Living and Dying

Have you ever thought about some of the many contradictions in life? For example: the medication we take to make our pain go away, causes liver failure. The surgery to cure us could very well kill us. To eat a healthy diet balanced with all the food groups, you have to eat too much food. We spend our time trying to save life all the while it slips through our finger as sand.

To be sure life is precious and it is a gift. We should be good stewards of it. We should do all within our power to protect and preserve it. But, we should also be ready and willing to lay it down for the call of the Cross.

I have been reading through Romans this week and have been chewing on the meat contained therein. I am reminded that we all fell in Adam's first transgression. As our covenant head, he chose sin and plunged mankind into an "estate of sin and misery", we would "surely die" as a result. Our state, from the fall in the garden was a hopeless one. All the while, planned from eternities past, God was working out redemption for His children. And in the "fullness of time", God sent His son, who by his active and passive obedience fulfilled the law and became sin for His people. To redeem us from the death we merited in Adam, another death was required. Death of the very Son of God, was the only satisfaction that could pay the penalty. And now, we as God's children are told that we "have become united with Him in the likeness of His death... that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." Romans 6:5-6

As we go about this life trying so hard to stay young and live longer, we should realize that as Christians we are dead to this life and "alive to God in Christ". We should be spending our time in thankful obedient service. The irony that while in Christ we are more alive than ever before, while to this world we are as dead men, is overwhelming. I need to be weaned from this world. I need to have my vision refocused. I need to have feet which are swift to run after the will of my heavenly Father and hands busy about His work. I desire to have a mind and heart seeking to live uprightly and putting off sin. I want to pour out my life as a thank offering for the One who has died that I might die to sin, and the One who has been raised that I might too be raised to "newness of life". I so love my dear Jesus, He is more to me than thousands upon thousands. He truly is the Messiah, the "altogether lovely One", the Prince of Peace, the friend of sinners, the spotless lamb of God.

As each week, I try to prepare myself for worship, this week has been one that has brought me low as I see my great need of grace and repentance. I am a weak sinner. I struggle with silly sins that should have been mortified years ago. I desire my own way over God's perfect will. I am still a proud, arrogant worm. I need to be reminded that all my sin has been crucified with my flesh in Christ and that I have been raised in Christ so that I will, "...not let sin reign in (my)mortal body...but present (myself) to God as those alive from the dead, and (my) members as instruments of righteousness to God." Romans 6:13

Oh that my life would be a song that praises the Lord. May I be an "instrument" that sings a song of redemption, honor, and glory!

Take my life and let it be
consecrated Lord to thee.
Take my moments and my days,
May they flow in ceaseless praise.

From Take My Life