Freed from sin

"But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life." – Romans 6:22

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Dear friends in Christ Jesus. It is Jesus who set us free from the sins by his passion and death on the cross. Let us thank Jesus for this free gift of eternal life. Through our baptism we are under the grace of God which will help us to sanctify ourselves and enter into eternal life. Everything is a free gift from God because he loves us from the very beginning. As children of God we have total freedom either to love him and obey him at the same time not to obey him.  What do we choose sin or righteousness?

The obedience which comes from the heart out of love in total freedom will lead us to eternal life. St. Paul is reminding us that "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Therefore we can't present ourselves no longer to wickedness but need to present ourselves as instruments of righteousness.

Dear friends, let us not worry about the past life so much. We are set free from sin and sin has no dominion over us. We are under the grace of God which is stronger than our sins and guilt feelings. Let us hold on to Christ and his teachings. Let us learn to obey him from the heart out of love in total freedom like children. Let us live in hope and not in despair.

Bible reflection on Romans 6: 12-23 by Fr. George Joseph SVD

Dead to sin but alive in Christ

"count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus" - Romans 6:11

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Dead to Sin, alive in Christ

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

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.

Reflecting on my own Christian journey, as a former staunch Buddhist who hated the guts of Bible-toting Christians who knocked on my door to condemn me and my whole household to Hell, when I opened the door to see who was knocking vigorously on my door. I hated the condemning look in their unloving eyes when they saw the statues of idols in my living hall. And invariably shouted back at them to crawl back into Hell where they came from. If they still refused to budge from my doorway, I would tell my family to bring a broom to sweep these agents of Hell away from my doorsteps.

It was an entirely unique experience when the Holy Spirit impressed upon a long-lost acquaintance to call me when she saw me exercising in the courtyard of my public housing estate. I was in tears when we met in the garden where I was walking and explained that I was just discharged from the hospital after an acute right-brain stroke and was retraining my left leg to walk again. I also shared that my marriage was breaking apart and on the verge of a divorce. Now she started tearing up because she knew both me and my ex-wife, as we were in the same university together. Through her tears, she explained that she found peace in a guy called Jesus, after she invited Him into her life. She asked if I wanted to receive that gift too. I nodded my head as there were so many storms in my life then, that peace was the very thing I was seeking and nodded my head to signal yes, I desired that peace. I said the sinners' prayer by repeating after her. 

My marriage eventually broke apart and I was angry with God for not saving my broken marriage and threatened to leave Him too. But God the Father was ever patient and allowed me to leave His side, while He stood like the Prodigal Father, looking into the distance for the silhouette of His prodigal son, i.e. me.

Fast forward, three years after my conversion experience, I joined my uncle and his family to worship in a loving Christian community. I was moved by the Holy Spirit to sign-up for Baptism. As our church was undergoing renovations, we rented an office space and even rented a plastic tub for baptism services. I recall the peals of laughter when a youth who was about to be dunked into the plastic tub, remarked: " the tub looks just like a tomb, which means I'm going to die with Jesus".

I truly believe that it was the same Holy Spirit Who inspired St Paul to pen these words in Romans 6:4 and 11: 4 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.  11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 

I will close my short sharing, with this declaration by St. Paul in Romans 6 verse 6: For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

The following beautiful hymn has so often brought a tear of gratitude to my eyes, whenever I ponder on God's Love through His Son, that I'm truly home with the Father in Heaven as His beloved child.

 

Father I Have Sinned

Verse 1 

Father I have sinned, 

help me find my way. 

Remember not my sins, 

Just let me hear you say: 

 

Chorus 

I forgive you, I love you 

You are mine, take my hand. 

Go in peace, sin no more, 

Beloved one. 

 

Verse 2 

Father I have turned, 

my back and walked away 

Depended on my strength 

and lived life my own way 

(Repeat Chorus)

 

Verse 3 

Father I have closed, 

My heart to those in need. 

Thought only of myself, 

A victim of my greed. 

(Repeat Chorus)

 

Verse 4 

Father I have loved, 

If love's the word to use. 

I've played so many games,

They've left me so confused 

(Repeat Chorus) 

 

Ending 

Father I've returned, 

I'm home with you to stay. 

Standing at your door, 

knowing that you'll say

(Repeat Chorus)

 

Youtube: https://youtu.be/5AM0N9VS9JI?si=MXw1H4gcYLt2TCPj 

Words & Music by Eugene O'Reilly 

© 2001 CJM Music (UK & Irelan) 

CCLI & OneLicense No. #646803

 

Reflection on Romans 6:1-11 by Chris Tan

Vivemus cum Christo | Live with him

But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him – Romans 6:8

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In the Scriptures, Romans chapter 1 to chapter 5, the apostle Paul teaches us that Jesus Christ died for us, being justified by His blood. Now in Romans chapter 6, the apostle Paul writes that we died with Him. 

In today’s passage, the apostle Paul teaches us so many important concepts and principles:  we died to sin (6:2), were “baptized into his death” (6:3), were “buried with him by baptism into death” (6:4), and were “raised up from the dead” with Him (6:4). Our old self was “crucified with him” (6:6); we died with Christ (6:8); Christ was “raised from the dead” (6:9); and “he died unto sin once” (6:10).

Focusing today on Romans 6:8. Just as Christ died and was raised from the dead, so in His death and resurrection, every believer died to sin and arose to a new self, a new life. Our old self was crucified when Christ was crucified. The cross is the end of all that is old, the ending of sin. It is finished. Our Lord Jesus Christ died for our sin, once and for all. We are not bound by what we were. It was finished by our Lord Jesus on the cross. We are new! The old self died with Jesus Christ on the cross. Paul instructs us to put off the old man as something that is dead and not existing any more (Ephesians 4:22 and Colossians 3:9). The old man that Paul refers to means the old sinful nature, before conversion and accepting Jesus Christ. Anyone living in Christ, is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We are alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11). Let us live as new people, since our old self is dead. The new man not only has life, he has eternal life!

Reflection on Romans 6: 1 - 11 by Hanne

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