Over the past few years, fashion has seemed to change dramatically. Those who have lived in the ’70s and ’80s have probably seen some of their childhood and young adults’ clothing styles come back around. Teenagers are raiding their parents’ and grandparents’ old clothes to find “vintage clothing.” This has happened for years, as modern fashion seems to circulate. Why? Because whoever makes the laws of fashion seem to always look back in time and want to bring things back. Clothes that went out of style are revived, bell-bottom jeans and old sweaters reappear, and people who look like they came straight out of decades before look cool again.
Although our fashion tends to follow a circular pattern, our technology never does. Nobody wants to go back to huge phones, massive boxes for TV’s with no remotes, or being microwave-less. The reason for this is that when we experience something that improves the quality of our lives, we don’t turn back. Why would anyone choose to continue in their current pattern of life, yet go back to technology from 20 years in the past?
If your current way of life is better than what is old, why would you ever want to turn back? Paul addresses this idea in Romans 6 in regard to the Christian life. Specifically in verses 20–23, Paul describes the lives of those without Christ as “slaves to sin”. These people, though they believe they have freedom, are really only free from righteousness and are enslaved by the sin that has ensnared them. Paul asks a rhetorical question to imply that there is no benefit to a life without Christ, as all actions lead to death in that life. It’s obviously the worst life to live. However, the audience Paul is writing to has been set free from sin, no longer enslaved to their actions that lead to death, but instead, live a new and sanctified life where the outcome is eternal life. He closes the thought with v. 23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Why would one who is free from the bonds of sin and experiencing a life destined for heaven ever turn back to derive benefit from actions that lead to death?
The Christian life is not one that is to be circulated through, only representing a phase of your life only to go “out of style.” It is one that is a life-long commitment, but also one that is so much better than any other life that could be lived. There is no reason to ever want to turn from a life that leads to eternal life.
Is there something that is pulling you to a life destined for death? Instead, realize that those who are in Christ live a life full of blessings and ending with heaven. What could be worth turning from the life of a
Christian?
Nate Kidwell
Dalraida church of Christ is a congregation of Christians that meet in the mid-town area of Montgomery, Alabama. Our goal and purpose is to seek and follow God and His Word in everything that we do in life.