daily meditation: Christ's death

To quote one of my favorite bands, "redemptive ends through tragic means," is a short summary of the good news of the gospel. Christ's death is nothing less than tragic. But, it was necessary and good and gives us much in the way of hope.

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?"

Of the many things that Christ's death accomplished, here is one to think on today: You died, too. Your old self is dead. Your sinful, fleshly, worldly, hard-hearted, disobedient self is no longer. Christ's death accomplished your death.

When you feel the presses of sin welling up, remind yourself that you were baptized into death. That stuff is gone. Reckon it to be true and live with newness of life today.

-joe

last Sunday

It has been an incredibly fast few days because of everything that has happened and me, being the emotional person I am, getting freaked out about deadlines and things that I need to do. I hate it when I let the world's worries bother me.

But, indeed they do. And so, I have resolved (in line with the esteemed Johnathan Edwards) to never let the worries of the world snuff out my life in Christ.

I have also resolved that I will live each day in the knowledge that I am a wretch who by myself have nothing but in Christ I have every true and perfect gift and in Him I have a righteousness that knows no bounds.

Read 1 Peter 2. I preached on the first 10 verses on Sunday and the message did much to prick my own heart. Oh how magnificent the grace and mercy of Christ. "Once [I] had not received mercy, but now [I] have received mercy."

Peace with you.

-joe