Alive to God

Acts 2:36–47 NKJV

36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

I want to talk to you about the power of continuing daily in the life of God.

Military life is completely different than civilian life. It has its own language, customs, style, and behaviors. I signed up for the Marine Corps in the Delayed Entry Program. I was still in high school when I expressed my intention to join. I didn’t enter into the world of the Marine Corps until I did something. I had to show up. I had to go to the MEPS station and I had to put my feet on the yellow footprints. And though that was the entry into this world, it was the daily showing up that was the key to living in that world successfully.

The kingdom of God is a new world. It offers a new way of living. There is a new language. There are new customs and new behaviors. And to participate in the kingdom we have to show up daily. We have to present ourselves to God ready to receive new life.

Following Jesus is a daily process (Luke 9.23). We need to be intentional in showing up if we want to live in the kingdom of God.

But as we follow Jesus daily, we experience God’s grace and become participants in everlasting life.

Authentic Christianity

Becoming partakers of the divine nature and living in the kingdom is more than simply praying a prayer or participating in religious tradition (2 Peter 1.4).

The Bible speaks of a form of godliness that lacks its power and I think that is a clear description of what we might call, cultural Christianity (2 Timothy 3.5). Cultural Christianity is a threat to the new life of God. It has no power but rests in tradition and ritual. It emphasizes simply praying a prayer and constantly turning to the grace of God to cover up our sin.

This type of Christianity uses grace as an excuse instead of an empowerment. It doesn’t call us into a new life but it just offers us a band-aid for our weakness.

But the grace of God is meant to empower us and bring us into the new life of Christ. Through Christ we have access to the grace to be dead to sin and alive to God.

God’s grace is given to us so that we can not just speak up—pray a prayer and say Jesus’ name—but so that we can show up—walk in grace and in new life.

Alive to God

God doesn’t do things partway. He completes every good work that He begins (Philippians 1.6). And God is working in your life to bring you into His kingdom so that you can walk with Him and in His favor.

And as He extends this invitation into newness of life and brings you out of the darkness and into His glorious light, your role is simple: believe and receive (1 Peter 2.9). Show up and go with God in the power of His might (Ephesians 6.10).

Know the Truth

Romans 6:1–10 NKJV

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

Jesus told us that when we abide in His word we would know the truth and the truth would set us free (John 8.31-36).

There are three key truths that we must embrace if we want to actually live in the new life.

We have been crucified with Christ - our sin, shame, and old life is dead in the eyes of God. There may be consequences that still follow us but we are no longer that person.

We are dead to sin - being dead to sin means we are no longer slaves to sin. We no longer need to do its bidding. We are no longer under its control. It does not move us.

We are alive to God - we now are alive. No longer spiritually dead and cut off from everything that is holy and right and true. We are now able to enter into a new realm of living.

This is the truth that we have to believe. If we do not then our relationship with God and the practice of our faith will be impacted.

If we don’t believe that we have been crucified with Christ and that our old life is dead then we will allow ourselves to be defined by it. Example: accuser has nothing to say any more (Colossians 2.14).

If we do not believe that we are dead to sin then we will allow its presence in our lives. Example: can’t tempt a dead body

If we do not believe that we are alive to God then we will not live in a way that pleases Him. Example: relationships require change, like no cats

We can’t fully live in something we do not know and understand.

Because of the love of God and the obedience of Jesus we have been shown the truth. When we trust Jesus and believe the truth it frees us to live in light of it.

Choose to Embrace the Truth

Romans 6:11 NKJV

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is not enough to know the truth, we must choose to embrace it.

The word reckon means to consider, calculate. To experience God’s presence and power and new life we not only need to know that it is available, we need to choose it.

Illustration: Having a treatable but deadly medical condition. If we follow the treatment plan that the doctor prescribes, though it might be difficult it would save us. If we do not take it we would die. We have the knowledge. The tools are available. But we have to choose to follow it and apply them. Otherwise they do us no practical good.

Calculate, consider, create a plan to intentionally embrace the truth.

Apply Ourselves to the Truth

Romans 6:12–23 NKJV

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We need to practice the truth. We do this by presenting ourselves to do the truth.

We show up to do God’s will. We do not show up to serve the world, the flesh, or the devil.

Illustration: Military unit has “formation.” Often the platoon sergeant will report to the platoon commander, “All present and accounted for.” Essentially saying, “Ready to carry out the plan of the day.”

The difference between living in the new life or being alive to sin is what we surrender to.

If you show up and present yourself to follow fleshly impulse and sin then you will become a servant to it to do what it wants. And this leads to death.

But if you show up and present yourself to the truth of God’s grace and His love then you will carry out His will and that will lead to holiness and eternal life.

So do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6.8). Do not give yourself to sin but put to death your sinful nature by the power of the Spirit (Romans 8.13). Don’t just learn the truth. Live it and bring glory to God (John 15.8, Matthew 5.16).

Conclusion

Romans 8:28–30 M:BCL

28 That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. 29 God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. 30 After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.

You are loved by God. Chosen by Him to participate in life with Him.

To truly live in that new life, to experience it and to prosper in it, we must know the truth and embrace it. We need to present ourselves to God and apply the truth to our lives.

Then our works will be right and good and true. And then we will walk in the kingdom and experience life eternal.