Romans 6: 3-11
Paul writes that in Christ, God offers us the chance to walk in newness of life.
Later in our service, when I say the words that repeat this invitation from God, I will ask you if you intend to lead a new life, walking in God’s holy ways.
It is the moment when we come into God’s presence ready to accept that he knows the whole truth about us. It is the moment when truth and mercy meet.
This is made possible because when Christ died on the cross, the sins of the world died with him. Our old lives enslaved to sin died. And when Christ was raised from the dead to live with God, we are offered new lives. We too are raised from the dead – in this world and the next. We too can live new lives with God.
We see glimpses of Paul’s meaning in our earthly experiences.
We see it when we leave a job or a relationship where we have been bullied and stressed. A burden is lifted from our shoulders. Our old life has come to an end. We can begin to live a new life.
We see it when we find the strength to face up to and defeat an addiction. No more do we have to tell the lies we had to tell to keep our addiction secret from others. Suddenly we have more time and energy to do new things, explore new aspects of life, spend more time with loved ones. Our old life has died. A new life begins.
We see it when we find the courage to tell our loved ones something about us that we have previously felt we had to keep hidden. We go through the pain this involves. But then the lies stop. The old hidden life of secrets is no more. We can embrace a new existence of honesty and truth.
Paul is saying that every Christian goes through this experience. It is our shared experience. We are a community of people who have died to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
It is this experience that God offers each one us through Jesus Christ. Even if we cannot break away from a job or a relationship that oppresses us, even if we cannot conquer an addiction, even if we have to keep things secret about who we are, God still offers us a new life, a new existence of being alive to God through Jesus.
As part of this worldwide community and standing alongside all those who are alive to God through Jesus Christ, let us now affirm our faith in the loving Father, the God of mercy and truth.