The Sinning Saint
Living the Gospel • Sermon • Submitted
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1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
New Sermon Series: Living the Gospel
Subtitle: Living as saints of God and Ambassadors of Christ
Title: The Sinning Saint
The seriousness of sin.
The need for holiness in our lives.
This takes the believer back into the “rut” of performance-based Christianity. The results is falling away from grace.
When Paul asked the question:
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
This is actually in anticipation of objections by people who deny the grace of God. This is because in Chapter 5, Paul established:
In Romans 5, Paul established:
1. Our justification by Grace through Faith Alone.
2. Our Assurance of Salvation in Christ
3. The riches of Our Union with Christ
The Christian who does not understand grace will raise this objection. Paul, since I am justified by grace alone through faith, and this is all possible by the finished work of Jesus on the cross, and I know that when I sin I will be forgiven,, then can I live as I please? Do I throw away any moral restraints since I am forgiven? In fact, my sinning will give God a greater opportunity to demonstrate his grace.
Christians end up feeling defeated. we talked of the believer’s authority and the victory we have in Christ but many believers cannot relate to this and do not feel victorious.
There is a fundamental lesson that many Christians of many years do not understand, and that is our identity in Christ.
I love it when Philip calls us Saints of the Most High God - that is what you are!
TO BE A SAINT IS TO BE IN CHRIST!
The Biblical approach in tackling sin as a Christian is our new identity in Christ. We have to understand our new nature which comes from our identity in Christ.
I share a message last Wednesday about sin in the context of prayer.. The greatest of all the apostles, St. Paul did not take sin lightly,, but you notice, if you carefully study his teachings, that when he deals with the sins of the church or reminds them not to sin, he always starts with their identity in Christ..
We will do an in depth study of Ephesians soon.. but this is how Paul did it:
Ephesians 2:1 “You, He made alive, who WERE (past tense) dead in trespasses and sins”
Example of parents and kids spending time outside the home at his friend’s house:
Other examples:
In Ephesians 4:1: “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” - you have a calling.
In Ephesians 4:17 “this I say therefore and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the gentiles walk...” - you have been separated from the world.
In Ephesians 4:22 “put off concerning your former (past tense) conduct, the old man.. - you have a new nature.
In Ephesians 5:3 “ but fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking nor course jesting, which are not fitting” — these sins no longer fit you! You as a believer are now incompatible with sin”.
I like this next one:
In Ephesians 5:8: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord..” and then he tells them - walk as children of light..
You see what the apostle is doing here? This is the secret to living in victory over the power of sin..
That is why in verse 2 of today’s text Paul vehemently disagreed with the question.. “shall I continue to sin then”?
2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
By no means! May it never be! In the King James version he said: “God forbid!”
Repugnant meaning — grossed out, eeeoowhh to a child
Even the idea of willful sin was repugnant to the apostle, it’s eooohhh why?
Because “You are dead to sin!”
11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sin is no longer you. It does not define you, it no longer has authority over you, your identity is now in Christ.
Three lessons we can get from today’s study:
Although the believer is dead to sin, he is not immune to sin.
Wrong interpretation of the word “dead”. Illustration of pouring cold water to a dead body.
Augustine’s take on sin:
Adam before the fall: “Able to sin.”
Adam after the fall: “Not able not to sin”.
The believer in Christ: “Able not to sin”.
The tyranny of sin has been broken.
Three lessons we can get from today’s study:
2. The believer died to sin, once for all.
It is not a daily dying to sin - it is a misconception.
Wrong interpretation of 1 Corinthians 15 when Paul said - “I die daily” - that is in reference to his physical sufferings and persecutions.
We died with Christ.
We are dead to sin and have to apply this already accomplished “death to sin” our daily experience.
Three lessons we can get from today’s study:
3. The believer is no longer in bondage to sin.
We can still sin. But our union with Christ in His death, burial and His resurrection has given us the ability not to sin any longer.. by His Spirit, He has given us power not to sin.
Illustration of the bad landlord and the tenant.
“Take it up with the new landlord!”
You have a new landlord. There is a new sheriff in town!
We will continue with Romans 6 next week, but here is a good paraphrase of Romans 6:1-2:
“How should we respond to this tremendous grace of God? Should we just go on sinning so that God has the opportunity to show more and more of His grace? Absolutely not! This is preposterous! If that is your response, you have completely missed the truth of what God did to you and in you at the cross. You have died to sin, it has no longer control over you. How can you possibly live in that old miserable way? You have already been freed from it.” (Dick Flaten from the book the Marvelous Exchange)
We no longer have to live in sin, God has made us alive in Christ!