“…dead to sin but alive to God…” Aren’t those beautiful words? My mom graduated to heaven on November 2, 2018. I inherited her Bible. I was kind of disappointed that she hadn’t underlined verses or written notes in the margin. I guess she thought she’d be defacing God’s Word if she did so. But she did write something in the front inside flap: “My favorite verse—1 Cor. 10:13.” (“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”) I was pretty surprised by her choice. My mom—the most faithful person I knew—battled temptation? But when I really processed it, her choice made sense. Mom accepted Jesus when she was just a little girl. She grew in her relationship with Him, knowing she was alive in God through Christ. The more she leaned on Him, the less sin had control of her. Of course she faced temptations—we all do!—but she overcame temptation with Jesus’s help, and sin reigned less and less and less in her life. The closer we are to Jesus, the less likely we are to succumb to the world’s pull. The less likely we are to wallow in sinful behavior that harms us spiritually and sets a poor example of holiness. Every day, we should look ourselves in the mirror and remind ourselves that we are dead to sin and alive in God…and then let our behavior reflect that truth.