Morning Devotional 042726 Not Just Once, Seventy Times Seven . . .

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

April 27, 2026

Romans 6:1-10

¹ So what are we going to say? Should we continue sinning so grace will multiply? ² Absolutely not! All of us died to sin. How can we still live in it? ³ Or don’t you know that all who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ Therefore, we were buried together with him through baptism into his death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too can walk in newness of life. ⁵ If we were united together in a death like his, we will also be united together in a resurrection like his. ⁶ This is what we know: the person that we used to be was crucified with him in order to get rid of the corpse that had been controlled by sin. That way we wouldn’t be slaves to sin anymore, ⁷ because a person who has died has been freed from sin’s power. ⁸ But if we died with Christ, we have faith that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ has been raised from the dead and he will never die again. Death no longer has power over him. ¹⁰ He died to sin once and for all with his death, but he lives for God with his life. 

Good Morning! O death, where is thy sting?

I overheard a conversation one day between a person who called himself an evangelist and a younger man. The evangelist was interested in the younger man who was reading his Bible, so he began a conversation. It started with him giving the younger man praise for reading his Bible. After some small talk, the conversation became more serious. 

The evangelist asked the young man if he had been baptized. He said, “Yes!” After a few more comments, the evangelist asked if the young man ever sinned. Again, he answered honestly, “Yes, but I try not to sin.” The evangelist then told this young man that if he had been baptized and continued to sin, he was doing it purposefully and therefore would not receive his salvation. 

I cringed and got ready to interrupt the conversation, but then the evangelist left the room. I sat quietly for a moment. I knew God wanted me to share the Good News with this young man. 

I apologized for interrupting and told him that God loves you and that, despite our best efforts, we all sin. We must acknowledge our sins, repent before God, and ask forgiveness. By God’s love, grace, and mercy, we are forgiven, not once, not seven times, but as many times that we repent, until our last day. 

Yes, in our baptism, our old self dies, and a new self emerges, but until we go to be with the Father, we remain humans with innate sinfulness. We do our best, and then give the rest to God, who is waiting with open arms to forgive us.

God of Wisdom, you bless us abundantly! Thank you for loving us despite our flaws and sinful ways. Help us to walk daily with Christ. Thank you. We love you. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Thought for the day: God offers love, grace, and mercy to all who ask. 

God forgives those who earnestly seek forgiveness! Pastor Liz