Photo by Oliver Roos on Unsplash
Dear Fellow Saints and Sinners,
Life consists of choices. Most often you can have or do “this” or “that.” You can’t have it both ways. It’s “yes” or “no” … “black” or “white” … or, to use a computer programming term … “1” or “0”. “Maybe” and “grey” are not choices available to us. Usually it seems …
Notice how I addressed you – “Saint and Sinner.” Maybe we can “have our cake and eat it too.” We can live as both saints and sinners. Paul asks, “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” (Romans 6:1) The premise behind the question – since God forgives sins; why not just keep doing what we want, even sinning, because God will forgive us anyway … the more we sin the more His grace will shower upon us?
Paul answers saying, “By no means!” (Romans 6:2) Paul reminds us we are joined to the risen Jesus in baptism so we “might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4) “Newness of life” is defined by the impact sin has on us as Christ’s disciples, Christians who believe and trust God’s word in all aspects of our lives – new lives in Christ.
This new life is possible because the old one was killed on the Cross with Jesus’ death. All who believe in Jesus, His work on the Cross to pay the price for all mankind’s sins, and His resurrection to new life are set free from the eternal effects of sin, eternal death – separation from God (Romans 6:6-8). Walking in new life means, “(We) must consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)
Being “dead to sin” we find sin no longer motivates us, enlivens us. When we sin, we feel its painful sting. We don’t like what it does to us. Being “alive to God” we trust His promises. We ask for and receive His forgiveness as we also ask Him to help us run away from sin. We are all sinners – forgiven sinners, which also makes us saints.
Your Fellow Saint and Sinner,
Pastor Jim