Alive with Christ
How “alive” do you feel today?
Verse of the Day
‘You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. ‘
Today’s Devotional
So, I was dead in my sins before I accepted Jesus. But now because of Jesus I am forgiven and free? I need to be honest and tell you that I struggle with this concept. Because, like I said yesterday, I still really struggle with my sinful nature. I know I am forgiven. I know that I am reconciled with God. But alive with Christ and sinful nature removed? That is hard to wrap my brain around.
Maybe the forgiveness is both instantaneous and ongoing, but the “cutting away” is a life-long process. Or maybe the problem is my lack of full surrender and acknowledgement of my constant need for Jesus in every moment. Maybe every time I take my eyes off of Jesus, I lose my balance. That makes me think of Peter when Jesus invited him to walk on water. Peter was definitely alive in Christ as he took steps on top of the water. And then he noticed strong winds and the waves. (For the full story, see Matthew 14:22-33)
The more I read the verse, something seems to stand out. The forgiveness happens as we accept Jesus. The cutting away of the sinful nature is a process, which we discussed yesterday. But maybe God making me alive with Christ is a direct result of how much of my sinful nature I allow Jesus to remove.
We all know people who say they believe in Jesus, but nothing about their life reflects that. Then there are people who you can be around and absolutely know that they are a follower of Jesus. It is apparent is the way they hold their body, the look in their eyes, the expression on their face, the way they speak, and mostly how they treat others. My supposition is that the latter type of person is more alive in Christ because they have allowed Jesus more access to their heart to cut away sin’s control.
There is a difference between someone who is technically alive but on life support and someone who is vibrantly living their life to its fullest potential. Maybe the “alive in Christ” part is something that we grow into as we submit more and more of our mind, heart and life to Jesus.
Sin is defeated. I am alive in Jesus. Maybe it’s time I start living as though I believed that to actually be true.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How would you rate how alive you are in Christ?
How much access do you give Jesus to the parts of you that still cause you to struggle?
Do you know down into your core that you are forgiven and that sin no longer has any authority?
How can you behave today that shows your “aliveness” in Jesus?