Today’s Reading: Jer 29:1–30:24, Rom 6:1–14, Prov 20:13–30

Today’s Theme: Alive to God

Today we learn that we are dead to sin and alive to God through our union with Christ. We should live with this truth in mind, we live under grace and sin’s dominion has been broken… Hallelujah!

Jeremiah 29:1–30:24

Pray for the city

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.(Jeremiah 29:7, ESV)

So pray for the city you live in, when the city does well, we will do well too. Like the exiled Jews, let’s live our lives on mission.

God’s Pre-Ordained Plan

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.(Jeremiah 29:11, ESV)

God saying He knows the pre-ordained plans that He has for Israel, rather than the lies of the false prophets.

We have adopted this in the church today, to say God knows the plan He has for us and it is true, when we look at Ephesian’s, Philippians, Colossians and Romans, we see the teaching that God has predestined our lives in Christ.

However the original application was really like an encouragement from God to the people of Judah, letting them know that although they will go through 70 years of slavery, God has a plan and purpose in these times of discipline and difficulty.

Lust and lies

because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. I am the one who knows, and I am witness, declares the Lord.’ ”(Jeremiah 29:23, ESV)

False prophets always seem to have lust and sexual sin driving them. Pray that God would expose the evil intentions of false prophets today.

God’s mind accomplished

The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intentions of his mind. In the latter days you will understand this.(Jeremiah 30:24, ESV)

This prophecy can be seen through both a short (at the time in Judah and Babylon) and long lens (The end times). God will accomplish what He has set His mind to.

Romans 6:1–14

Dead to sin

By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?(Romans 6:2, ESV)

We no longer habitually live in sin. We are dead to sin and our desires and nature has been changed in Christ.

Free from sin

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.(Romans 6:6–7, ESV)

Sin enslaves all, except those whose old self was crucified with Jesus. We are free from sin, we don’t have to be under sin’s bondage and bullying control.

Let us rejoice in the freedom we have from sin, this is the joyous cry of the gospel of God, that freedom from the bondage and reign of sin has come.

Alive to God

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.(Romans 6:11, ESV)

This is an argument for us to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God, in light of the cross.

What does it mean to be dead to sin? As a dead man has no hunger or desire so should we have no appetite, hunger or desire for sin.

What does it mean to be alive to God? This speaks of our relationship to God, which is only possible through our union with Christ. We no longer live unto ourselves but presently and constantly live before and for God.

Our desires have been awakened to God and we live in that light. We are in union with Christ; through His death we see our sin as dead, through His life we live in righteousness and through His resurrection we are alive, truly, finally, really alive.

Present your body

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.(Romans 6:13, ESV)

We can either present our bodies to sinful opportunity or to God.

Our bodies are tools and should be used in God’s service.

We are not just spiritual creatures, God created our flesh and so desires that we can serve Him even with our bodies.

Sin’s dominion is broken

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.(Romans 6:14, ESV)

We live by grace so sin has no dominion over us, the power of the law which makes sin alive is superseded by grace. This is the glorious gospel of God.

Proverbs 20:13–30

Seize the day

Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.(Proverbs 20:13, ESV)

Sleep is over rated, rise up early and seize the day.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on Romans 6