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No More Slogging!


 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:8-14)
Someone pointed out that the dead do not respond. They cannot respond. Since Jesus was raised from the dead, He no longer responds to death. When death says, “Die,” He doesn’t even say “Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.” He just carries on with what He was doing. And one of the things He’s doing is stealing people from Death.
          Paul tells us that just like Jesus doesn’t respond to death, we should not respond to death’s mother, Sin. We shouldn’t even say, “You’ll have to talk to Jesus about that,” though I still think that’s a great response if you feel the need to respond. Instead, Paul suggests that you should turn to the Lord and say, “Here I am, use me,” and “Here’s the part of me that wants desperately to slog along after that sin like a zombie from The Walking Dead, use it as an instrument of righteousness.” Now there’s a challenge.

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