7 day plan

New Life through Jesus

Day 4 of 7

NIV

Romans 6:4

4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Reflection

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Christians often talk about character, or moral formation. Which makes sense, since God cares about how we live the lives he has given us. But sometimes we can give the impression, or even believe ourselves, that doing the right thing is what is necessary for life with God.

The reality, though, is much more about Jesus.

Paul wrote a letter to Christians in Rome. He talks about baptism — you know, the water on a new believer — and how baptism points us to something that comes first.

Believing in Jesus — trusting in him for life — isn’t just about following or imitating someone. We participate. Jesus died, martyred on a cross, for us. But trusting in Jesus means we’re united with him. The death that Jesus dies, our old self of being apart from God dies as well. That’s the picture that baptism paints: that old life goes under the water, under the earth, and is buried with Jesus. Done and dusted.

Of course, Jesus didn’t stay dead. So just like him, just like he was raised from the dead by God’s incredible glory and power, we are given new life as well.

God unites us to Jesus Christ. So whatever happens to him, happens to us as well. Our past and whatever might have gone along with that has died and is done away with. And whatever good we do now, whatever moral change might happen in us now by God being active within his church and his children, whatever life we have now is a reflection that Jesus died for us and was raised by God’s power, so that we can live a new life.

Our lives are a testament to Jesus’ death and resurrection.

And Jesus? He’s all about life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus, who died for us and was raised again by your glory. Thank you that in the same way, our old self has died and been buried, so we can live in newness of life. Thank you that Jesus means life, and life for us.

 

Author Name: Sam Freney

Author Bio: Sam Freney is a translation consultant with the Bible Society of Australia. He’s a professional Bible nerd. He works as the specialist in the original languages of the Bible with several translation teams, helping them to accurately communicate the Scriptures in their languages.

The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.

Days

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7

Romans 6:1-23

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness

15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

19I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.