to the Spirit

4. Walking in newness of life

This study will also address the critical difference between faith as a trusting response and faith as a transaction—ensuring that we avoid the pitfall of thinking that our actions somehow activate Christ’s life, rather than simply participating in what is already true.

1. Romans 6:1-14 – The Four Commands for Walking in Newness of Life

Romans 6 is the clearest passage on how the believer is to walk in the reality of their union with Christ. In this passage, Paul gives four key instructions:

1. KNOW (γινώσκω / οἶδα – Ginosko / Oida)

Romans 6:3 – "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?"
Romans 6:6 – "We know that our old self was crucified with him..."
Romans 6:9 – "We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again..."

🔹 Greek Meaning: "To perceive, to recognize, to grasp as reality."
🔹 Theological Meaning: Our old self was crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6). This is an accomplished fact—not something to strive for, but something to recognize as already true.

🔹 Common Misconception: Many believers think they need to work toward dying to self. However, Paul is clear—this has already happened. The old self is not in the process of dying—it is already dead.

🔹 Real-Life Example: Imagine inheriting a bank account with unlimited funds. If you do not know the account exists, you will continue to live in poverty. The inheritance is real, but without knowledge of it, you won’t benefit from it. The first step in walking in newness of life is recognizing what is already true.

2. RECKON (λογίζομαι – Logizomai)

Romans 6:11 – "So you also must reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

🔹 Greek Meaning: Logizomai is an accounting term meaning "to count as true, to credit as a fact."
🔹 Theological Meaning: Reckoning does not make something true—it acknowledges what is already true.

🔹 Common Misconception:

• Many believers assume that reckoning is something we do to create spiritual reality, as if we need to "believe hard enough" for something to happen.

• But Paul’s use of logizomai shows that reckoning is not an attempt to change reality—it is aligning with the reality God has already declared.

🔹 Real-Life Example: Imagine looking at your bank statement and seeing $1 million credited to your account. Reckoning means you believe the statement is true and live accordingly. You don’t have to "try harder" to make the money real—it’s already there. You simply acknowledge it and start using it.

3. YIELD (παραστήσατε – Paristēmi)

Romans 6:13 – "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life..."

🔹 Greek Meaning: "To place beside, to put at someone’s disposal, to present."
🔹 Theological Meaning: Yielding is not self-improvement—it is surrendering to what is already true.

🔹 Common Misconception:

• Many believe yielding means "trying harder to be holy."

• Instead, yielding means stepping out of self-effort and allowing the Holy Spirit to manifest Christ’s life through us.

🔹 Real-Life Example: A glove does not need to "try harder" to function. It simply yields to the hand that fills it. Likewise, we do not need to strive to produce holiness—we yield to Christ’s life within us.

4. WALK (περιπατέω – Peripateó)

Romans 6:4 – "Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

🔹 Greek Meaning: "To conduct one’s life, to live out."
🔹 Theological Meaning: Walking in newness of life is not the goal of the Christian life—it is the natural byproduct of knowing, reckoning, and yielding.

🔹 Common Misconception:

• Many think walking in newness of life means "trying to live righteously."

• Instead, it means resting in Christ’s finished work and allowing His life to be expressed through us.

🔹 Real-Life Example: A branch does not struggle to bear fruit. It simply abides in the vine, and fruit grows naturally (John 15:5). Walking in newness of life is not a burden—it is the effortless expression of Christ’s life within us.

The Light Switch: A Perfect Analogy for Walking in the Spirit

🔹 Analogy: The Light Switch

• The electricity is already flowing.

• The power is fully present.

• Flipping the switch does not create power—it simply allows you to experience the light.

So, when we yield and trust the Spirit, it is not an if/then transaction—it is stepping into what is already ours.

Final Summary: How to Walk in Newness of Life

To tie everything together, here is the biblical pattern:

1. KNOW what is already true (Romans 6:3-9).

   • Your old self is already dead.

   • You are already alive to God in Christ.

2. RECKON it as true (Romans 6:11).

   • Reckoning does not create reality—it affirms reality.

   • This is not mental gymnastics but trust in God’s declaration.

3. YIELD to Christ’s life (Romans 6:13).

   • Yielding is not effort—it is surrendering control.

   • We do not generate Christ’s life—we let Him live through us.

4. WALK in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

   • Walking does not earn or unlock anything.

   • It is the natural result of trusting in what is already true.

Thus, stepping forward is not a means of making it real—it is the way we participate in what is already real.

Faith is not a work—it is resting in what is already true.