For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 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. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:5-11

Over the weekend, I attended not one, but two memorial services for two people who died in their 50’s. They were very different people who had one thing in common – Hope. Both of these people battled some illnesses for an extended period of time and both of them found their relationship with Christ to be strengthened instead of strained.

From everything I heard and observed through their family, their hope was not in what they could gain in this life, but hope that is only found in Christ.

In the verses above, Paul is discussing how we should live our lives as people who are “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

“We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him” and “if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

Let’s pursue life with that in mind by dying to ourselves and living for Him.