The Battle’s over. Really!

The Battle’s over. Really!

Bible:Romans 6:1-14

We were . . . buried with him (V.4).

Reading

For twenty-nine years after World War II ended, Hiroo Onoda hid in the jungle, refusing to believe his country had surrendered. Japanese military leaders had sent Onoda to a remote island in the Philippines with orders to spy on the Allied forces. Long after a peace treaty had been signed and the war ended, Onoda stayed hidden on the island. In 1974, Onoda’s commanding officer travelled to the island to find him and convince him the war was over. Onoda lived a cut-off, lonely life because he refused to surrender—refused to believe that the war was done. We make a similar mistake. Paul tells us the stunning truth that “all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death” (ROMANS 6:3). On the cross, in a powerful, mysterious way, Jesus put to death our old, sin-sick selves. The Bible teaches that Jesus’ death was also our death (V.8). But this was a transforming death leading to life. Because we’re now “dead to sin,” we’re also “alive to God” (V.11). Yet we often live as if the battle still rages. Rather than receiving the victory Jesus has already secured, freeing us from the power of sin and death, we mistakenly live as though sin still has the upper hand. While we’ll still wrestle with sin in this life, freedom comes as we recognise that Jesus has already won the battle with it. May we live in that truth!

JESUS HAS ALREADY WON.
IT’S TIME TO LIVE IN VICTORY!

YouTh Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries