Walking the Walk: Romans 6:1-4 - Seventh Sunday of Easter
Tuesday’s Word in Season devotional there was a story of an aging man driving with his wife seated next to him. His driving abilities were not as good as they had been due to his age and declining health. Accordingly, he made a sharp turn in front of another driver who became so enraged that he stopped his car, blocking the road, then got out and began shouting obscenities at the old man. His wife immediately got out of the car and spoke repeatedly to the irate driver, “Bless you! Bless you! Bless you!” until the angry driver stopped shouting, got back in his car, and drove away.
I would love to have seen the look on that man’s face as he drove off. The wife has incredible faith—but she has guts, too! In this day and age, road rage incidents like this often end in gunfire.
How does someone answer a stranger’s abuse with a blessing? How does someone exercise such faith and self-control, instead of their emotions getting the best of them?
In our sermon text from Romans 6, we know the answer: this woman is walking in the newness of life given to her through the death and resurrection of Jesus. But what does it take to walk in newness of life?
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Walking in newness of life means that you’re no longer in a rut. You’re no longer walking the well-worn path. You aren’t doing what you’ve always done. Newness of life means change—and human beings are not wired for change—even when your life is at stake.
Con sider this: a study conducted at Johns Hopkins medical center found that of all the patients who’d received a life-saving heart surgery, ninety percent made no changes to their unhealthy lifestyles.
So, what are we to say about these people? Are they weak? Do they have a death wish? Do they think they’re invincible, or are they hopelessly stubborn?
Ultimately, this is not a question of weakness or strength. This is a question of motivation. Will my life really be better if I go to all the trouble of breaking old habits and routines? Can I be happy without the things I need to give up? How can I change when change makes me miserable?
I recall a Phys Ed teacher saying to his students, “no pain, no gain.” One of his students replied, “no pain is good enough for me.”
In the same way, you will not walk in newness of life if you do not want to walk in newness of life. You’re never going to change and become like Jesus if you do not trust and believe that a God has a more meaningful and purposeful life in store for you.
The biggest reason why we don’t change is because we are enslaved to the things which we believe give us comfort, power, happiness, security, or success. And maybe they do, for a time; but in the end, they wreak havoc on your health, your relationships, the neighbor, the planet. It is not difficult to be enslaved by your job, your possessions, and your lifestyles, along with your grudges, your prejudices, and unhealthy habits. The angry driver who screamed at the old man is a slave to his temper. The hardest people to reach for Christ are not those who don’t believe. The hardest people to reach are those who have no need for the newness of life because they are happy with who they are and how they are living. They see no need to change or do things differently. What’s the cross worth to someone who doesn’t believe they need forgiveness? What’s resurrection worth to someone who’s riding high on their own success? What’s grace worth to someone who’d rather fight their enemies than bless them?
But there is good news for us who are stuck, who need to change but doubt that we can; who feel helpless in your struggles; good news for those who see the way things are in the world and believe that it doesn’t have to be this way. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so that we will walk in newness of life. Sin and death fought Christ, and Christ prevailed.
Change is inevitable in life. Most change is born of loss. That’s why we hate it. But where change brings loss, Jesus brings resurrection. Uncertainty is inevitable in life—but where uncertainty inspires fear, Jesus inspires hope. You will remain a sinner as long as you are in the flesh, but Jesus sets you free from sin’s deadly grip and speaks truth to the devil’s lies.
New life is here for you, for the taking. It’s at the table for you to eat and drink. But you won’t experience new life you live it and walk in it. This means taking multiple leaps of faith, throughout your day, believing that time spent in prayer is better spent than time watching TV or scrolling on your phone; that the time you spend in church will do more lasting good than using that time for housework, shopping, or doing nothing at all. It’s a leap of faith to bless those who curse you rather than cursing them back. But you are not leaping into misery. You are leaping into hope.
Those who are most successful in adopting healthier lifestyle habits are those who do so together. The Body of Christ is no different. You cannot walk in newness of life all by yourself. We help each other win the daily battles against our own sin. We help each other to develop and grow our spiritual gifts. We pray for and support one another when the unthinkable occurs.
The more you embrace the habits of the Christian life, the greater your hope will be and the greater your works will be. You will be a new creation. God will use your hands to create resurrection. Sin will have no dominion over you. Your spirit will no longer be imprisoned in fear; your flesh to selfishness and despair.
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| Photo credit: churchart.com |
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