I Reckon . . .

I'm sure we are all familiar with Romans 6:11, but this week as I heard a sermon about it and did my own study of the verse, it hit me in a new way.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, 

but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

If I was to write my own translation of this verse, with my limited knowledge of Greek, it would be . . .

In this same way, you also believe/know yourselves to be truly dead to sin, 

but alive unto God EN Jesus Christ our Lord.

You have probably heard that the word "reckon" is an accounting term, and it certainly appears to be. It means to "impute, number, put to his account, to count". . . . . but I also noticed something very cool about this word. I'm not sure that it applies to very many uses of the word, but certainly to this verse . . . . The word reckon is synonymous with the word ginosko! I don't know if that means anything to you, but when you understand what ginosko means, it sheds a whole new light on this verse. 


Ginosko is a very special word for "to know". This word is talking about intimacy and oneness, and it's progressive - it is a knowledge that grows. I am to believe and to know, in this intimate way, that I am dead to sin and alive to God. Wow! 


The antonym for reckon includes "not to know, ignore". I have certainly been guilty of that! Of sort of ignoring this verse. Yeah I knew it was there, but I didn't understand that I was to know it by faith! By His grace, no longer will this truth be ignored . . . but instead ginosko-ed!


PS ~ Could it be true that those who do not follow the command of this verse will end up living a "Romans 7" life? hmmm . . . .