“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing”

— John 15:4-5

This is a weekly reflection on the previous week’s sermon text. Each week there will be a devotional related to the scripture for the week, along with questions for reflection/discussion, as well as prayer. Feel free to make this a part of your individual spiritual growth throughout the week or utilize in small group settings (growth groups, Sunday school, etc.)

Romans 6:1-11

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

This is a great passage in which Paul invited the Romans to consider what it meant to be “alive” in Christ. As we consider the Resurrection of Christ and how our belief in new life can influence how we live today, I am reminded of a writing from Frederick Buechner on the concept of “Today”.

Buechner wrote: “It is a moment of light surrounded on all sides by darkness and oblivion. In the entire history of the universe, let alone your own history, there has never been another just like it and there will never be another just like it again. It is the point to which all your yesterdays have been leading since the hour of your birth. It is the point from which all your tomorrows will proceed until the hour of your death. If you were aware of how precious it is, you could hardly live through it. Unless you are aware of how precious it is, you can hardly be said to be living at all.”

“’This is the day the Lord has made,’ says Psalm 118, ‘Let us rejoice and be glad in it.’ Or weep and be sad in it for that matter. The point is to see it as it is because it will be gone before you know it. If you waste it, it is your life you are wasting. If you look the other way, it may be the moment you’ve been waiting for always that you’re missing. All other days have either disappeared into darkness and oblivion or not yet emerged. Today is the only day there is.”

I hope you have a great day and see it for what it truly is – a gift from a gracious God who brings new life and limitless possibilities for good into a broken world. Today is a great day to be alive in the purest sense of the word.

Prayer:

Loving God, help us to be alive in Christ today and to remember that you can bring to life anything in this world – including what we thought was lost forever and unredeemable. May we be surprised today by your grace. Amen.

QUESTION FOR REFLECTION:

How can our belief in the Resurrection of Christ and our understanding that God raises new life each day affect how we live today? What is it like to live in a future that we have not yet experienced?

In Romans 6 Paul alluded to “dying to ourselves” and being alive to God. God raises us to new life not for the sole benefit for ourselves in a selfish way, but that the kingdom of God might be established in our lives and in the world. Based on the teachings of Jesus, what might you be “raised up” to do and be today?

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