Something that we’ve been talking about amongst the guys on my squad recently is freedom in Christ, being dead to sin and alive in Christ, and how that applies to our lives.
We’ve been going through the book of Romans and in chapter 3:10-13, Paul writes, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is on their lips . . . There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Wow. Reading that was convicting for me.
Growing up in a Christian house I always thought, “Yeah I’m a Christian, I’m not like the world. I know all the Bible stories; I’m righteous because I know a lot about God.” Here though I’m told that my throat was an open grave. Allow that to sink in. Before Christ opened my eyes to Himself, I brought death to the world.
Paul continues in Romans 3:23-26 saying, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”
How great is His righteousness? Because in His divine forbearance He passed over our former sins. How great is God that although we have fallen short, He has shown His righteousness by passing over our sins through Jesus!
Paul says in Roman 6:3-4, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we too might walk in newness of life.” I now walk in newness of life, dead to sin and alive in Christ! I can no longer walk in my flesh and in my sin because it is now Christ who lives in me.
1 Corinthians 10:21 says, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” Jesus has provided a way for us to sit at His table. While we were dead in our sin, God sent Jesus so that we could sit with Him at His table.
Looking forward to seeing you before too long! Cannot believe The Race is almost done! Continuing to pray for you Zach.
I too grew up in a Christian home with the “I’m a good person – I’m a Christian” mindset also. I remember well when, in my early twenties-just after college- I started reading the word and really understanding it’s truths.
Zach, the trajectory of your life has changed. The journey is just beginning.
One more debrief. I will miss having a Gap I debrief to look forward to.
I am excited for where Jesus is taking you in life.
Amen! Gus has been talking about this too – and then I read your blog – thank you, Zach . I need to remember this!
So grateful to be at the table and for the amazing year you are having!!