The First Death

"My old self has been crucified with Christ."

GALATIANS 2:20

When you follow Jesus with passion, all you seek with him will be made new. In being made new in baptism by the Holy Spirit - the old you wastes away. The old you will remain in your mind but becomes insignificant - boring - and it fades. This is the new birth within yourself.

You must let the old you die and become new in Christ. This is the pardon that Jesus gave us - Crucified on the cross - giving his life and spirit freely to his father in triumph. We too must freely give death to our old selves and be made eternal in Christ Jesus.

Jesus became sin to set you free from sin. Jesus is the gift. There is no freedom from sin or a way to avoid temptation for which leads to death without Christ. He is the way. The Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ provides knowledge of sin for which you otherwise would have no thought. It is his Spirit that provides both wisdom and power for life and choice.

It is the death of Christ that allows you to have life. For he came to end sin and save mankind and show that he was God in rising from the tomb. The grave did not hold the spirit of life that lives forever and ever. Jesus freely gives his Holy Spirit for you to have life in his name.

“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.” John 11:25-26

“And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Romans 8:2

“Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” Romans 6:2-4

“If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.” 1 John 3:14