Wherefore let us thus seek life with Jesus, that we may keep His dying in us first...

  - Columbanus, Sermon X (Irish, 7th century)

I have been crucified with Christ.

  - Galatians 2.20

What a strange idea: "keep His dying in us first." What did Columbanus have in mind?

This time of year we celebrate Jesus' being born, His coming to earth as a living, breathing, human being, fully Man and fully God.

But His coming was in order to die. And His dying was in order to accomplish our redemption.

If Jesus has died in us, then we are free from sin - from its consequences, powers, and fears. Jesus has destroyed sin, putting it to death in His own death. If He has died in us, He has taken our sin to its destruction, and we are no longer its captives and slaves.

Jesus' dying in us means that we have died with Him, as Paul observed. Now we no longer live in the sinful, wretched life of an inveterate rebel. Now we are alive in Jesus, we who keep His dying of the first priority in our own lives. Now we live in the freedom of the sons and daughters of God - free to know the Lord, to live in His Spirit, to bring holiness to completion in the fear of God. Free to live, to love, to proclaim our new life in Him to all the dead souls around us.

Since death could not hold Him, Whose power issued from an indestructible life, if Jesus has died within us, then we must surely live in His resurrection power - now and forevermore.

Is this your experience? Are you free in the dying and rising Christ to turn away from sin, increase in the righteousness of Jesus, and let the life-waters of His resurrection power and love flow through you to everyone in your life?

Keep Jesus dying in you as of the first importance, and you will surely be free to live in Him as well.

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.