Romans 6:5-11
First things first:
I am on away on leave for the next week. So you won’t receive any new devos until I get back. I will be back around Easter. In the meantime enjoy the most popular posts from the last few months!
Scripture: Romans 6:5-11 (ESV)
“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 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. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 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.”
Devotion:
At one gymnastics competition I was at, I won a trophy for being the best male tumbling gymnast. I really was the best on the day, because no one else showed up to compete against me. I was number one, because I was the only one! But here is the thing – I really wasn’t any good at gymnastics. I did it because it was fun, not because I ever wanted to compete. I got to stand on the podium and receive my trophy and I got all the perks of being the champion.
This is a bit like what Paul is describing in our relationship with Jesus. We get to stand on the podium, not because we are any good, but because we have been united to him. By being united with Him, we’re not just spectators of His victory over sin and death, we’re participants in it. Our old selves, with all its flaws and failures, were nailed to the cross with Jesus. It’s a dramatic transformation that doesn’t just change how we act, it changes who we are.
This union with Christ means we’re no longer under the tyranny of sin. Just as a person who has passed away is no longer subject to the demands of this world, our old selves—enslaved by sin—have been rendered powerless. And here’s the incredible part: just as Christ rose from the dead, we too are invited to live a new life, a life that’s not haunted by the shadows of our past but illuminated by the hope of our future with Him. If you are a Christian, you get to live a “resurrection life”. You are alive forevermore in him!
Being alive to God in Christ Jesus isn’t just about avoiding doing wrong, although of course turning from our sin is part of it. Rather, it is far more about embracing a whole new way of being. It’s like waking up each day with a new purpose, a new direction, and a new identity.
We’re no longer defined by our failures but by Christ’s victory. So live in victory as someone who gets to stand on the podium with Christ!
Prayer:
The content below was originally paywalled.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the profound unity I have with Christ. His victory over sin and death is not just His; it’s mine too. Help me to live in this reality, understanding that my old self has been crucified with Him and that I am now alive to You. May my life reflect this transformation, not as a struggle to avoid sin out of obligation, but as a joyful embrace of the new life You’ve given me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Challenge for the day:
Today, consciously live out your new identity in Christ. Start by reminding yourself first thing in the morning that you are dead to sin and alive to God. Then, choose an area of your life where you’ve struggled to break free from old patterns. Commit it to God in prayer, and take one practical step towards living in the freedom Christ has won for you. Whether it’s reconciling with someone, changing a habit, or starting a new spiritual discipline, let this action be a declaration of your new life in Him.