February 28

Read: Romans 6:11-13

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be… alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:11).

Alive Unto God

In the same verse that Paul exhorts Christians to reckon themselves dead to sin, he urges, “Reckon ye also yourselves to be… alive unto God.” The only way a man can become dead to sin is to become alive to God.

It is the power of God that destroys carnality. It is being alive to God that makes us dead to sin. This is true in the moment that we are sanctified wholly. When God’s Holy Spirit fills our lives there is no way for us to feel any spirit or attitude contrary to His Spirit. And this has been the glad testimony of many a seeker after holiness.

What is true at the altar is true throughout the sanctified life. The only way a sanctified Christian remains dead to sin is as he strives to become increasingly alive to God. And this takes some reckoning!

What does it mean to be alive to God? Simply this, that I continue responsive to every intimation of His will for me. To do God’s will is not always easy even for a sanctified Christian. But when His will is known I do it even when it seems hard. I do it because I remember that this is what being a sanctified Christian means.

Death to sin and to sinning is simply the negative side to life in the Spirit — and life is living, continuous, ongoing activity, changing every day, every hour, every moment. Is sanctifying grace adequate for that? Yes!

Moment by moment I’m kept in His love; Moment by moment I’ve live from above. Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine, Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

— D. W. Whittle