Alive to God
Romans 6:8-14
📖 Scripture
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
📝 Scripture Summary
If believers die with Christ, they will also live with Him. Christ, raised from the dead, cannot die again. Death no longer has mastery over Him. In the same way, believers are to count themselves dead to sin but alive to God. Sin should not rule in their bodies because they are under grace.
📌 Memory Verse
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
– Romans 8:15
🔎 Reflection
Life Under Grace (6:8–10)
Paul reminds us that just as Christ died and rose from the dead never to die again, we who are united with Him must consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. Sin is no longer our master; we now live under grace, not under the Law. This does not mean we live irresponsibly. It means we live with the empowerment of God’s grace that enables us to say no to sin and yes to righteousness. We are empowered to live a life of active obedience: to offer every part of ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness. Grace empowers transformation so that we do not simply avoid sin but are fully alive to God’s purpose.
Reflect on how grace empowers you to live differently—not by fear, but through love and freedom. Offer yourself to God as an instrument of righteousness.
A New Allegiance (6:11–14)
Paul urges believers to reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. He uses the language of offerings: we are not to offer any part of our bodies to sin as instruments of wickedness, but offer ourselves to God. Living under grace means we live under the loving reign of God who enables us to live righteously. Grace does not excuse sin; it empowers holiness. Our death to sin is both an established spiritual reality and a decision we must make daily while living on this earth. We are no longer under the dominion of sin, but we must intentionally resist its pull. Our allegiance has shifted from self and sin to Christ and righteousness.
Take inventory of what parts of your life are still under the dominion of sin. Take time to submit every part of your life to God.
💡 Today’s Inspiration
“In worship, God invites us to join him in what he is already doing.”
– Bob Kauflin
🙏 Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that sin no longer rules over me. Teach me to live under Your grace, daily surrendering my thoughts, actions, and desires to You. Strengthen me to reject sin and walk in obedience and joy, reflecting Your righteousness in everything I do. In Your name, amen.
🖋 Essay
A New Heart
All humans have sinful hearts. A sinful heart is what has us going against God’s will for our lives and thus against what is truly good for us. Although we as believers have been made alive in Christ and are no longer condemned for our sin, we still live with sinful desires. Therefore, we are not immune to the temptations that come into our lives, nor are we fully immune to our own pride and selfishness. Oftentimes, we do not even see how our own pride and selfishness affect our lives and our interactions with those around us, and this makes it harder to be convicted of our own sins.
Yet because we have been made alive in Christ, the new heart that He has given us convicts us of our sinful desires. This is why, when we realize our own sin, we become repentant and seek to turn away from that sin. That is the beauty of what God does for those who believe in Him. He gives them a new heart that is more and more inclined to follow Him, trust Him, and believe in Him. Because we are human, how we do this is far from perfect, but over time, through reading God’s Word, communing with other believers, and being steadfast in prayer, the desires of our new hearts start to slowly reflect more of God’s own.
Written by Lisa Polite
