Trash Talk

~Going to the fights only to see a hockey game break out~

5For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be adone away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, creckon yourselves to be dead indeed to , sin, but alive to God through Christ Jesus our Lord

Romans 6: 5 - 11 NKJV 

It's hard to watch any sporting event without noticing it.  There are a few profesional players who excel at that fine art of...trash talk.  Having grown up in the frozen wastelands of Minnesota, my favorite sport by far is hockey.  Now, more than a few people have been drawn to the game due to its somewhat violent nature.  Although the National Hockey League has done its share to wussify this once proud league, there remains remnants to this day of its violent, glove dropping, sucker punching past.  Yes, one of the most enduring part of any game for fans is that moment when two opposing players will somehow eventually talk themselves into fisticuffs.  Indeed, as long as it takes two to tango, so it takes two to initiate a NHL fight.  More often than not, it all begins with the trash talk, the constant back and forth chatter in which a player will question anything from his opponents will to his manhood.  inevitably, the fight will comence.  Don't get me wrong, trash talk is not limited to professional sports.  Sometimes, as silly as it seems, it is a means of communication between friends.  Other times, it is a war of words.  Obviously, this sometimes vicious back and forth has come to be commonplace these days.  It need not be meaningful communication, just as long as it gets on the nerves of another.  Now, I admit that I have at times engaged in this past time, but there is a form of trash talk which I will seldom engage in these days.  That is, talking about that trash which has already been removed from my life.  I'm talking about the sin which was once a prevelent part of my life.  The scriptures tell us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God {Romans 3:23}.  Yes, that means every one of us.  However, the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 6 that our old sin nature, our old man, was nailed to that cross and crucified alongside Jesus.  Jesus Himself bore that penalty which was meant for us.

 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not dimputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5: 17 - 19 NKJV

When we talk of those things which are meaningless to us, we talk of sin.  When we talk of things which we are no longer slaves to, we are talking about our old sin nature.  I fail to see the connection when people tell me that Christ Jesus bled and died for my sins, but that I should continue to ask my heavenly Fathers forgiveness.  Why is that?  Did Jesus somehow miss a sin or two of mine that His blood did not wash away?  Make no mistake, when scripture tells us that Jesus died to take away our sins, He died to take away ALL sin past, present and future.  We have no need to continue to come before our Lord to ask His forgiveness, for there is nothing left to forgive.  All blemishes have been wiped away.  Paul tells us in Romans 6 that we shall reckon ourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  The trash has been take away, there's nothing left to remove.  You could even say, we're dead to that.

~Scott~