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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Daily Devotional July 26 - Newness of Life

"Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Romans 6:4

We should walk in newness of life just like Jesus walks in newness having been raised from the dead. Walking in newness of life is an indicator of our level of personal relationship with Jesus. This verse is for you for today. Don't look back at all. Just ask yourself if you are getting all you can out of your relationship with God today. Newness of life is offered. Will you take it? Yes it will take some effort. It takes effort to get out of bed in the morning.

Newness of life is when the events of the day are seen through the eyes of active relationship with Jesus. Can you have newness of life and still have problems? Yes. Can you have newness of life and still get sick? Yes. Can you have newness of life and still make mistakes? Yes. Newness of life does not take you out of the world, but it does affect your view of the circumstances. You are just as responsible to assist yourself to get through the day in newness of life as you are to get to work in the morning or evening.

Don't overlook the importance of this verse. You died with Christ (symbolically by water baptism) and (experientially by self will) and you have been raised with Christ (symbolically by water baptism) and (experientially by newness of life). Jesus makes it clear that in and through your life's experiences there will be a trail of suffering and pain, disappointments and eventually physical death. But Jesus also made it just as clear that during this life and these disappointments He would be with you, providing for you, answering prayer, supporting you, side by side and sometimes carrying you through. You may have to go through the fire once in a while, but you are just as protected as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Do you believe it?

If you don't believe that newness of life is available, you won't recognize it while you are living in it. If you think that once you were saved you were left on your own to trod through life with weighted boots and that at the end of life God will be waiting there to release you from your prison here, it's not likely that there's much newness of life going on in your life. But if you can reach out right now and take hold of the Word of God and say, "I believe it" newness of life will come over you like a cool breeze. Jesus wants whatever moment you are in to be in with Him; whatever you are going through to be going through with Him; whatever you want to make of your life to make it with Him. You can start a new life right now.

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