Romans 6:1-14

Be Still: Lord, I give this day – and this moment – to you. Help me turn my attention from life’s distractions towards you and your presence. (Pause, close your eyes, and breathe.) Come, lead and guide me today. I invite you into the depths of my heart.

Read: Romans 6:1-14

For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (v9-11)

Encounter: We were once on an underground train when our three-year-old reached up and pressed the emergency button. The thing is those buttons can’t be un-pressed. Once it’s done, it’s done. Sure enough, within minutes, a team of employees arrived, to discover it was a false alarm. But the response had already been triggered. There was no going back.

That’s the kind of finality Paul is talking about here. Jesus died once, for all. And when he rose, it was not a temporary fix – it was a permanent victory. He cannot die again. Death has no more power over him. And because of that, it has no power over us, either.

The resurrection isn’t just something that happened to Jesus – it’s something that now defines us. We’ve been raised with him, and the life he lives to God is the life we now share. That reality can’t be undone. It’s not something you can slip out of or lose on a bad day. It’s secure. It’s final. It’s done.

And this truth should fill us with joy. Real joy. The kind that doesn’t depend on mood or circumstances but flows from the unshakeable reality that we are alive to God –now and forever. You don’t have to earn it or prove it; you simply live in it. This is resurrection life – irrevocable, powerful, and joy-filled.

Apply: Are you living as someone who is truly alive in Christ? Where has joy faded or hope dimmed? Take a moment to ask God to restore the joy of your salvation and to help you live each day with a sense of resurrection wonder. You are no longer defined by sin or fear – you are defined by Christ’s life in you.

Devote: Jesus, thank you that I am alive in you. Thank you for the joy, the hope, and the freedom that come with resurrection life. Help me live today with the deep confidence that I belong to you – and that death and darkness have no hold on me. Fill my heart with joy that overflows.