“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Isn’t it great to think that Jesus offers us new life? It is right here in Romans 6:4. But the problem with the new life, is that the old one has to die. Death is a hard topic these days, yet it used to be a natural part of life. One might argue that it still is. Yet it seems that Christians who believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ fear death. We cannot have the new life without the death of what the old life was focused on or rooted in. We have to let go of what was to receive the fullness of what Jesus has given. Letting go of what was and embracing not just what will be but Jesus Himself.

Our baptism is a reminder of dying to ourselves and being raised to life in God’s love and grace. When we think about how hard it is to release our life to Jesus but when we look at what Jesus is offering we must recognize the fullness of forgiveness, hope, love, and grace. The problem that comes up is that people struggle to hear the message of Christ to be able to receive the gift of life that He has died to give. The change in focus from Christ to ourselves while is important to note we too often put too much emphasis on ourselves instead of recognizing the greatness and love of Christ. For some the message has been watered down so much that the new life is not attractive anymore. For some the message is so different from what Jesus given us that it is not possible to experience God’s love anymore. And for others the focus is solely on themselves with an expectation that Jesus will give them what ever they desire, as if they are entitled.

Laying this down burying the misconceptions of God’s grace and living in the fullness of Jesus’ life that He gave for us so that we can be given this new life.