JUNE 18
“… Christ died for our sins as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He rose again on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.”
(1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
The Lord Jesus Christ gave His life to take away our sins and the punishment we deserved. But He didn’t stop there. He also gives us a new power to help us say no to our old sinful ways. As a new Christian, we can find strength through His death to overcome sin in our lives.
Second, when Jesus was buried, our sins were buried with Him. That means we don’t need to carry a guilty conscience anymore. Every sin we commit slowly weakens our conscience. Think of someone who wants to lie. His conscience says, “Don’t do it.” But he ignores it. Over time, his conscience becomes silent. One day it may speak again, reminding him of the wrong. Many try to quiet this guilt by doing good works, like charity. But that peace doesn’t last. True peace only comes when our sins are forgiven and buried with Christ.
Third, the power of Jesus’ resurrection can live in us. He rose from the dead so that He can now live inside us and help us walk in a new way. We cannot live this new life just by trying hard or reading the Bible alone. Without Jesus’ power, we will still be quick to get angry or tell lies. But when we, as new Christians, ask in faith for His resurrection power, He will help us overcome every sin. As it says in Matthew 7:7 and 6:31–33, we should pray—not just for things we want in the world, but for heavenly and spiritual strength.
Every day, we should say a Christian prayer, asking for the power of His resurrection. This is the kind of new Christian prayer we need—not just words, but a heart longing for a pure life, strength to obey God, and desire to serve Him. This is what a new Christian prayer church teaches—that through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, we are made new.
In Colossians 3:1–3, Paul reminds us that because of our union with Jesus, we now live a new life. Our love for worldly things fades, and we want to know more about God’s kingdom. We want to live right, understand His will, learn heavenly truths, and serve Him more and more.