Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Freedom: Gift from God
Bible portion: Romans 6:17-29
Romans 6: 23 – For the Wages of sin is death, but the Gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Devotion
Romans 6: 23 – For the Wages of sin is death, but the Gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Devotion
As we read the Letter of Paul to the Romans, we see Paul is addressing the Roman church by introducing himself as an apostle called by God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul has not visited Rome yet and is eager to visit Rome and share his message. In his letter Paul talks about the issue of human sinfulness and ensuing the wrath of God upon all who are ungodly and unrighteous.
In this chapter, Paul uses the example of death and resurrection to explain the believer’s relationship with sin. Though all are born in sin, Paul explains that Christians through baptism, we are united with Christ in His death and resurrection. And as Christ died for sin and was raised to new life, Christian believers are by his Grace given the freedom to not continue to sin. This is because baptism means death of the old life and start of a new life serving God.
The message of the selected verses is that though man was born in sin, before trusting in Christ and becoming Christians, we were free of the requirement of righteousness. Since we had no identity in Christ, we had no requirement or need to do what was right. That was the "freedom,” that Paul is referring to in these verses.
Paul tells us that there is a freedom that we can continue to lead lives of sin if we are unable to resist sin. However, if we chose our God’s gift of freedom to get rid of sin because we now understand the consequences of sin, we enter the path of righteousness as embodied by Jesus’ life.
This Roman chapter is about spiritual growth and maturity and in the selected verses, Paul emphasis on how a believer develops a new attitude toward sin. A believer must not think that he can have the same cordial relationship with sin and uses the example that a believer must be as unresponsive like a stone to sin.
In this chapter, Paul uses the example of death and resurrection to explain the believer’s relationship with sin. Though all are born in sin, Paul explains that Christians through baptism, we are united with Christ in His death and resurrection. And as Christ died for sin and was raised to new life, Christian believers are by his Grace given the freedom to not continue to sin. This is because baptism means death of the old life and start of a new life serving God.
The message of the selected verses is that though man was born in sin, before trusting in Christ and becoming Christians, we were free of the requirement of righteousness. Since we had no identity in Christ, we had no requirement or need to do what was right. That was the "freedom,” that Paul is referring to in these verses.
Paul tells us that there is a freedom that we can continue to lead lives of sin if we are unable to resist sin. However, if we chose our God’s gift of freedom to get rid of sin because we now understand the consequences of sin, we enter the path of righteousness as embodied by Jesus’ life.
This Roman chapter is about spiritual growth and maturity and in the selected verses, Paul emphasis on how a believer develops a new attitude toward sin. A believer must not think that he can have the same cordial relationship with sin and uses the example that a believer must be as unresponsive like a stone to sin.
PRAYER
Almighty Father, through this portion of your Word, we learn that the wages of sin will bring death. But by selecting your gift of freedom to chose the life of righteousness which is given by Grace by your death and resurrection that I have through Jesus Christ, I have option eternal life. Help to grow and mature spiritually by receiving and accepting the gift and be able to live in Him all day and for eternity.
Thought for the Day
Man has ability to think unlike animals. Will we use our ability to think to choose the path of righteousness or of sin.
Mathew Eapen, St.John’s MTC, New York