My daughter was baptized several years ago. She decided to follow Jesus in her elementary years and considered baptism for a long while until she entered middle school. The week prior, a pastor from our church sat in our kitchen to talk to her about the weight of this decision. She was choosing to publicly testify Christ as her Lord to her church family and subsequently, the watching world. This was a commitment to follow and serve Jesus no matter what, even when difficult.
The following Sunday, she wrote a letter to Jesus and pinned it to a wooden cross at the front of our sanctuary before taking her turn in the waters. As her daddy lowered her beneath the water, he said, “buried with Jesus in the likeness of His death and raised to walk in newness of life.”
Scripture says we joined Jesus in His death when we were baptized. Death no longer rules over Christ Jesus, nor does it rule over those who believe in Him. What’s more, when we died with Christ, we were set free from the power of sin. “For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time.” As believers in Christ Jesus, we are to “consider [ourselves] dead to sin and alive to God” (vv.9–11).
But if we’ve truly died to sin, why do we continue to live in it? The act of sharing in Christ’s death wouldn’t be a one-time thing any more than taking communion would be a one-time thing. In fact, we’re told to examine our hearts before we take the bread and the cup (1Corinthians 11:27–28). We ought to examine our hearts in everything and invite God to search our hearts, too (Psalm 139:23).
When we take a lackadaisical approach to our sin, we give it room to rule over and distract us. As those who have been crucified with Christ, sin is no longer our ruler. We are not under the law but under grace (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:14).
This begs the question: What in my life needs to die each day? What has become an idol, security, a focus, or a prop that has pushed God aside? I never see sin enter my heart until I hear it roll off my tongue—a little sarcasm here, a critique there. Then envy soon follows before resentment settles in and camps out.
For starters, my pride needs to die. It needs to die a thousand deaths. It’s the temptation of the religious leader to get puffed up by our words, thinking the message is ours. But the truth is that God has planted His Word in our hearts (Hebrews 10:16). We are simply called to speak His Word when summoned.
There’s something else that needs to die for me: production. It’s time for me to get quiet after a long season of pouring out. Making room for the death of an idol opens wide the gates for a new beginning, a new imagination for what God will bring about in the days ahead. I’m living these days with an expectant heart, putting my ear to the ground and listening for a fresh refrain of reverence.
I wonder, is there something that needs to die for you today? When you are joined in Christ’s death through faith, you are also raised with Him in newness of life. Laying down your idols will open the floodgates for freedom to reign once more, making room for new life to spring forth again.
♥️
It’s hard for me to lay down my idols, especially when they are oftentimes “good” things, but the saying always comes into my head – putting away “good” things so we can focus on the “best” thing!!
Hello shes,
I love how the devotional taught us to question and ask the Lord to help examine us. Oftentimes we are blind to our own condition, unless the Spirit whispered to us the lists of idols we take comfort and validation from. Production is also something that needs to die for me that I never realized (thank you Rebekah!). Pride is also a sneaky thing, someone told me, if you refuse help, it’s an indication of pride (ha! Who knew). A note I wrote in my Bible, “Old things are passed away, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV). “Become” means a process. A process. A life long process. Dying to the old, becoming the new hurts! It must be done layer by layer, especially with the support from God’s grace and our fellow brothers and sisters. If it’s not a process (which is grace and mercy in itself), I don’t think us fragile beings can cope. Sometimes we take comfort and identity in our idols, and that can turn our world upside down. The tearing down must take place before the building up (Ecclesiastes 3:3),and God is merciful to give us time.
@MARI V: praying for your job interview on Monday, safe travels for you and your kids.
@HL: hope your boss meeting with you went well today.
@VICTORIA E: yay, you were first today on the list, I am a fellow night owl lol.
@CEE GEE: amen, until we hear the mean words of our mouth, we won’t know sin has crept in. Out of the heart the mouth speaks. Thank you for spelling it out for me!
@TERESA DONLEY: I agree that Jesus has forgiven us of ALL sin. So when we confess, it is not as much as saying I am sorry, which works great to prepare us for a humble and repentant posture, but there is another legal benefit/access to confessing, it is the divine cleansing that comes along. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Once the house is cleansed/swept, the new righteous order can be achieved. The forgiveness part was done once and for all from what I understand, and He also made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence (Ephesians 1:8 KJV) so we can outsmart the sin system by His given weapons of wisdom and prudence. Be cunning as a snake to outsmart the snake, and also harmless as doves. Sometimes I wonder how I can be both…I don’t know, but by God’s power nothing is impossible when we ask based on the commending of His word. Glory to Him who has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness, even the ability to be BOTH snake and dove :))
@CHELSEA SEXTON: I am glad you are here with us, it’s by God’s grace that any of us have returned after our pursuits of anything else but Him. I pray you are here to stay, to rest and be renewed/anchored in His love, in the Great I am. Hugs.
I hope you all have a great weekend.
Be blessed dear sisters.
This was a powerful message today!
When I first read the passages, I focused on death – our death to sin, being baptized into Christ’s death, putting to death things of earthly nature and then right before I closed my journal, I noticed the title of the devotion is “The New Life in Christ.”
I went back through and saw what “new life” grants us: freed from sin, alive to God in Christ Jesus, we are under grace, we are a new creation, we have new purposes: ministry of reconciliation and being ambassadors for Christ, we become the righteousness of God, our lives are hidden with Christ in God, will appear with Him in glory, new self is being renewed in the image of the Creator! Christ is all and in all!
As I focus on the “new life” promised it makes whatever “deaths” I need to surrender to seem so worth it.
Praying I will keep my eyes on things above.
Beautifully written. I need to listen for a fresh refrain of reverence, also.
Thank you to all of you who prayed for me yesterday. Kristen, Kimberly Z, Donna Wolcott, Mercy, and all of you. That devotional hit me hard.
If we truly die to sin, why do we live in it? So true! I want to examine my heart in all things. To stop and think before I speak or act. Am I following what God would want? To recognize the idols in my life. God please bring these to light. I have found that I crave God. That I want to live for Him. To have a purpose. I’m so thankful that His grace is never ending.
Praying over all requests.
I pray He would show what I need removed…what needs to change.. That my heart would be soft to His words and I would become more like Jesus. Help me to be humble to You and to all of it!