Lenten Reflections, Day 35

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

Written by: Jim Detzel

Reading: Romans 6: 1-4

There are those that look at the first verse of Romans 6 and question whether being baptized permits us to continue in our sinful ways. I believe it was Paul’s Jewish opponents that stated such a question to Paul. Paul explains it in an opposite fashion – when we are baptized "into Jesus Christ," we were also "baptized into his death." Just as Christ was raised from the dead, we also are raised to a new life. Our "old selves" must remain dead and we must live in "newness of life."

We are no longer enslaved to sin, but have been set free. Let us remember what our visiting preacher, Jared Witt, said about "freedom." We are not free to do as we wish, but we are free to live as followers and imitators of Christ. We are not bound to our sinful ways any longer, but free to share the goodness and love of grace to those around us. We are free to participate in the spread of God’s Kingdom here on earth as we are no longer under "law" but under the Gospel of grace.

Prayer
Dear Lord, we ask that you give us the strength we need to live "free" as you have set us free. Guide us on a path of righteousness and the spread of your Gospel. Let us be "free" to announce to the world that the Kingdom of God is among us. Amen.

FAMILY MOMENT:

There is a saying that "when you know better, you do better." If you learn that 2+2=4, then you don’t tell people that 2+2=3. If you learn that lying, cheating, and stealing make us feel farther away from God (God never actually leaves us, we leave God) then we try not to make those choices any more. That is what is meant by a new life in Christ. Make a list of some things from the "old life" and what they look like in "new life" in Christ (i.e. lying = truth).
God, giver of life, thank you for giving us new life through Christ. Though it is not always easy to let the "old life" die, we are so grateful that you are always with us. Help us this week as we try to live into the freedom we have in Jesus. AMEN.