Verse of the Day - weekend 9/3

 

I read an devotional this week that was based on Romans 6:1-14 which dealt with "walking in newness of life" (v.4).  I was reminded of the baptism service last week, the baptism celebrates the newness of life found in Christ.  How big of a part does grace play in our baptism and the newness of life?

 

This new life means the old life with its sin  no longer has has to have the power to rule to control us.  Why, because we are under grace as we see in this weekend's verse.

 

Romans 6:14 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) ^14" For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace."

 

What does this mean for us that we are "under grace"?  Nicholas Batzig writes in today's "Tabletalk", "the message of the cross meets our deepest need for pardon and power as we seek to overcome indwelling sin....God's Word reveals that the work of Christ is the source of pardon for sin as well as the power to overcome it."

 

Jesus has not only given us the new life, but also the tools to walk the walk in new newness of life, namely His grace.  John Piper writes, "Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon." 

 

Let's go back to the beginning of the passage to see how this lines up with  it in  The Message:

 

Romans 6:3-5 The Message (MSG)  That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we're going in our new grace-sovereign country.

 

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

 

Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

 

Blessings,
Mike
Follow the verse of the day at www. mikesvotd.blogspot.com

 Through the Bible - Psalm 140-145, 2 Corinthians 12-13

 

Romans 6:12-14  New Living Translation (NLT)  ¹² Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. ¹³ Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. ¹⁴ Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace.