Life from death

With Good Friday and Easter approaching, the focus is on the death and resurrection of Christ--death and life, the former which we dread and the latter which we seek. We hate death, and yet so often we cooperate with it by choosing hurtful things. We want life, and yet so often we cling to the things which fight against it. Our self seems to lead us exactly the wrong way--away from life in Christ. If self is in charge, we're in trouble.

That's why the self-control given by the Spirit is different from the self-control that helps us get what we want. If I control myself only as a means of achieving my own goals, it is not the Spirit of Christ who is in charge.

But, as it says in Romans 8: 11-15, "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Imagine that--no, do better than that--BANK on it: the Spirit of the resurrected Christ lives in us, bringing life where once death reigned. It's not Easter yet (hide your eyes if you're a stickler for following all the Lenten traditions), but I'm going to say it anyhow, "Hallelujah!!!!"