Living this new life…

 
This morning I’m tempted to cut and paste; first from the Bible and then from my devotional book. Yesterday was filled with God’s presence and power — in our worship service, in conversations with others, and in witnessing someone enter the kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ. After that, we had a lovely time with family and watched our home team win another game in NHL playoffs. Lots of emotions, much to stimulate my mind and choices.

Today the topic is freedom from the slavery of sin. All this is incredible good news as we see the results in our own lives and the lives of our Christian family. “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:6)
How did this happen? The NT tells the events in the life of Jesus Christ and how that affects our lives. Our choices are expanded. Yes, I can still sin, but first He gives me this option:

For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:10–11)

And with a new way of thinking, I’m also given a new ‘task master’ which is a negative word to describe the One who gave me this new life:

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness… For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:16–23)

While the choice to live in newness of life seems the winner, the Bible warns against the pull to return to life under those old options. It says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

The devotional illustrates how a woman can have a job and is obligated to do what her boss asks, but they love each other and decide to marry her — the relationship changes. Her reason for doing her job is different. While that describes the difference in her motivation, it also describes how her ‘boss’ is no longer the same. Instead of the world, her old nature, and all sorts of other ideas, her life is now in the hands of the Son of God and she is united to Him and His perfect love.

Unfaithfulness to that perfection seems so unlikely, yet it happens. In Christ Jesus the choices of the old life count for nothing. He wants from me faith working through love. I might start well but become hindered from obeying the truth, and that is not His idea. I know that even a little temptation can initiate a big crash. It could come from a worldly desire, or yielding to false teaching, or the pressure of persecution, or lies from the enemy. However, Jesus called me to freedom, and not use that freedom as an opportunity to go back to the habits of my old nature. I’m to love others, even my enemies, and that means being like Jesus. He listens, wants the best for me, pays attention to the details of my life, is always there for me, never puts me to shame…

PRAY: You, Jesus, are wonderful. To be like You is not slavery at all but a joyful way to live. May the delight of being dead to sin always keep me alive to You and reflecting Your love to the world around me, especially to Your children and increasingly to those who need to experience the same freedom You alone can give.