June 30

So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. — Rom 6:11 BSB

It’s a powerful idea to live as though we are dead to sin. A dead person cannot sin.

There’s a story about an old shoemaker who used to be a wicked man. He had a terrible temper and would throw his tools in fits of anger. But after his conversion, he never got angry again. “I am dead,” he would say. “A dead man cannot lose his temper. A dead man cannot throw a hammer.”

If we train ourselves to be dead to all that is wrong, we can rid ourselves of many unlovely traits. But it’s not enough just to suppress evil—we must also cultivate what is good. It’s not enough to avoid anger; we must become sweet-spirited, gentle, forgiving, and kind. The love of Christ within us should call out the best in us.