June 18th Weekly Word
Becoming Our Future Self
"Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life..." (Romans 6:1-4).
Who am I? Ever ask yourself that? On the surface it seems like a silly question to pose to one's self. But perhaps not. After all, many people at some point in their lives experience identity crises. These internal conflicts can be triggered by different life events such as transitions, loss, suffering, or relational upheaval. But there's something else that can spark a sense of self disruption — internal contradictions — that is when our values and our actions no longer match.
When that happens, asking the question: "Who am I?" makes sense. Paul certainly thought so as we see in Romans 6. To those who suggest that grace means we can live in sin, Paul appeals to our new identity in Christ post baptism. Through baptism he says we died with Christ, and a new person was raised with him. That new person walks in new life — resurrection life — through which she can live in freedom from the slavery of sin.
You see, by baptism through the Spirit, Christ has given us a deposit now of that resurrection life to come, so that we might grow into the image of who we will be. Sounds crazy, huh? But read Romans 6. Paul is clearly connecting the restored life-to-come with our life now as believers. And the point is that resurrection life has taken root in each of us through which God is creating in us now the person we will be in the new heavens and new earth.
Isn't that a fantastic thing to consider? And it's not just a fantasy. It's our new reality and identity as believers.
No, we haven't yet arrived, and we still struggle with old desires. But because we are in Christ, new creation is both who we are and who we're becoming. So Paul is reminding us of our baptism because that is the marker for our new identity in Christ. And friends, this is a big part of how we fight temptation.
By remembering these truths, we can answer the question, "Who am I?" with the resounding response: "I am a new creation, dead to sin and alive to God through Jesus Christ my Lord."
May we remember this core truth and repeat it often. And as we do, may who we are now more fully line up with who we will be in glory.
Darin+