Made New
Join Pastor Greg in this sermon on the importance of water baptism.
Devotionals from This Message
Five short reflections drawn from this message — Monday through Friday.
Breaking Free from Slavery
Wednesday
'We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.' - Romans 6:4
Have you ever told yourself "I'm never doing that again" after making a mistake, only to find yourself repeating the same behavior? You're not alone. Before Christ, we were all slaves to sin, and slavery is a powerful force that keeps us bound no matter how hard we try to break free.
Think about the nature of slavery. A slave can work their entire life and never earn enough to buy their freedom. They can be the most well-behaved, hardworking slave imaginable, but they're still a slave. The master holds all the power, and the slave remains trapped in their circumstances.
This was our spiritual condition before Christ. Sin was our master, and no matter how hard we tried to be good, we couldn't break free. We might resist for a while, but eventually, sin would "crack the whip," and we'd find ourselves caving to its demands once again.
But here's the beautiful truth: there's one way out of slavery - death. When a slave dies, they're finally free from their master's control. This is exactly what happens when we come to Christ. We die to our old nature, and sin loses its power over us.
Romans 6 teaches us that we died with Christ, which means we're no longer slaves to sin. The chains have been broken, and we're free to live in the power of His resurrection. This doesn't mean we'll never struggle with temptation, but it does mean sin no longer has ultimate authority over our lives.
Today, remember that you're not a slave anymore. You're a child of God, free to choose righteousness and empowered by His Spirit to live victoriously.
You were a slave to that sin. It had the power over you. You could tell yourself, I'm not going to do it all you want, but as soon as sin struck the whip or you're doing it, you're caving to that because you were a slave to sin.
Reflect: What old patterns or habits in your life still feel like they have power over you, and how can you apply the truth that you've died to sin through Christ?
Prayer: Lord, thank You for breaking the chains of sin in my life. When I feel enslaved to old patterns, remind me that I died with You and am no longer under sin's authority. Help me walk in the freedom You've provided and live as the new creation I am in You. Amen.
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