Lent Day 18: March 29

Today we welcome guest blogger Mary Harrington, who shares with us her reflections on having our "debts" paid.

Lenten Reflection for Day 18

Date: Tuesday March 29, 2011

Author: Mary Harrington

Bible Passage:

Romans 6:1–4 (NRSV)

¹ What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? ² By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? ³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Reflection:

In today’s economy, too many people know what it is like to be deeply in debt, even facing bankruptcy. If you were in this position, due to bad choices in spending, imagine someone telling you that your debt has been “paid in full.” It is a gift. Now you have a choice: show your gratitude by being responsible and staying out of debt, or going back to the old spending ways.

At baptism we are united with Christ. By his death on the cross, Jesus gave us a gift. We are permanently debt free, sin free. But, we also have free will. We can choose to continue in our old ways knowing future sins will be forgiven, or we can use our free will to live a life that shows gratitude to God. We are still responsible for our choices and actions.

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for the gift of your Son, who made the ultimate sacrifice to free me from sin. Protect me from daily temptations and give me the strength to fully surrender my life to you. Amen