New Life

Scripture Reading: Romans 6:1–11

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?

Romans 6:1–2

Each morning brings a fresh rush of concerns: responsibilities waiting, plans to accomplish, and worries demanding attention. Before we realize it, familiar attitudes can begin directing our day. In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis describes this waking moment as an opportunity to listen to Christ and welcome his life into ours. Paul’s question brings that invitation into sharp focus: if we have died to sin, how can we continue treating it as our home? Through baptism, we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. We belong to him, and his grace calls us to live from that new identity. The One who forgives us also begins to reshape us.

Lewis compares this transformation to the difference between paint covering a surface and dye penetrating deeply. Christ’s work reaches beneath appearances into our desires, motives, and responses. We may begin with brief moments of surrender: pausing before an impatient reply, bringing an anxious thought into prayer, or choosing honesty when an excuse seems easier. These choices express our dependence on the living Christ. Temptation remains, but sin’s dominion has been broken (Romans 6:6). God works within us, shaping both our willingness and our actions (Philippians 2:13). Growth involves repeatedly making room for his transforming presence throughout the day.

Lewis’s picture of an egg becoming a bird reminds us that new life involves  profound change. We cannot receive Christ’s life while expecting every cherished habit to remain untouched. Paul therefore urges us to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). Today, that may mean seeking reconciliation, releasing resentment, speaking truthfully, or sharing generously. When we stumble, we can confess and return to his grace. As a resurrection people, we learn to welcome the life Christ gives and follow where it leads. What might change today if we paused to listen to him before following our first impulse?

Prayer: 

Heavenly Father, 

Quiet our anxious thoughts and open our hearts to Christ. Transform us from within, and guide us to walk in the new life you have given us. 

Amen.