June 4th
“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” Romans 6:11-13 NKJV
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11 NKJV
These verses capture a glimpse of the picture that Romans 6,7,8 paint for us of our new life in Jesus Christ. Being “alive to God” involves reckoning ourselves with the risen Jesus. By doing so, we consider ourselves to be dead to sin, i.e. that we no longer respond to and follow its impulses. We have dominion over sin and have power to refuse to give it any place in our lives. We also have power to present ourselves as instruments of righteousness to God and refuse to allow our bodies to be used for sin. This power comes from the Holy Spirit, who actually lives in us and gives life to our mortal bodies.
These are amazing and life-changing truths, yet many people seem to fall short of living in the reality of these promises. If you are struggling to live that new life Paul mentioned in Romans 8:11 above, I encourage you to read Romans chapters 6,7,8 thoroughly. As you begin to do this, ask God to open your mind and heart to the truth that will set you free. The Holy Spirit will give you new life and new ability to live in righteousness, free from any slavery to sin.
As we break free from sin’s grip, we’ll want to continue to cultivate and grow our relationship with God. Doing so will help us reach the full potential of the person God created us to be. The Bible is God’s textbook for life. It contains words of life and counsel that will help us to grow spiritually and walk in wisdom. For example, the epistles (or letters) of the New Testament give valuable and practical instructions on how to live by the Spirit of God. They reveal the nature of the Holy Spirit and the guidelines for living in power and victory over sin.
Questions for further thought:
What does it mean to be alive to God?
How is faith an integral part of living in the reality of the new life in Christ? (Romans 6:11; Hebrews 11:1,6)
What does it mean to have sin reigning in our mortal bodies? (Romans 8:5-11)
What does the Holy Spirit help us to do with sinful desires? (Romans 8:13-14)
Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me the opportunity to live a new life through faith in Jesus Christ. I desire to live in victory over sin and to be an instrument for your purposes. Please forgive me for allowing sin to have any place in me. Please forgive me for letting sin reign in my mind and body. I reclaim the power to choose righteousness and to deny sin any place in me. I exercise my dominion over sin right now as a son of God in Christ. Please rekindle the fires of passion for righteousness in me. Please fill me afresh with the manifestation of the Holy Spirit and help me to discover the reality of who you created me to be. I am alive to you, Lord. I am your servant. I praise you now and forever. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”