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 6:9-11
Are you among those people who think the church is a dead place?
If so, you might appreciate this story told to me by a smiling grandmother about her grandson.
The pastor of their church had recently retired, and it took a number of months for a replacement to arrive.
One day, it was announced that they would soon be getting a young pastor directly from the seminary. When the lady's grandson heard the announcement, he said he wasn't going to church any more. "Why not?" his parents wanted to know. The young fellow replied, "When they get pastors directly from the cemetery, I'm staying home."
I like that. But, you know the Christian church is hardly a dead place.
In fact, my many wanderings have convinced me it is filled with some of the most living and lively people I know. People who have been saved by the Lord Jesus have a different outlook on life.
It's hard to say how Christians are changed, but they are. Their smiles are changed. Their outlooks are changed. Having seen Jesus give Himself for them on the cross, they want to enjoy the life that God has given them in this world as well as the next. If you haven't seen a church that way, you might want to look again.
We're not all from the cemetery.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I am dead to sin and alive in Your salvation! You have conquered death, so that those with faith may have eternal life. Help me to share this life-changing and life-saving news with those around me. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 99-100,102 Acts 17:16-34
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