Salvation | August 12
… do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:3-11
Father, this teaching of Paul is perhaps the pivotal issue in our endeavor to experience Your grace and mercy. You say that our heart of flesh must die in the same way that Jesus died on the Cross. It is clear to us now, that if Jesus had not gone to the Cross, our sins would still be with us.
So too, if our old nature is not crucified, then our sins of the past are still with us. Jesus, our Spiritual birth is only available to us because of You. We could never enter into the Holy Father’s presence if our sins had not been forgiven.
That is why, Jesus, You have shown us that this is the most important teaching. Our faith in the fact of Your life and Your redemptive act allows us to have a new Spirit filled heart and a new earthly start leading to an eternal reward. All of our past sins were permanently removed, never to be remembered against us again when we came to You in all humility and contrition, seeking a new life in You.
Now, Jesus, we know that even after we experience salvation, we still have a heart of flesh that will be continually challenged. You teach us that the difference is that, because of our faith in You, You have sent the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts, to counsel and comfort us and to continue to forgive us daily as we seek to be more like You. Thank You Jesus for teaching us Your word, every day. Amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project
