Surrender yourself to God as those who have been raised from the dead. Rom 6,13

Television programs about home improvement are very popular today, perhaps because everyone likes to see a master craftsman transform an old house. Not only does he restore it to its former glory, but he often makes it even more beautiful than before. The final work is the result of his vision and labor. Jesus is our master and craftsman. He transformed us by giving us new life in baptism. As St Paul says in today’s first reading, we are already “alive, having risen from the dead” (Rom 6:13). This means that we are already “renewed”, we have been reborn! Paul reminds us that sin no longer has any power over us because we have access to God’s grace (6:14).

Now we can live according to the plan he has designed for us. What is this plan? It is Jesus himself. It is his life in us, which enables us to reject temptation and sin, and which gives us the freedom to love, forgive, and generously serve. Furthermore, it is precisely his example that is the ‘teaching’ that St Paul says we have been introduced to (Rom 6:17). The more we imitate Jesus, the more we will resemble him. Fortunately, we don’t have to work on this alone! Master Jesus still lives in our ‘house’ and works on renewing our hearts and minds. His grace flows freely, so we can be sure that he will build on every effort we make to live a new life.

He will strengthen and expand all that is good in us. It’s a lifelong project, but working alongside such a Master and learning from him is a great privilege! In our lives, we often see “mess” — especially when we stray from the Lord. What we usually fail to see is the transformation that God has already wrought in us through Christ, as well as the work that He continues to do. Today, in prayer, present yourself to God as the new creation that you are. Then praise Him for giving you access to all the graces you need to live a new life in Him.