Dead to Sin Alive in Christ

“Dead to sin, alive in Christ”

Yesterday afternoon after the hospital. (See yesterday’s post). We found ourselves in the car park of the hospital checking out the map. It turned out that we were less than ten minutes’ drive from the beach. We didn’t need much persuasion so off we went to Les Rosaires. A lovely quiet little village north of Saint Brieuc, which is about 50 miles southwest of the Channel Islands. Lovely sandy beach, milky green sea lapping in and plenty of fresh air drifting in off the English Channel, nice stroll along the promenade and the beach to clear the mind. Blessed.

Anyway, today is my Birthday, not of natural birth but of my spiritual birth. My natural birthdate isn’t until another two weeks and has no significance anymore to me, the difference being that it is only something of a numerical term to define identification or to tick a box for cheaper insurance maybe. When I was in The World it probably had much more significance to me, but so did many things that are actually unimportant.

Living in the World you are judged and weighed and measured in your social standing, whether you like it or not. By neighbours, friends, family, even total strangers. By three main things, Job, House, Car. Maybe not be in that order for some, but them three things are how most people are instantly packaged in The World!

1. Job, what type of job you have, have you pursued, have you applied yourself, have you excelled, have you provided?
2. House, where do you live, and who with, what area do you live, have you done no:1 right to get no:2?
3. Car, what type of car do you drive? Is it a reflection of your outgoing personality, is it fast, expensive, flash, economical, full of the latest gadgets, practical?

The list is virtually endless for these presupposed assumptions that The World inflict upon you to package and label you. Along comes a birthday once a year to ‘celebrate’ that another year has gone by without you knowing anything more than you did last year. If you don’t know Jesus then you don’t know anything, because it all amounts to nothing without Him.

So it doesn’t matter how many candles are on the cake, how many ‘friends’ get you a card or a present, it’s another disguise to keep the enemy in the driving seat of their life!

Jesus says in John chapter 3 to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews,

“Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

3 years ago today, I gave my life to Jesus Christ, my Saviour, my Lord, in my local church, Hebron Pentecostal in Rochdale.

12 months earlier, I had called on the name of the Lord, as psalm 120:1 says;

  “In my distress I cried to the Lord,

   And He heard me.”

So my birth certificate over the years has been a demarcation throughout my life, such as dictating at what date I could leave school, drive a car, register to vote, etc.., But that’s all that it does, it now merely serves as an official documentary reminder of another calendar year gone by, it has no merit or cause for celebration.

My Spiritual birth has given me life, a new creation in Christ Jesus, moreover in 2 Corinthians 5:17 we read;

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!”

And in the book of Romans 5:10, we read that after the new birth we are reconciled to God;

“For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life!” Amen.

Now that is something to celebrate indeed.

“Dead to sin, alive in Christ.”

Romans 6:11 we read;

“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Hallelujah!

Lastly, I realise that from yesterday I left an important part out. I shall blame fatigue as it hasn’t had any blame recently. Whilst I was in the hospital, one of my good friends in Christ rung me, and in turn rung our friend and they both prayed for me. I would like to thank them for their constant tolerance of me and I continue to thank God for their guidance, friendship and fellowship.

God Bless