😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace be with you. A quick question to get things started and say your answer out loud. Are you a follower of Christ?
Brian and I shared some quality time with each other this past weekend driving 26 hours to FL and back, walking through parks, and feeling the thunder of NHRA drag races. Yesterday I was catching up on listen to a church service I typically listen to each week and they mentioned Romans 6:4-8 (NIV)
“We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.”
What really struck me listening to this passage is how many times Paul said “with Him”. That got me to thinking about the question I asked you earlier. It would have been a very different situation if we had driven two cars and I followed Brian to FL. I know, that would have been a very silly thing to do…right? We would have missed a lot of conversations, looks, singing together, holding hands, and even just sitting quietly enjoying each other’s presence. Following Brian would have put distance between us and allowed for missed opportunities to experience each other and grow our relationship. So, are you a follower of Christ with that margin of distance between you; reading His words that were written many years ago, but never hearing His voice; seeing or hearing about other people experiencing His presence or hearing Him speak and thinking they must be special to experience that? OR are you WITH Christ, feeling and experiencing His presence; talking with Him and hearing His words; allowing Him to use you to be His presence? Do you want to be a follower of Christ or with Christ? The choice is yours. He’s already putting forth the effort to pursue you, now it’s your turn to let Him know by your actions what He means to you. Bless others and be blessed.
#DannyGokey – If You Ain’t In It
Third Day Devotions 