What is the J-curve of Christian life?

¹What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? … ⁴We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life… ¹¹In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:1, 4, 11 (NIV)

In Romans 6:1-14, Paul confronts a crucial misunderstanding in the Christian life. He asks, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” (v. 1). His immediate response, “By no means!” sets the stage for a deep dive into the “J Curve”—a concept of dying and rising with Christ.

As we explore this passage, consider how each of us has experienced the gospel’s power not just as a past event but as a present reality. Paul explains that we were baptized into Christ’s death. This baptism isn’t just a ritual; it’s a powerful symbol of entering into the death of Jesus. In this act, we’re not just acknowledging His death; we’re participating in it. This is the downward movement of the J, where we die to our old selves, our sin, and our self-centered way of living.

Moving into Romans 6:4, Paul declares, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” This is the upward movement of the J Curve. It’s not merely about resuscitation but about resurrection—coming up to a new, transformed life that’s empowered by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.

Now, imagine this as a daily cycle in our prayer lives. Each day, we come to God in prayer, laying down our burdens, our failures, and our sins—dying to them. And each day, we rise, asking God to fill us anew with His Spirit, to empower us to live out this new life. It’s a continual process of renewal that transforms our prayer from a duty into a dynamic relationship with God.

Think of it this way: every prayer is a mini-death and resurrection. We let go of our control and rise in God’s control. We die to our plans and rise in His plans. This is the heart of the J Curve—the daily, moment-by-moment experience of Jesus’ death and resurrection shaping how we live, pray, and interact with the world.

As we embrace this rhythm of the J Curve, we find that our lives become a testimony not just of surviving but of thriving through the resurrection power of Jesus. It’s about living out the reality of Romans 6:11, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

This understanding of the J Curve, intertwined with the practice of prayer as explored in A Praying Life, shows us that prayer is not just about changing our circumstances but about God changing us through the very act of praying. It’s a journey of becoming who we already are in Christ—dead to sin and alive to God.

How would the pattern of death and resurrection of Jesus help you practice the Christian life, even in praying?

[The ideas for this week’s materials Paul Miller’s book “A Praying Church”]