Romans 6:5-11
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For whoever has died is freed[a] from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
We have a running joke in my family about worry. As a family, we tend to worry a lot about the possibility of many things happening. There are a few family members that don’t like the word worry and would rather use the word concern. They aren’t worried but just concerned about something happening. It’s apples and oranges in my garden and all just different words for anxiety. However, there is a lot to worry about, be concerned or anxious about in this world. This world has no shortage of opportunities for something to go wrong.
When we think of the word death, something many of us worry about, we typically think of the physical end to this world but death can also take on a literal meaning. To die to something in this life can mean a stoppage or a ceasing of a behavior. When Paul writes that “whoever has died is free from sin,” he could be speaking to both types of dying. In the physical sense, when our bodies die, we are rejoined with God we are freed from the sin of this world and our humanity. When we make the decision to follow Jesus, there is part of our former life that dies too. As we make the choice to have Jesus in our hearts, everything in our world shifts. We think about living differently as we no longer live for ourselves but focus on God’s call. We no longer live to glorify ourselves but to praise God. We no longer live to fill our own cups only but are mindful of those around us whose cups are empty.
To live a Christian life is in many ways a death to one way of living, but it is the rebirth and beginning of so much in our lives. No longer do we have to worry about whether our sins will be forgiven. No longer do we need to be concerned about whether we have done enough to see the gates of heaven open. The death of our sin is the birth of a love from God that is unparalleled in its transformative power in our lives.
Prayer
God, we thank you for the transformative power in our lives. Help us and remind us to worry less about this world knowing that your grace abounds in all that we do and wherever we go. As we walk this Christian path, let us rest easy that we are freed from sin and death. In hope, Amen.