Death in the World; Life in Christ

I feel like the Church as a whole [including myself and my generation and my school, whom I love] are lacking when it comes to the recognition of our life as sinners in desperate need of a savior, daily. 

We live in a culture that says the exact opposite. The world all around us says to live independent; do whatever you have to do to be the happiest you can be. 

But here's the deal, we are sinners in absolute dier need of a Savior.
Thankfully, because of grace that we do not and will never deserve.. we are saved and loved and cherished and hoped for and washed clean and made new and alive.

We have been made DEAD to our world [sin] and ALIVE by the blood poured on the Cross (Rom. 6).

Maybe we realize all of that. That we need the Gospel message today just as much as we needed yesterday and as much as we will need tomorrow. 

But, are you dead to your sin?

Paul tells us in Romans 6: "Our old self was crucified with him...we should no longer be slaves to sin- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin" (vs .6&7)

Not only did Christ die for the sole purpose of offering us a life, He died so that we might actually LIVE. 

It's so easy as Christians to justify our struggles and our worldly desires. Because not only do we live in a world that says its okay to do whatever pleases you, we live in the midst of a Church that justifies by saying Jesus loves you no matter what. So it's okay!

Now, here me out. We do serve a Jesus that absolutely loves us no matter what. Nothing, including no sin on the planet, can separate us from that love (Rom. 8:38&39). We are always going to struggle with the desires of the world, always. We are sinners and we are in desperate need of a Savior  daily because of that. So, in no way am I saying that once we know Christ, we are made perfect.. by any means.


I'm saying, if you really know Jesus, then our humanity should desire the Spirit so much so that we are willing to do whatever needed to be absolutely freed from and apart from the sinful flesh.


Romans 6 goes on to say in verse 12: "...[D]o not let sin regin in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires...rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life" (vs. 12&13).

We are all slaves to something- "whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads righteousness?" (vs.16). 

There is no middle ground when it comes to this area of our Christian lives. You either are slave to the world or a slave to the Cross. And "those controlled by sinful nature cannot please God" (Rom. 8:8). 

Why? Because this is our evangelism method. The freedom we experience in Christ is a condition of the heart which then turns into the language we speak (Matt. 12:34).

When there is absolute freedom from our sins, there is a light that shines out from our lives saying that Jesus is stronger than death, because I was once dead and am now ALIVE. 

So, my question, what is it that you have yet to turn over to Christ? 

The freedom has been offered: how are you going to respond?

Christ came and died for this very purpose: to give you life in the middle of a dead world. 

Let's start to live in light of the truth and become dead to sin and alive in Christ. 

"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you rads leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."

 Romans 6:22.

"To live for Christ, you first must die to all the rivals in your life." -Justin Kintzel

want more? ask me.