When Jesus died on the cross all of our past, and old life was destroyed on the cross. “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (Romans 6:3).” “…Christ was raised from the dead…(Romans 6:4)” What does all that mean? It, means that in Christ we have become a new person. It uses the metaphor of death and being baptized into his death to represent a death to our sinful desires and a “born again” soul that it being shaped into the image of the Creator; God. The Bible and Romans 6 in particular teaches that we should not allow sin to “rule over us”, Christ is our God and Master. We are fully made new in Christ, we have put off our old self and been “…Born again…(John 3:3).” By, keeping God’s commands we show that we love Him as Jesus put it, “If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15).” That then means we are not, “…under law but under grace…(Romans 6:15).” We, see that we are not judged by the law of God, we are free in Him. Does this give us a license to sin? The Bible says, “…By no means!,..(Romans 6:15)…” There is a fine balance between justification by faith and good works. The moment we put our trust in ourselves rather than God we have given ourselves over to our sinful nature. We can not be justified without faith, as the Bible puts it, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)” The Bible teaches that we are rewarded for our good works, and that God will not forget them. It teaches that when we put our trust in Christ as the Creator of our faith we are forgiven. When, we do good works God smiles upon us as it is evidence that He is actively working in our lives and that we have surrendered to Him. May, we always remember that the, “…free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23).” Amen.