Made Alive in Christ
Thursday’s Verse:
From Colossians 2:13 ESV
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses...”
It was Tuesday night. I sat down exhausted from chemotherapy. I pulled up the journal app on my iPad. When the day slowed down and the sun slowly set in the west, I sat to assess my day. We all do some version of this. We take stock of the hours past and count up wins, worries, and inevitably losses—the nasty comment, forgotten responsibility, silent heartbreaks.
The Bible crashes into this scene in the book of Colossians. Paul’s words meet us in the inventory of failure, but rerun the script. Read his words carefully: we were dead. Live people try to help themselves, skip a few prayers, and lose their cool now and then. But death is different. If you are dead, you can do nothing to save yourself. You cannot take one more step, utter one more prayer, or repair your sin. The Law diagnoses you with death. On our own, we are unable to help ourselves.
But with Christ death has been defeated. This is Gospel in its purest form: “God made alive together with him.”
Your new life is not a “maybe life” that you must press on through self-discipline or your nighttime routine checklist. This is factual, historical truth. When Jesus rose from the dead, God bound your name to His. On the cross, Jesus did more than pay for most of your sins. In fact, Paul is clear that He paid for all of our trespasses. The debt has been paid in full. You are credited with the righteousness of Christ.
As we go about our Thursdays, later on this evening, we will be right back to looking at our collective days. Keep firm in the words of Paul. You can close your eyes and stop sweating the day. You won’t toss and turn striving to perform tomorrow or regretting yesterday. Your salvation is not conditioned on your performance for the day but on Christ’s perfect sacrifice and resurrection. In Him, you are alive. You are forgiven. You are safe.
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
Gracious Father, thank You that we are dead, but Christ made us alive together with Him. Thank You that His death covers over our trespasses. As we lay our heads down, let us sleep knowing that in Christ, we are secure and loved. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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