Dead Through Sin. Alive in Christ.

Being connected to Jesus is not something we usually think about a lot.

We think about believing in Jesus. We think about emulating Jesus. We thank Jesus for saving us. We love Him, but we don’t often think about being united with Him in His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension; that being baptized with Him, being buried with Him, having all of those intimate connections with Him means that we are truly dead to sin.

When we are alive with Him, being united with Jesus also means that we should live like He did by putting off sin, putting off our sinfulness; cutting off that which infects us, which drains us, which pulls us away from God. When we are rooted in Him we can withstand all the winds, all the rains, all the slings and the arrows, all of the things which come against us in this world. We can stand firm because when we’re rooted in Him, He is firm; He is unmovable; He is unchanging; He is steadfast through it all – and because He is and we are united with Him, then there was no other philosophy, no other tradition, nothing else that anyone else can share with us that can compare to that; that can stand up to that. No matter how bad things get; no matter how difficult things are; sin is dead to us because Jesus died to conquer sin. Sin is dead to us because we are united with His conquering of sin – and now all of those things which try to tear us down, which kill and destroy – through faith in Jesus, through uniting with Him, through being rooted in Him; we are now alive with Him, alive in Christ – forever.

“Lord, thank You for suffering, dying, and rising for us; and thank You for letting us be united in You. You, in whom the fullness of the deity dwells; You through whom all of creation came into existence; You who was not satisfied with sin and death and so conquered it for us forever – for all. Thank You, Lord! Help us to act as the rooted ones we are in You. In Your name we pray; amen.”

Scriptures

• Colossians 2:4-15