“We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”

(Romans 6:6, NIV)

There’s an old joke about two hunters in the woods. One of them suddenly collapses, and his buddy, in a panic, calls 911. “I think my friend is dead! What should I do?”

The calm voice on the other end says, “First, let’s make sure he’s dead.”

There’s a pause… then a loud BANG.

The hunter comes back on the line and says, “Okay, now what?”

It’s a dark joke, but it has an important spiritual lesson buried in it.  In Romans 6:6, Paul tells us that our “old self” was crucified with Christ. Not improved.  Not tucked away in storage for future use. Crucified.  That’s strong language. It means the old version of you — the one ruled by sin, shaped by pride, driven by selfish desires — is meant to be done away with completely.  Buried.  Gone.

But let’s be honest: we sometimes treat our “old self” more like a patient in recovery than someone who’s been laid to rest. We say we’re following Jesus, but we still keep parts of the old life on life support — anger that simmers, bitterness we refuse to let go of, habits we’ve grown comfortable with, temptations we flirt with.

And the result?  We end up living as if Jesus only partially saved us — enough to forgive our sins, but not enough to set us free from them.

But Jesus didn’t die just to clean us up a little.  He died to make us new.  To give us a new heart, a new mind, a new way of being.  That means letting the old self truly die. 

So, here’s the question: Is there any part of the old you that’s still hanging around? A grudge you won’t let go of?  A sin you’ve quietly accepted?  A mindset that looks more like the world than the kingdom of God?

Make sure the old you is really dead.  

Prayer: Father, thank you for the gift of new life in Christ. Give me the courage to let go of anything that belongs to my old self, and the grace to live fully as the new creation you’ve made me to be.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day