Dead to sin, Alive in Christ - Part 2

Matthew 28:1–10 (ESV) — 1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ

Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion. The concept of the resurrection lies at its heart. If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed.

John Stott

1 Corinthians 15:14–19 “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

But…I am here to remind you

He is risen

Romans 6:1–14 ESV

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Introduction

Temptation is a real thing

Most of us can remember a time when we took a cookie out of the cookie jar, or carefully ran our finger along the cake to get a little taste of the frosting.

And all of us can remember a time when:

We lashed out in anger

had just one more drink

went to that website

told that inappropriate joke

told a lie

Spoke harshly to another

Were selfish

Sin is a powerful force, it’s pleasurable, and enticing

-It always over promises and under delivers

-Sin will tempt us with pleasure and then Shame us when we partake

-and somehow our memories of the experience, in the midst of temptation, forget about the awful feelings that come with giving into sin.

The scripture tells us that the pleasure of sin is fleeting

Hebrews 11:25 “choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”

How can we overcome temptation is a world filled with sin?

preach the gospel

penalty

power

presents

Romans 6:1–4 “What shall we say then?

Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!

This was an accusation against Paul, and one that we may be tempted to think about

How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

Ephesians 4:21–24 (ESV) — 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that,

just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,

we too might walk in newness of life.”

John 10:10 (ESV) — 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Romans 8:11 ESV

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:11 (MSG) — 11 It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!

The resurrection power of Christ gives us the ability to overcome temptation in a world filled with sin.

Sin is fleeting

Hebrews 11:25 “choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”

But…

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Romans 6:5–11 (ESV)

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV) — 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

so what do we do about it?

Remember

The resurrection power of Christ gives us the ability to overcome temptation in a world filled with sin.

Romans 6:12–14 (ESV) — 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

51    Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it while you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.

John Owen

Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers (1656)

John Owen

13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness,

but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

If sin rules in me, God’s life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed.

Oswald Chambers

How do we kill sin?

Avoid temptation if we can help it

Fix your heart on God and what he has done for you

-So much of our time is spent in corrective theology—what to do when we sin, as for example in 1 John 1:9 (“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”). This is good and necessary. But reflecting upon our identification with Christ is even better because it curbs our sinning.

Meditate on his word

Pray

Christ has graciously offered his life for yours so that you might walk in victory over sin, in newness of live

Romans 6:1–14 (ESV) —

1 What shall we say then?

Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

2 By no means!

How can we who died to sin still live in it?

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death,

in order that,

just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,

we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his,

[Then] we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

6 We know that

our old self was crucified with him

in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing,

so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.

8 Now if we have died with Christ,

[Then] we believe that we will also live with him.

9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead,

will never die again;

death no longer has dominion over him.

10 For the death he died he died to sin,

once for all,

but the life he lives he lives to God.

11 So you also must consider yourselves

dead to sin and

alive to God in Christ Jesus.

[Therefore]

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body,

to make you obey its passions.

13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but

present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life,

and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.