Those that die in Christ will also live with Him in His Father’s kingdom. Jesus died and rose from the dead the third day, and so will we, one day, rise from the grave when Christ returns to take us home. It was when Jesus died on the cross, that He died unto sin once and for all. And those who live for Christ are also dead to their sins, for they are living in the Holy Spirit now. Living unto God is a life change, which begins with faith and then leads a person to be baptized. Then, God ushers in the Holy Spirit into that person’s life, which helps them live a life pleasing to Him. Paul spoke on this and taught, “now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:8-11) And speaking of baptism and why it is a part of our walk with Christ, Paul said, “know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3,4) Reading this chapter in its entirety will help people understand why we need to be baptized in order for God’s presence to be with us.
Paul also taught, “let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Romans 6:12-18) It is sin that pulls us away from doing God’s will, where we end up doing our own will instead. This causes the Holy Spirit to become absent. Therefore, abiding in Jesus after baptism is so vital, in order to break free from sin. That means that we stay in constant prayer and supplication unto God, ever confessing our sins. We also stay anxiously engaged with God in His Word, the Bible, while reading and studying it daily. Doing these things will help us stay in the light of Christ, and also stay focused on doing God’s will on earth. We become members of righteousness when we are obedient to God.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that we will understand the downfalls of sin in each of our lives. Help us know what wicked desires and actions do to a person on the inside. How it takes us down a path that leads to destruction. Therefore, it is my prayer that people no longer stay in willful sin, but confess their faults one to another, and most especially unto You, God. How can we say that we are Christian if we are continuing to willfully sin against You, God? There must be remorse for our sins if we think that we are on Your side. And to these people, I ask if they are in constant prayer and supplication unto You, oh Lord? Are they confessing their sins when they do falter, that they may get back up again? The enemy may strike us down, but still, we need to be running back to You for forgiveness and mercy. And even more than this do I pray that people will allow You to build themselves up in Your armor. Only then can we stand tall against Satan and also win the battles. Surely, He does not like it one bit when we have Your presence in our lives. This is because his temptations are no match to the Holy Spirit. Yes, God, when we are living in Your right standing there is a barrier between us and the enemy. He may try to take us down, but as long as we abide in You, Jesus, He will always end up losing in the end. So I pray that people will learn to seek You first in this life. This means that before we do anything for our self that we pray and read the Bible. And not just once a day, but continuing to call upon Your Name in prayer and in our confessions. We desire Your guidance and direction for our lives. Then, can we walk in Your righteousness. I believe in You, God. I love You, Lord. Amen.
