Our Scripture meditation is based on Romans 6:1–4, the start of the Epistle reading for next week.
[1] What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? [2] By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? [3] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
This passage reminds me of a quote attributed to St. Augustine: “God makes the willing out of the unwilling.” Here’s how:
God’s law is not effective in motivating us to live godly lives for the long term. This is due to our fallen natures. The more we are told we must do something, the more likely we will resent doing it. Or stop doing it all together. For example, I grew up I voluntarily wore a seatbelt when riding in vehicles. When I was a young adult, the state of Kansas passed a law that residents must wear seat belts. I stopped wearing a seatbelt. Why? Because I was being told what I had to do in my own vehicle. (And I lacked the maturity to respect the law of the land.) After a couple of years, I repented and again wore a seatbelt.
In this passage the Apostle Paul points out that we have received God’s grace in baptism. Receiving God’s grace leads us to a new attitude. We are grateful to God for our salvation, for the personal relationship God has formed with us. Through grace, God has made “the unwilling” into “the willing.” We willingly accept God’s law as a blessed guide for life. In fact, we appreciate God’s guidance in daily life.
Kevin Wilson 360 