Thought for November 2, 2024

•  1533: John Calvin escapes Paris by lowering on bedsheets
• 1783: Washington bids farewell to his army
• 1824: Popular vote for President first recorded as Jackson defeats John Quincy Adams. As a republic, counting the popular vote is unnecessary as the electors are chosen by the States in whatever manner the State deems appropriate.
• 1880: James Garfield elected President. Accepted Christ at age 18, preached his first sermon in 1853. Rose to the rank of Major General during the War Between the States and was known for telling those under his command of their need for a personal relationship with Christ. Wish and pray for more Presidents like that.
• 1898: First cheerleader at a college football game--Minnesota
• 1917: Balfour Declaration supports a Jewish State in Palestine
• 1944: Auschwitz begins gassing inmates
• 1947: US wins Ryder Cup with Ben Hogan as captain
• 1947: Howard Hughes flies the Spruce Goose
• 1948: Truman upsets Dewey
• 1983: Martin Luther King holiday established
• Born: Daniel Boone, Marie Antoinette, James K Polk, Warren G Harding, George Boole [Boolean Algebra[, Burt Lancaster, Ray Walston ["My Favorite Martian"],Ken Rosewall, David Schwimmer, Nelly, 
• Died: Jenny Lind, George Bernard Shaw, James Thurber

Thought:

Yesterday as we read Romans 6-1-11, we thought about living like a person who had been buried with Christ and raised to newness of life. Paul addresses this in the balance of chapter 6. Look at what he says. If you have died to self and been raised in Christ:

• Do not let sin reign in your body. [6:12]
• Do not obey sin's lust. [6:12]
• Do not allow your body to be instruments of ungodly behavior. [6:13]
• Do not become a slave to sin, but rather a slave of God and a slave of righteousness. [6:16-22]

Do you ever think about yourself as a slave of God? He bought us and owns us. He created us and saved us. I think what I see is the question, "Who is your Master?" A faithful slave obeys his master. The truth is that we will be slaves to someone--God or Satan, God or the lusts of this world. For the issue is who will I serve, who will I obey, who will I honor? Notice in 6:19, we present our selves as slaves to righteousness that results in sanctification. The more we yield to the control of Jesus, the more we are conformed to Him. Paul repeats this in Romans 12--present your bodies as living sacrifices to prove the perfect will of God. The idea for me is that if I am totally yielded to Him, then my life becomes a perfect sacrifice and is a witness to what God really wants from me and others--I become a living example. I think this is why Paul could say, if you want to follow Jesus, do what I do. 

We often talk about those that lead by example. We criticize those that say do as I say, not as I do. I think Paul's message is to lead by example by being enslaved to Christ, faithfully following His commands until I become just like Him. 

Blessings

Larry