During Holy Week I shared some short devotionals with our church on some of the truths of what the death & resurrection of Jesus accomplish for those who trust in Him. As they are always relevant I thought I’d share them with you this week. All the prayers are taken from Fount of Heaven.

Read the whole section in Romans 6:1-14

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.
Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

New Revised Standard Version: Romans 6:1–14.

This is AMAZING!!! Being forgiven means there is no longer any penalty for sin. But the cross also frees us from the power of sin. Paul’s argument goes like this:

• When you were baptised you were joined by faith with Jesus on the cross (2-5)
• Jesus died to sin. And therefore so did you. (5-6)
• Now you are no longer enslaved by sin but have been SET FREE!! (6-7)
• Christ was raised from the dead and so we now live with him (8-9)
• So CONSIDER yourself dead to sin & alive to God in Christ Jesus (11)
• Don’t put yourself in sin’s hands but put yourself in God’s hands (12-13)
• Walk in newness of life & grace (4 & 14) 

Prayer

“Only through your grace can we become good in our nature. Only through your righteousness can we become righteous. Only through you mercy and favour can we go from dust to someone in your image. Grant us the strength to not sink into sin. And make us aware: Pour memory into our hearts that we may always know your honour. Pour truth into our minds, so we do not perish in doubt. Occupy our understanding with your law, so we do not wander in useless thoughts. Order our steps so we do not hurt ourselves. Let us draw near to you, that Satan would flee.”

Ephraim the Syrian

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