“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:5–11, ESV)

This has been a difficult week. My sister unexpectedly passed away in her sleep on Thursday morning. It has been a sad time for our family. It has been sad, but not hopeless. We have grieved, but also rejoiced. We have reflected on the past but also anticipated in the future.

My sister struggled in this life. But she professed Jesus as her Savior. She preached him to her friends that were hurting and in need. She had faith in the saving grace of the Messiah, who died on the cross for our sins. She believed in the resurrection from the dead and that there was life in heaven for all who put their faith in Jesus. So now that she has died, she has been set free from sin, utterly and completely.

My sister’s death has reminded me that Jesus died that I might be free from sin, utterly and completely. He chose to start the process here and now. In this life, I have the opportunity to die to sin. My old self has already been crucified with Christ. I have the ability by the power of His resurrection to die to sin, but present myself alive to God.

It is my goal to live the resurrected life now. I want to die to sin. I want to live for Jesus. Time is short and only the things I do for Jesus and His kingdom truly matter. I must die to sin and live the resurrected life so that those around me will see the power of God at work in me and will come to know Jesus as their Savior receiving the free gift of eternal life. “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:22–23, ESV)