Alive in Christ

-

 


Scripture: Romans 6:8-11 (ESV)

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Devotion:

            In today’s scripture we find Paul writing about dying with Christ that we may live in him. At first this is hard to grasp with our minds. But we must wrestle with this saying until we get the idea that we cannot truly live for Christ unless we have first died to our old self.

            This is what Christ talked to Nicodemus about in John chapter 3. One cannot be born again unless one dies to one’s self first. Each of us has a sin nature that must be put to death in order to really follow after Jesus. We can look at Jesus’ death and resurrection as a picture of what must happen to us as believers. In order to be truly alive in Christ we must have died to sin.

            We must follow Jesus in our lives. Jesus became sin for us on the cross and so died to sin on the cross and is no longer bound by death. Jesus is alive to God forever because he defeated death. We as Christians must live according to this new reality. The Lord will give us the strength to act in this way through the power of the Holy Spirit.

            Death our final enemy is a defeated foe. Just as Jesus died and now lives forever, so we too can live forever in Christ. The power to do this is freely available in the Holy Spirit. All we need do is count it as our own. For us to die is gain and to live is Christ. We need only have faith in Jesus, and we can live forever with him.

Prayer:

            God help us to understand the mystery of life in Christ that we may live in him. Help us die to sin and self each day. Teach us to live as those who are alive in Christ becoming an example to our watching world of your power. Lord we pray that you will bring peace to our longing hearts. May we no longer be anxious or afraid knowing that not even death will be able to gain victory in our lives. Help us to realize that we are secure in you. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapt...
Read more

The Hatred of the World

-
Scripture: John 15:18-20 (ESV) 18  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. Devotion:             This scripture is compelling. It explains what happened to Jesus and His disciples some 2,000 years ago. The message of God is rarely welcome news for the world. It calls out many of the culture's favorite practices for what they are: sin. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, humankind has been adamant about trying to hide or excuse their sin. Sin causes a barrier between humans and God that humanity cannot overcom...
Read more

Reflecting on Reformation Day

-
  On October 31st, millions of Christians around the world celebrate Reformation Day, a commemoration of a pivotal moment in church history. It marks the day in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German monk and scholar, nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This act, challenging the practices and doctrines of the Catholic Church, ignited what we now know as the Protestant Reformation. The Courage to Stand for Truth Reformation Day calls us to reflect on the courage it takes to stand for truth. Martin Luther faced immense opposition and risked his life to speak against the corruption and abuses he saw within the church. His conviction was rooted in a deep understanding of scripture and a sincere desire to return to the teachings of Christ. As we remember Luther's bravery, let us examine our own lives. Are we willing to stand firm in our beliefs, even when it is difficult? Do we seek truth in God's word and let it guide our actions? Script...
Read more