Day 84 — Taking A Stand
Romans 6: 8-11, The Message
If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.
The faith of Jesus is expressed in the good news he preached and practiced that the kingdom rule of God is available to us here and now. Do we have faith in Jesus or do we have the faith of Jesus? Do we think of Jesus as outside of ourselves?
When Becky, my wife, gave birth to our three kids they came into our family. Each one is a unique blend of traits and characteristics from both Becky and I, and each shares a likeness with us. When we are born again into God’s family ‘it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.’ (Galatians 2:20). Our life also becomes God’s life in us – his thoughts, his faith, his love all literally imparted to us by his word and Spirit. We are a new creation. This union between us as re-born people and the life of Jesus enables us to be the light of the world, showing what it is really like to be alive.
Once this new life enters us we have the opportunity of ever more fully focussing our whole being on it and wholly orientating ourselves to it. This is our part and God will not do it for us. We need to take a stand as to who we are in this new life, that we identify with the Christ-life in us and against the sin still present in us. Are you going to be ‘dead to sin and alive to God’? We need to settle in our will the question of who we intend to be. Is it my will to be in the old, dead life of sin? Or to be in the resurrected life of Christ? Choose the latter and you can move beyond mere communication with God and towards communion with him as you unify all of yourself with Christ.
Prayer — Lord, I choose to focus all of myself on my new life with you. Make your faith my faith, your love my love, and your life my life.
Jonny Pearson