Here’s a clue. “Seeking the Kingdom of God” may not lead us to a particular place. King Jesus rules in our hearts now, just like He will in our eternal home in heaven. These verses talk a lot about dying with Christ and being united to him. It’s a lot to try and grasp.
Paul addresses the Roman church here full of many new Christians following Jesus and hungry to know more. The whole book of Romans is helpful for new believers, while it still challenges long-time believers. Paul wants to set his audience up for success as Christ followers.
This chapter opens with a reminder we have died to sin. When we accepted Jesus into our hearts and lives, our old sin-infested selves were cleansed. It’s like we were reborn, leaving our dead to sin thoughts aside. By acknowledging Jesus, we declare our allegiance and vow to attempt to do better at curbing our sin. We will always fall short, but we can be confident that God loves us no matter what.
The perks we have for trusting Jesus are fantastic! Have you ever thought about how powerful sin can be? Temptations are all around us to cause us to overeat, overspend, be distracted by idols, constantly scroll social media, or in other ways our relationship with God can be tarnished or abused. Those are sinful behaviors, but Paul says we’re set free.
“For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.” I love the confidence of knowing we will live with Christ in his kingdom. In the meantime, we are given protections against sinning. We are no longer slaves to our sin, to the behaviors that displease God.
What does Paul mean here? “So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.” When we trust Christ, we can control our sinful ways better. That power of sin has lost its grip on us, thanks to Jesus. When I consider myself “dead to the power of sin,” I dare to be bolder in my faith. Does that make sense?
Take some time today to think about the depth of this passage and how it speaks to how Jesus is ruling in your life.
Let’s pray. Father, may your kingdom come! I thank you for the freedom from sin’s bondage you have made possible for me. Help me to be bold in my faith so I can reflect your light in all I say and do. I look forward to the day when your kingdom will be fully revealed in all its glory. Until then, empower your faithful servants. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
