Romans is so rich in teaching, it seems every paragraph and verse is worthy of contemplation. As I read I kept thinking, ‘Wow, look what God has done for us,’ which was immediately followed by, ‘I now have a responsibility to live for God’.
Verses 9-12 begged me to linger and mull over.
For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires (9-12).
In His death Jesus died to sin, and now raised, He lives to God. This is the context for the “in the same way” of verse 11. Just like Jesus is dead to sin and alive to God, so we should be as well. We are to count [y]ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. The words that really got me come next Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body…
And here I have my marching orders for living. Yes, I have been justified through faith in Jesus Christ (chapter 5), but this is no license for sin! Anything but! My justification opens me to the opportunity to live for God, which is a way of saying that I must give my effort to not allowing sin to reign in my life! The ‘therefore’ suggests that I have to give effort and energy to my not sinning! This requires diligence and determination. I must give myself to living to God!
I give myself too many things in life… to my work, to my family, to my…. God is saying I need to give myself to living to Him as well. And this, in par,t means saying ‘no’ to sin and ‘yes’ to love and service.
What do you hear God saying in this chapter?
O, God, Father, Spirit and Son… I choose to live to You today. Spirit, I need Your promptings and strength to say ‘no’ to sin, especially the sins that live deep within me. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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