Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Romans 6:13 ... yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
"as those that are alive from the dead" ... Think of how it feels to be no longer with the dead ... How grateful you would be ... This is how we feel toward God when HE has revealed Himself to us and caused us to be born again ... we are no longer a part of those dead people of this world ... now we are alive! Gratitude to God ...
Recently at beauty shop, my operator began her normal questions ... "did you do anything interesting over the holidays" ... I replied, "Just the same things I always do." Sounds boring and lifeless to active, worldly people. But what they do not realize is while I am dead to the world, I am alive to God in ways they could not possibly imagine. Even the day she asked this question, I had been renewed by reading Bible ... shown things by God from Bible ... edited some former writings and while not changing what was previous written, I had several things to add to the examples previously given ... alive in Christ though dead to the world and my life is hidden from the people who ask me what I've been doing!
Col. 3 ... 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Gal. 2 ... 20 I am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Romans 6 ... 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore 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.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once:but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
When I was baptized the second time, the minister lowered me into the water and the Holy Spirit spoke the following thought to me: "This is like being buried with Christ."
That is exactly what it represents. I was dead and being buried in that water ... symbolic of being dead with Christ, buried with Christ ... no longer alive to this world and fleshly sins ... crucified with HIM ... No longer allowing sin to reign in me ...
When I came out of the water, the Holy Spirit said: "This is like being raised with Christ."
I no longer have to allow sin to rule over my flesh. Now there is another way. I do not have to allow my flesh to do what it wants to do. I do not have to allow my tongue to speak as it wants to speak. Being raised with Christ gives me a power to serve God rather than to serve my flesh as I once did.
People alive from the dead are very grateful to God who raised them from the dead.