Sometimes, verses ring out like sermons in your heart. Over and over again, Scripture refrains its call back to the gospel. That's what it was like for me this week. I was reading Romans 6, and Paul's saying "How can we who have died to sin still live in it?" and "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:2,11). The reality for us as believers is that we are dead to sin. The question for me is how do I live as one who has died to sin? Because, even though I'm dead to sin in Jesus, it doesn't always feel like it.

Then it stuck out to me like never before: "...present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness" (Romans 6:13). According to Strong's Concordance, the Greek word for "present" is paristēmi. Paristēmi means "to stand beside, i.e. (trans) to exhibit, proffer, (spec.) recommend, (fig.) substantiate, or (interns) to be at hand (or ready), aid." I found myself picturing in my mind a servant standing beside his master, ready to do His bidding. No one can serve two masters. Because we are dead to sin, we are free to give ourselves over to God as willing vessels. And that changes everything. Every day, we can choose to present ourselves to God, to stand by our Savior, reading and willing instruments in His hands. When we place ourselves in His hands, He transforms us.

Paul continues this theme in Romans 7, saying, "Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God" (Romans 7:4). We are dead to sin only because we belong to Jesus. We cannot bear fruit apart from our Lord Jesus Christ. Being dead to sin will not be a daily reality for us if we are trying to live in our own power and strength. If we are not clinging to Jesus, we cannot claim His resurrection power and life.

So my heart is preaching to me this week "Present yourself to God." Only then, I know, will I be able to live the abundant life He has called me to.