Focus

Stop and thank God for being present with you today. Ask for God’s guidance as you hear God’s voice through scripture and the writer.

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Read

Romans 6:1-11 (NRSV)

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

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. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But 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. 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.

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Reflect

I was born into a Christian family and baptized as an infant. My biological parents and my godparents promised to bring me up in the ways of the Lord. I made my decision to be a committed Christian in high school.

Paul reminds us that once we have been saved, welcomed into the household of God, there are expectations. We are called to let go of our sinful ways to embrace and live in the power of the resurrection. Temptations to continue indulging in the familiar old habits and attitudes will continue to be real, yet we have the confidence that we can make it through with the power of the Holy Spirit guiding and supporting us.

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Pray

Gracious God, renew our commitment to walk in your way as we seek to do your will. Amen.

Go with God.