“…our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”
The bad news is I have to die before I can be free from sin. The good news is I don’t have to wait! I can die anytime I want to.
Paul said, “I die daily” (1st Corinthians 15.31). However, the choice to die is not an easy one. It hurts! There’s pain! I would rather not die. I wish there was an easier way. Yet the One I follow made the same choice long ago...
“He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Philippians 2.8 NAS
Jesus had no death wish. He did not want to die; He chose to...
“Abba, Father, all things are possible onto
thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless
not what I will, but what thou wilt.”
Mark 14.36 KJV
Many others “of whom the world was not worthy” (Hebrews 11.35-38) chose death because they preferred to “endure ill-treatment with the people of God [rather] than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews
11.25).
I am not alone. I can face both my daily and ultimate death because I am not alone.
I am not alone. I can face both my daily and ultimate death because I am not alone.
- Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, there is someone else in that fiery furnace with me (Daniel 3.25).
- Like Paul, “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2.20).
- Like every other believer, I “should not be surprised at the fiery ordeal” I must face (1st Peter 4.12).
Lord, the next time I want to sin…
- Reach for another cookie
- Ignore a veiled cry for help
- Allow a twinge of personal entitlement
- Look (too long) at a beautiful woman
- Take pride in myself
- Act impatiently toward a child
- Nurture a poor attitude
- Blame someone else for my mistake
- Indulge a little self-pity
- Waste another hour with screen time
- Speak despairingly of a fellow human
- Behave rudely toward a friend
- Remain pessimistic about anything
- Cave to the pressures of a hurried life
- etc., etc., etc.
… give me the grace to suffer and die a little instead.
________________
The death certificate image is called "It's Official" and used by permission of photographer Bryan Bope (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanbope/).
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4 comments:
I was doing my reading this morning as all of you where and loved this verse Romans 6:16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of what you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
And one more to make my point today is Romans 6:14 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. So for those of you that have never sinned this may not make much sense to you, but for someone like me, who has lived his life trying to figure this whole thing out, it’s hug. What have I learned this week? Well please let me tell you, I have been enlightened this week. God has finally answered my biggest concern. (I don’t want to live with a bunch of rules and regulations I want to live my life with out following all these rules!!!)
Well I’m here to tell you it has finally sunk into this thick skull of mine and just this week. Jesus Christ came to this earth and died not only for our sins but also for our souls so that there are no more laws to follow! (Yell out Amen! if you knew that already!) You and I get to live in God’s grace! How awesome is that?
Dave you are an inspiration to me and all around you, thank you for fighting everyday to help us understand better.
I love ya Brother
Danny McGregor
e-mail: godsaveddan@yahoo.com
Wow Dan! What great insights. Danny, you're becoming a powerhouse for God. Praise the Lord!
Dave
Freewill is (or needs to be) transformed by our relationship with Christ. As you pointed out, Christ was obedient to the point of death. My prayer today is that He will be honored by my thoughts and actions, and that the Helper will teach me how to make my thoughts and actions obedient to His will. In this, I will die more to myself and live more in Christ!
Thanks Dave for shining a light into the dark . . .
Hey Jeff,
Good insight. Thanks for sharing with all of us, brother.
Dave
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