Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master 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. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:6-14

I have done an incredible amount of pondering, reflecting, and being still recently. It has been a season of going back, not to dwell on regrets or feed condemnation and shame, but to remember all that God has done for me and in me.

I have been lounging in this scripture like you would on an old familiar couch. The words flow through my mind over and over on repeat.

There are some meaningful and weighty truths in this passage and I would love to talk about them with you today like old friends reminiscing about the good ole days.

If we have believed in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are born again. We had an old self and the old man, as it is sometimes called. When we are born again, we become a new creation.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

When Christ died and rose again at the resurrection, He broke the curse of sin and death forever. When we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and Savior, Jesus’ death and resurrection are ours too. The power of sin and death is broken in our lives too.

This truth overwhelms me.

We have to die here on earth, but we will rise with Christ.

We still battle with sin, but we have the power to overcome it because Christ lives in us.

The enemy wants to keep us back there, though. He doesn’t want us to know and understand what we have been truly given.

Why?

Because he wants to keep us in prison, enslaved to sin, he doesn’t want others to know what God has done in us, through Jesus Christ is real.

Many Christians are like someone who has been put in prison, gained parole, and is in the cell with the door open. All they have to do is walk out because they have been freed, but they don’t know they have been freed, or they are full of fear to step out in that freedom.

My Pastor has often said that when we are saved, we change allegiance. Before we are saved, our allegiance is to the prince of this world, but our allegiance changes when we become believers in Jesus Christ. Everything that belongs to Jesus is given to us. His death is our death; his resurrection is our resurrection. We are alive in Him.

We are made brand new.

The problem is many times; we don’t live this way. We are in that prison with the door open. We have our freedom, but we choose to stay enslaved. Many times we don’t even realize that is what we are doing.

That is satan’s plan.

I lived that way for more years than I would like to admit, but confession brings healing, and it breaks bondages, so I confess that to you today.

I want to be the friend that reaches out my hand and walks with you out of that prison. It is scary, it is vulnerable, and it is exciting. I can tell you on this side that freedom is worth it.

When we walk in that new life of freedom we have in Jesus Christ, His light shines. People see who He truly is and not who we have made him out to be. We break the power of the enemy over us and one another. The church rises.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galations 2:20

Praise God, We have been crucified with Christ! It is no longer us who lives, but Christ lives in us!!

I choose to live that life by faith, no matter what I see around me. I am continually in awe and in overflowing thankfulness for who God is, for His love for me and this world that He would give His one and only son, Jesus Christ, to die for me and in His resurrection bring me to life as a new creation in Him, breaking the chains of sin and death over my life. May I forever praise Him and live in Him and for Him. In Jesus Name. Amen

My heart is that is your prayer too.