Your Old Life Doesn't Get A Comeback

I love the story of Frankenstein. Truth to be told, it's one of my favorite books. Confession. I also love World War Z and was a fan of The Walking Dead. I realize that's not very "pastory" of me, but I'm clearly not the only one. Culturally, we seem to be drawn to the idea of dead things coming back to life. That’s why zombie stories disturb us. That’s why horror movies stick with us. Deep down, we know burial is meant to be final.

That’s exactly why Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15 matter so much.

When Paul summarizes the gospel, he includes a detail we might otherwise skip: Christ was buried. Why say that? It's kind of unnecessary for the description of what took place. But it's significant! Paul wants us to know Jesus' death wasn’t symbolic. It was settled. Jesus didn’t appear dead. He didn’t escape death. The door was closed. And then God opened it.

Christian faith isn’t built on vague spirituality or comforting ideas. It’s anchored in real events. There was a cross. There was a tomb. There were witnesses. Jesus truly died and truly rose. And by undoing burial itself, Jesus proved He has all authority.

That’s incredible news. But it also confronts us.

Romans 6 tells us that when we place our faith in Christ, our old life is buried with Him. That means some things are supposed to stay dead—old shame, destructive habits, fear, bitterness, and lies about who we are. Yet many of us keep digging them up, giving them space to speak, shape, and control us again.

The issue isn’t that those voices exist. The issue is that we listen.

Every time we obey a voice that contradicts what Jesus has already declared, we hand authority back to something that should have stayed buried. Freedom isn’t about winning a strength contest but rather choosing which voice gets our attention.

Today, take a step back and listen for the voices shouting, whispering, and vying for your attention. You know the voice of your heavenly Father. It's distinct from all the rest. Listen for him. Reject what is trying to compete and invite his voice into your life. Into your day. Let His voice shape and form you.