We have been reconciled with God through the death of Christ. We are dead to sin and alive to Christ. What does it look like to be alive in Christ using principles in this section of Scripture?We have justification through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection.Baptism is a naming ceremony.A life empowered by the reality of the new covenant with Christ and a life that reflects the values of Christ.Sanctification is becoming like Christ through our union with Him.Sin has lost its dominion over you.Through Christ we gain wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

Since no one can be righteous before God (see last week’s message), we see that right standing with God comes through faith in the atoning work of Jesus on the cross. But He didn’t stay dead. He rose again, defeating it all!Faith and righteousness are synonymous in that one cannot be obtained without the other. Regardless of how hard we try, we continuously fall short of the mark set for us by God. The ransom payment was the literal blood of Christ, and it paid for our sins. Not only did Christ die for you, he rose for you too. Christ didn’t come just to forgive your sins. He came so that you might conquer them.

God is righteous in his wrath against sinners. To understand the depth of his salvation, we have to understand the depth of our depravity. People usually do not sin in naivety but actually try to push approval of their sin.God's condemnation is the natural consequence of ignoring his existence and righteousness. The lie we believe is that humans can be self-fulfilled, self-reliant and have no need for God.Anytime we live outside of God’s design for us, we sin. There are no excuses for sin.God's judgment is based on three things: truth, impartiality and the example of Christ.We face God's judgment based on what we do more than what we know or proclaim.

Are we the same as this world? What sets us apart? We should strive for a renewed mind. We use the gifts God has blessed us with to benefit the Church and God’s kingdom. We submit to earthly authority. We don't judge each other. We don't cause each other to stumble. We are model citizens.Genuine love reflects the Father's love and it is the fruit that Christians must bear.We have to be brave enough to call a sin a sin. Not to do so is the opposite of loving and it destroys the purpose of God's love, which is to bring us into right relationship with him.When we love one another with brotherly affection, we follow Christ’s example of loving sacrificially.Too many of us serve a God whose love is based in accepting our will. That’s a false God.When we are persecuted for our principles, we return their curse with a blessing. Without empathy, harmony is non-existent.The Bible's literal advice is to kill them with kindness.

This is the greatest commandment given to us - to love God with literally all of who we are. What does that look like and how do we accomplish that?The entirety of Christian living can be summed up in two things - loving God and loving others.We can’t love God wholly and completely if we have placed something before him. Obedience is the only thing we have to offer in return for all he has done for us.Real love stands the test of time.

The way we love our family shows how God loves His Church. There are various passages throughout both the Old and New Testaments teaching us how to love our spouse, children, and parents. These are important relationships both selfishly for our own wellbeing, but also to show the world the type of life God desires for us all to have and what God’s relationship with His Church looks like, one abundant with love and respect.- A hardened heart closes reasonable ears. - Serve the Lord by supporting your husband's God-given place of authority.- Husbands are called to sacrifice for their wives in the same way that Christ did for the church. - The goal, husbands, is to live, love, and lead in such a way, that our wives don’t have to plug their noses as they serve the Lord by submitting to our leadership. - God hates abuse.- We teach our children how to treat us based on how we treat our parents. And we teach our children how to raise their children by how we raise them.

This is how people will know we are of God. Jesus calls His followers to love each other at a higher standard, the way He loves us. This encompasses everything that Jesus did and does for us, even going to the cross on our behalf.Christ's love begins at the cross.Our ability to love one another is a sign of our salvation.Christ lived in a way that refused exaltation. This allowed him to love in a way that made exaltation possible for others.He lived a life that was not his own, so that we might reap what we could not sew - the righteousness of God.

This is the first way people will know God’s love. This is also considered the second greatest commandment by Christ Himself, so it should be important to us. This is the foundation, the baseline for how we love everyone, and everything else is built upon it.A single question has the power to change the world.Our neighbor is the one who loves us when others would leave us. Too many of us are concerned with others receiving what they deserve, when Christ ensured that we would never have to be in that situation. 

A humble believer sees God’s provision in all things and can find contentment regardless.Humility allows us to show appreciation for the love of others. Paul had needs. What he had lost was his anxieties. Anxiety says "What am I going to do about this situation"? Faith says "I know God is working in this situation."It’s one thing to say that God is in control. To live that way is an accomplishment.Humility allows Christians to find equilibrium in the imbalance of life.

A humble Christian never sees him or herself as a completed work. They continue to push forward towards the Lord.The pinnacle of spiritual maturity can only be obtained when humility is perfected.Humility allows us to find joy in the pursuit of Christ while refusing to rest on past accomplishments or be discouraged by past failures.To rest on what we have done well is to rely on our own merit. To allow past failures to consume us and slow our progress is to ignore God's grace.