Friday, March 6, 2009
Romans 6:1-3 Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
THE PASSION OF JESUS IN US
Many of you may have noticed that the cloths on the altars of our churches changed when we entered the season of Lent. Most churches change their altar cloths to purple during Lent. Purple is a color that is used to symbolize repentance. As we ponder the Passion of Jesus and realize that our sins were the cause of His suffering and death, we are also led to repent of our sin.
Repentance has long been connected to the season of Lent. Think of the custom in Bible times of fasting from food and praying to God while dressed in sackcloth and ashes. Marking oneself with ashes is an act of humility and repentance over sin before God. The Lenten season begins with "Ash Wednesday" when some put ashes on the head in a sign of repentance. But as Paul reminds us in the verses above, the whole season of Lent naturally emphasizes and leads us to repentance.
Paul reminds us that through our baptisms we died with Christ -- we died to sin. Through faith in the suffering and death of Jesus our Savior, we don't continue living in the unrepentant sins of the flesh. Paul reminds us that the Passion of Jesus points out the seriousness of our sins, which brought about the need for Jesus' passion. But we are also able to look to our Savior and see the deliverance and peace He brings us.
Grant that I Thy Passion view with repentant grieving
Nor Thee crucify anew by unholy living.
How could I refuse to shun ev'ry sinful pleasure
Since for me God's only Son suffered without measure?
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 140:4)
