Passage Read: Romans 6-7
Meditation Verses: 6:11-14
Thought
Paul says we are to walk in newness of life, since we have been raised with Christ. This is not a future thing, something that finally happens after we've died and gone to heaven, but it is something that we are to be doing here and now. The "raised to life" he mentions here is not a reference to the future resurrection of the dead, but the raising from the dead that took place when we believed in Jesus, right after we were also united with Him in His death. So Paul tells us who believe in Jesus that we must now no longer allow sin to reign in our mortal body, but consider ourselves dead to sin. We are no longer to obey the lusts of our flesh or present the members of our body to sin to do wickedness. Rather he expects and calls us to present the members of our body to God as instruments of righteousness. We are to live and practice godliness, and we are more than able to because we are no longer slaves to sin, having died to it in Christ and having been raised to newness of life through faith in Jesus.
Application
Walking in righteousness is not beyond my ability. Putting sin away, putting it to death is no longer impossible for me. I'm not supposed to wait for some future perfected state to live in righteousness and holiness; I'm able and expected to do so now! Sin no longer controls me, if I have truly trusted in Christ for salvation, because I already died and have been raised to life with a new nature. Only my body remains the same, but I have power in Christ to master it rather than allow it or sin to master me. So I must not delay or look forward to some future state, but I need to walk in righteousness and holiness today. I have God's Spirit and His Word to teach me what that looks like, so I just need to listen to them and follow their leading.