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Thoughts in Worship 3.4.2015
(Read Full Devotional Here)
Thoughts in Worship
Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Based Upon Romans 6
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You may have heard the old adage, “Dead men tell no tales.” While the intent of this may have had nefarious meanings, I must admit that it was the first thing that came to mind as I prepared this devotional thought. Let me clean it up a bit and tell you why. Whenever men and women recognize their need for salvation, it is a gift from God. Romans 2:4 says that the Spirit gives us repentance. Upon reception of this godly sorrow for sin and power to turn away from it, a miracle takes place—we die and are resurrected immediately. Here’s what another Scripture says: “Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 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. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” (Romans 6:3–14, NLT).
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Dead men tell no tales! The tale of our lives is that we have committed all manner of wickedness. Even the most apparently wholesome of us do not even come close to the level of God’s righteousness. However, the foregoing verses make it clear that when we receive Christ into our lives by faith, our old tales (lives) are crucified, just like He was on the cross. Thus it is that when the accuser of the brethren, who accuses us before God day and night comes, that his case and evidence against us is nullified. Why? Our old selves, with the record of those confessed and forsaken sins have been destroyed in the watery grave of baptism. As long as we continue to live in agreement with Jesus, submitting to the power of the Holy Spirit, that proverbial dead man (of sin) will be muzzled forever. There will be no spiritual skeletons jumping out of our closets. And if, God forbid, anyone should be so malicious as to remind of the sins we have committed, then in the spirit of Jesus’ treatment of the woman caught in the very act of adultery highlighted in John 8:1-11 the Bible says, “Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” (Romans 8:34, NLT). Amen!
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Now we have the responsibility to be faithful with this blessing. We must continue to walk in the newness of life, and show others how to do the same. Considering the manifold blessings of God, this is only a tiny way to show our gratitude.—L. David Harris (www.davidwritesalot.com)
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By Message Magazine
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(Read Full Devotional Here)
Thoughts in Worship
Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Based Upon Romans 6
-
You may have heard the old adage, “Dead men tell no tales.” While the intent of this may have had nefarious meanings, I must admit that it was the first thing that came to mind as I prepared this devotional thought. Let me clean it up a bit and tell you why. Whenever men and women recognize their need for salvation, it is a gift from God. Romans 2:4 says that the Spirit gives us repentance. Upon reception of this godly sorrow for sin and power to turn away from it, a miracle takes place—we die and are resurrected immediately. Here’s what another Scripture says: “Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 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. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” (Romans 6:3–14, NLT).
-
Dead men tell no tales! The tale of our lives is that we have committed all manner of wickedness. Even the most apparently wholesome of us do not even come close to the level of God’s righteousness. However, the foregoing verses make it clear that when we receive Christ into our lives by faith, our old tales (lives) are crucified, just like He was on the cross. Thus it is that when the accuser of the brethren, who accuses us before God day and night comes, that his case and evidence against us is nullified. Why? Our old selves, with the record of those confessed and forsaken sins have been destroyed in the watery grave of baptism. As long as we continue to live in agreement with Jesus, submitting to the power of the Holy Spirit, that proverbial dead man (of sin) will be muzzled forever. There will be no spiritual skeletons jumping out of our closets. And if, God forbid, anyone should be so malicious as to remind of the sins we have committed, then in the spirit of Jesus’ treatment of the woman caught in the very act of adultery highlighted in John 8:1-11 the Bible says, “Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” (Romans 8:34, NLT). Amen!
-
Now we have the responsibility to be faithful with this blessing. We must continue to walk in the newness of life, and show others how to do the same. Considering the manifold blessings of God, this is only a tiny way to show our gratitude.—L. David Harris (www.davidwritesalot.com)