Thought of the Day !!

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.  Romans 6:6-7 (NLT)

Paul says that we died with Christ.  When we turn our lives over to him, giving him control and accepting his sacrifice as our way of becoming right with God, we are said to have died with him.  Our old selves die and we become a new being.

        

This new being is actually freed from two things.  Here Paul tells us that we’re freed from the power of sin.  But we’re also freed from the penalty of sin.  Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, we are not longer bound by the curse that has been put on this world because of Adam and Eve’s original sin.  The punishment for sin is death, but if we accept the sacrifice of Jesus’ life, that penalty has been paid.

Secondly, we are freed from the power that sin has over our lives when we die with Christ.  Our old selves were dominated by sin’s power over us.  It was this sinful nature that controlled us (and still does those who’ve not repented and turned to Christ). 

        

No longer are we controlled by our sinful nature, that part of us that’s rebellious, prideful, and self-serving.  We now have a choice to allow the old self-rule, living our lives for ourselves, by our own guidelines that we determine is best for us, or to submit to a better way for ourselves and all those around us.  We have a choice between us and God.  It’s really that simple.

Though the choice is that simple, I don’t want to pretend that there is no struggle.  Paul, himself, will go on in the next chapter to discuss how it can be hard giving up our sinful nature.  He admits that he does what he doesn’t want to do at times.  Our sinful nature has a pull on us, but it is not as powerful as the Spirit of God in us.  So even though we will fall to it at times, we are not lost to the Holy Spirit of God.  He protects us and calls us back when we stray.  He truly is the better way in this life. 

In the love of Christ,

greg