Dead to Sin, Alive to Christ
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Today we are continuing our study in the book of Romans. Last week we closed with the last two verse of chapter 5.
The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
When we come to our passage today, Paul anticipates the question that many might ask. So if you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, turn with me to Romans chapter 6 and we’ll begin reading with verse 1.
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
More Grace?
More Grace?
Paul asks the logical, but rhetorical question:
Should followers of Jesus actually sin more so that God’s grace can increase in our lives?
By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
Paul uses the strongest emphatic response possible: ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Dead to Sin
Dead to Sin
How can we sin when we have “died to sin?”
This is the past tenses (Gk. aorist)--we have already died to sin.
Sin should not be living in us! (v. 2b). The logic continues
--if you have already died to something, how can you live in it? The obvious answer is, “You can’t.”
When we come to verse 3 and 4, Paul is going to give us a clarifying explanation to help us understand why we cannot continue sinning.
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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.
Know it or not, each of us have been baptized into Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 12:13) .
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Thus, we were also are connected to Jesus’ death.
So just as Jesus was raised from the dead physically to glorify the Father, we too are raised spiritually to live a new life to glorify the Father!
United in Christ’s Death
United in Christ’s Death
Paul wants us to understand what it means to be united to Christ. Paul especially wants us to know what it means to be united in Christ’s death.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
If it is true that we have been united with Christ in his death--then we will also experience his resurrection.
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—
Verse 6 points out that what was crucified was our “old self.” This is a term that is used to describe our natural self.
The old self was crucified so that sin--ANY SIN--might not be able to rule us any longer.
In fact, Paul goes on to say sin in us ought to “be done away with. . .”
No longer slaves to sin!
Here’s the key--Humanity is always a slave to something or someone. We are either a slave to sin, which leads to destruction; or we are slaves to Jesus, which leads to an eternal existence with Him.
because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Paul solidifies this idea in verse 7, by saying anyone who has died has been set free from sin!
Christ’s Death
Christ’s Death
Paul now continues to build an argument on what it means to be associated with Christ’s death--and with His resurrection.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Paul begins by reminding us that we believe Christ died--a physical death, and we died with him.
But we also believe Christ lives--physically--today! And we are made alive with Him—today!
For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
Now logic says that since Jesus has already died, He cannot die again.
Paul says that death no longer has mastery over him.
Mastery--Gk. rule, gain possession of, domination, lord, have power over, or to command.
The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
Now Paul says that the death Jesus died, He died to sin--once for all!
He could do this because He, Himself, was sinless!
Now the resurrected life that Jesus lives, He lives to God. Jesus is God, but at the same time He lives to be united with the other parts of the Trinity.
In The Same Way. . .
In The Same Way. . .
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Just like Christ died--we are to “count” ourselves dead to sin.
Gk. Count: consider, credit, reckon, calculate.
And like Christ--we are to consider ourselves alive to God--through Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
Notice the “Therefore.” Because of this, are not to allow sin to reign (rule) in our mortal bodies! (v. 12)
We are also not to obey the evil desires of our mortal bodies.
The world we live in today is all about feelings. Desires are feelings, and Paul says that we are NOT to obey our own evil desires--or feelings. But he doesn’t stop here, he continues in verse 13.
Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
We are not to offer (Gk. offer--present, cause to serve, offer) any part of ourselves to sin to be an instrument of wickedness.
But rather offer (same word used earlier. Gk. offer--present, cause to serve, offer) yourselves to God.
We are to present ourselves as someone who has been brought from death to life--separation from God to union with God!
And offer your body parts as instruments of righteousness!
Verse 14 is the key for EVERY follower of Jesus!
For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Sin will no longer be our master!
--Because we are not under the law.
--Instead we are under grace!
Slaves to Righteousness
Slaves to Righteousness
Paul now asks a second rhetorical question in verse 15.
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!
Since we are not under the law but under grace--does that mean we can keep on sinning?
Paul says Absolutely NOT!
Paul gives us the reason that we cannot keep sinning just because we are under grace. It is a matter of allegiance.
Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Do you not know--Paul assumes that they should know!
When we offer (same Gk. word used in verse 13--present, cause to serve)--ourselves to someone we become their obedient slaves (v. 16).
The key that each of us need to understand is we are ALL slaves to something or someone. The only question is to whom or what are we slaves? Paul goes on:
We become slaves to the one we obey.
If we obey sin we are slaves to sin which always leads to death.
Or we can be slaves of God and live in obedience which leads to righteousness (right-living-before-God).
Praising God for Obedience
Praising God for Obedience
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.
Paul gives thanks to God
--We used to be slaves to sin (v. 17a).
--But we have come to obey from our heart (not out of a sense of duty, but love) the pattern of teaching (c.f. 2 Tim. 1:13). It is this patter that has now claimed our allegiance (v. 17b).
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
We have been set FREE from sin--and the way we gained our freedom from sin is by becoming slaves to righteousness
A Human Example
A Human Example
Because of our limited human abilities (I think for understanding and comprehending) Paul uses an example from everyday life.
I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.
There was a time when each of us offered ourselves to impurity (Gk. uncleanness, foulness, filth, dirt, rubbish).
--As a result, we were slaves to it.
--As slaves to impurity we continued to go deeper and deeper into wickedness (Gk. lawlessness, lawless conduct, the practice of wrong doing, evil).
Compare & Contrast
Compare & Contrast
When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.
When we were slaves to sin we were free from the control of righteousness.
What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!
Paul now asks a rhetorical question:
“What benefit did you reap at that time from the things that you are now ashamed of?”
The answer is expected to be negative in nature. Notice that Paul says, “Those things result in death!”
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
Now we have been set free! Set free from sin. So that we are no longer slaves to sin which leads to death.
Now we are slaves to God! And there is a great benefit to being a slave to God, because it leads to:
--Holiness (Gk. sanctification, consecration, dedication to God, purity, to belong completely to God, devoted to God).
--Holiness results in eternal life--living in the presence of God forever!
The Result of Sin
The Result of Sin
Paul has been saying that humanity is always going to be a slave to some external power. And he has described the two potential powers.
First, there is sin. Our default is to be a slave to sin (Romans 3:23). Being a slave to sin always leads to death--both physically and spiritually.
Or we can be slaves to God which leads to two things:
A righteous life.
And ultimately eternal life.
So when we come to verse 23, Paul remakes this argument in one simple little verse. And at the same time tells us introduces the gift of God that comes through Jesus Christ.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
So What?
So What?
All this talk about slave to sin, or slave to God that Paul writes about sounds like a really big deal. And the truth is, it is a big deal. You see, Paul let us know that we are slaves to something. Down inside, each one of us knows that we are slaves to the sin. How many times have we said something like, “I’m never going to do that again,” only to fail and do the act over and over again.
Leon Morris writes:
Those who sin are slaves to their sin whether they realize it or not. This means that they cannot break away from their sin. For that they need a power greater than their own.
Leon Morris
The greater power that Morris talks about is our God. But people have a misconception about God. So many times people in the church have gotten it wrong. The great theologian, A. W. Tozer says that many have been brainwashed. He writes:
Christian believers have been going through a process of indoctrination and brainwashing, so it has become easy for us to adopt a kind of creed that makes God to be our servant instead of our being God’s servant.
A. W. Tozer
So, how do we gain freedom from our bondage to sin? Freedom comes as we begin to conform to the image of Jesus Christ. Conforming to Him in all that we do; in all that we say; and in how we live, is the beginning of the difficult task of sanctification.
Shaking the bonds of sin begins by realizing the reason, or purpose for which Jesus called us to Himself. R.C. Sproul put it this way.
The purpose for which we have been chosen is to be conformed to the image of Christ, to be servants of God, to be people of obedience who live lives of godliness and righteousness.
R. C. Sproul
So let me ask you a question.
Are you conforming to the image of Jesus?
Now I know it is Sunday, and we are at church so our natural answer should be, “Of course I am conforming to the image of Jesus!”
So let’s follow up with a second question.
How have you seen God work this week to make you more like Jesus?
You see, here’s the truth, if knowing Jesus as my Savior does not make a significant difference in who I am, and how I live, then I must wonder whether or not God is really working in me.
That is the beauty of Romans 6:22.
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
The benefit of being a slave to God is holiness! And holiness allows us to experience eternal life—both now and in the future. Now, in that we have been made right with God. And in the future in a place we call heaven.
So here’s the final question:
To whom are you pledging your allegiance?
Are you a still a slave to sin, living in bondage?
Or are you a slave to God, learning to live a holy life?
My prayer is that you will pledge your allegiance to God! And my prayer is that as you serve Him your life will look more and more like the life of Jesus.
[Prayer]