How to Get Holy

Sermon Series: When In Romans – Pt. 1

Text: Romans 6

Date: March 16, 2025

Well good morning. It’s great to be here with you today.

- First Impressions Meeting

explain who its for

rsvp (lunh is provided)

PRAY

Well, I want to kick off our time this morning with a very complex Math equation...or really it’s not an equation...it’s a statement...but be warned...this is very complex. You ready? Okay...because this is complicated....this is...in fact where’s Doug Fuhry...Doug’s one of our elders and he’s a literal rocket scientist...I should have gotten him to fact check me before this...but we’ll get his stamp of approval in a second. You ready? Here it is:

6 comes after 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. We all in agreement? Doug? Alright, I really just wanted to share this fact...so let’s close in prayer.

No...what am I talking about...and what’s this have to do with anything...well...this sentenance...is crucial to understanding what it means to be a Christian. (pause) 6 comes after 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Okay, you’re like I knew this day was coming – Chase has officially lost it...weel, keep this in mind...we’ll come back to it in just a second...but if you are a guest...again, welcome to the Corners...and I want you to know that this year, here at The Corners we are spending the majority of this year journeying through the book of Romans as a church...why...because The letter to the Romans is the clearest and most systematic presentation of Christian beliefs in the whole Bible.

Right, we’ve been reminding ourselves that the book of Romans....which was originally a letter written by a guy named Paul...it’s not more inspired than any other book...it’s not more important than any other book...but it’s more clearly and systematically laying out the foundation fo Christian belief in the whole Bible. Right...some books in the bible are historical books...telling history....some are poetry...some are telling about the life and teaching of Jesus...well Romans is really explaining all if it and saying...this is what it all means and this is what it means to be a Christian.

He's writing to new Christians in Rome who didn’t have a formalizec church structure yet...and he’s just like let me clearly lay this out for you all...this is Christianity 101.

And the way he lays it out...and we’ve seen this chart each week...in the first 11 chapters he’s telling us what we should believe...that’s called Orthodoxy...what is Christianity all about...and then in the last five chapters he talks about how we should live. The Theological word for that is orthopraxy.

Now...check this out....what’s the math sentence I just told you? Anyone remember? See it was too complicated. 6 comes after 1, 2, 3,4, and 5. Ya’ll laughed when I told you that...but that sentence is crucial to understanding this book, and in many ways to understanding Christianity.

Here’s why. (pause) Paul starts off this book with a brief intro and then jumps right into this section on sin. And in this section he’s explaining that all of humanity by nature...we’re in opposition to God...because God is perfect and we’re not. Right, he’s giving us a greater and deeper understanding of sin...that it’s not just a slip up...it’s not just a mess up...but ANY violation of God’s law....whether intentional or not puts in opposition to God, and puts us on the receiving end of God’s wrath. (pause) That’s the bad news...And we’ve said repeatedly if the book ended there...we have no hope. Right, all of life is meaningless and...there’s no point in anything. (pause) BUT....that’s not the end of the book....and he moves in chapter 3 verse 21 to the good news...the good news of salvation....that even though we are all sinners, God choose us to be his children...and don’t miss this...the point the of this whole section...all the way from chapter 3 verse 21, to the end of chapter 5, is to show us over and over again...using different illustrations and ways of showing us...that salvation...is by faith alone! That we bring nothing to the table, but the sin that makes our salvation necessary...but GOD....while we were still ungodly...died for us....not when we got cleaned up...not when we finally reached a level where we could approach his throne...but when we were still in our sin...he choose us and he died for us. Amen? That’s what we spent the last three weeks talking about.

And now...we finally come to Romans chapter 6. And here in chapter 6, Paul is gonna begin a section where he talks about Sanctification. Okay, Sanctification is a big long word that just essentially means becoming more and more like Jesus. Okay, that’s an oversimplified definition...but this section on sanctification is really addressing what is the Christian’s relationship with sin now? Like..this part over here...Romans 12-16 is gonna show us practically how we should live as Chrisians, but this section 6-8 is HUGE...because it’s gonna essentialy lifting up the hood on our life....and not just give us the practical...but really show us what needs to be going on deep inside of us...in the Christians life in order for us to be like Jesus! Does that make sense? Like...how can we be made more like Jesus...what’s the Christian’s relationship with sin now...why do I keep sinning if I’m saved...how do I stop...can I stop? What about people who claim to be Christians but keep sinning....all of that is addressed either directly or indirectly in this section here.

Which leads us back to where we started. 6...comes after 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Do you see where this is going? (pause) let me spell it out for you. (pause) by the time we get to the chapter on holiness....the first step into what we’re supposed to do....there have been five chapters leading us up to this point and brothers and sisters, I can’t overemphasize this enough.

Because in our culture...we just want to be told what to doin order to live the way we should do we not? Like....just spell it out for us....isn’t that what we want? Just tell me how I’m sipposed to be holy...if Christians are supposed to be holy....just give me the steps...just tell me how many times I need to be in church...am I supposed to take communion? Okay check...be kind...give to the church....check, check, check, now we’re getting somewhere.

Wouldn’t that be nice? Like...this is what makes people even today to gravitate towards worksbased theology....we want to know that somehow we’re contributing to our faith...that we’re doing something...that there’s something measurable that we can hold up and say...LOOK AT WhAT I’VE DONE!!!

But Paul....in laying out what it means to be a Christian says....I know you want to know you want to know what to do....you want to know how to be Holy? You want to know how to be sanctified? Well I’m gonna spend five chapters talking about justification, and propitiation, and imputation...and then I’ll start to tell you want to do because....6 comes after 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

You say, okay I get it.... why are you stuck here. (pause) Well because...here me... there are two equally, absolutely disastrous and catastrophic pitfalls held by many professing believers that have done almost more damage to the church than almost any other beliefs in the history of the church. (pause) Two schools of thought that we have to eradicate from our thinking if we are to live the way we are called to live....you ready for them?

The first...says it doesn’t matter how we live! It doesn’t matter if we pursue holiness...it doesn’t matter if we’re sanctified...because all the matters if we’re justified...so if we somehow are able to get justified...we get right with God....than it doesn’t matter how you live! (pause) In fact...the more we sin...shouldn’t that make God’s grace even more powerful!? Like if we sin once a day and we’re forgiven....that’s cool...but 100 times a day...doesn’t that make God’s grace even more powerful?

Now...most wouldn’t say all that, but the notion that as long as we’re justified we can live however we want is widely held by Christian. (pause) But...look. 6..comes after 1 – 5! In other words...Sanctification must follow justification. (pause) It has to!

What’s the other error? It’s that we can start with 6. (pause) that we can somehow clean ourselves up in order to be justified...or that we need to be cleaned up in order to approach God...but...and you’re gonna get sick of me saying this....we have to remember this order!

Like....If we are going to make any sense of the book of Romans for the rest of our study...and listen...if we’re gonna make any progress in our own lives in our fight against sin...and we’re going to be made more and more like Jesus...this has to be cemented into minds...that the truths contained in the first five chapters must preceed and are actually the only cause for our sanctification.

Let me give you five quotes in a row and then we’ll finally get to the text. Don’t worry each one’s only a sentence...and they’re all from John Piper...surprise supsrise...but they’re all essentially saying this. (pause) Five ways of saying that we have to understand this order...here they are.

Number 1. Justification by faith alone is foundational for sanctification.(repeat).

Number 2. You cannot fight sin successfully until your sins are forgiven. (repeat). Is there a sin you struggle with...you have...is there something in your life you want to hand over...anxiety...worry...focus on Romans 1-5.

Number 3. The only sin that you can triumph over in practice is a sin that Christ has died for. Again, he’s saying the same thing...but until we realize that our sins and forgiven...and how they’re forgiven...we can’t be sanctified! It’s futile! And we’re just gonna be in a perpetual cycle of trying harder and being disappointed and failing and trying again.

Two more...Number 4. If Jesus had not died to take away our condemnation, we could not make any progress in sanctification. If Jesus had not died in our place and appeased the wrath of God...Romans 3:25...while we were still ungodly, Romans 4:5...therefor guaranteeing we’ll be saved from future wrath...Romans 5:9...then we could never make any progress in sanctification...Romans 6 and beyond.

And one more. JP-ism.....he says – ad this really captures everything we’ve said...We don’t get holy in order to be justified; we are justified in order to get holy.

Alright so here’s what I want to do for the rest of our time together. If you’re bible’s not open to Romans 6 yet, go ahead and turn there....and I want to look at this chapter and just show two shocking truths that Paul unpacks about who we are in light of everything he’s talked about in chapters 1-5...I think we’ve established now that everything we’re about to talk about has to stand upon 1-5...and so now...as we enter into this great section on what it means to be sanctified....how and why are we made Holy...Paul gives us two foundational truths, and then I want to draw one point of application. Okay, so that’s where we’re going with the rest of our time...two shocking foundational truths...and point of application for today.

TWO SHOCKING TRUTHS

So...lets dive in...Romans 6. And lets start in verse 1.

So, again, Paul has just unpacked what it means that we’re saved through faith...and so he says...

What shall we say then? In other words if all that is true...then...Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means!

Okay, so you see what’s being said? He’s raising a hypothetical objection which is a common Paul way of writing...and he’s like...if you’re listening to what I’ve been saying you might just think we should keep sinning....NO! Not at all....no way! This phrase right here....by no means...it’s one of the strongest expressions in Greek. (pause) In fact, I want to teach it to you in Greek....just cuz I like it. In Greek it’s May Gi-Noi-To (Repeat) Can you say that? One more time!

It literally means “May it never be!” Okay....like this is the phrase...the emotion that should be invoked if someone...idk I’m trying to think of the dumbest thing someone could ask you. Like...if someone said....hey you should take all your money out of your account...turn into cash...don’t give it away, but just light it on fire. You would say? May Ginoito!!

Or I don’t know just something so....outrageous it just leaves you baffeled...this is the expression...may ginoito..by no means may it never be, absolutely not...no way...that’s insanity!

Now...Paul’s strong reaction here....catch this...it’s not simply because of the suggestion. Like, it may seem like a crazy suggestion...shouldn't we just sin because God is gracious....but really if you understand what he’s been saying in 1-5 it’s not unthinkable that someone could end up with that idea. (pause) No....what makes this suggestion so.... preposterous....to Paul is what he says in the second half of verse 2. How can we who died to sin still live in it?

See, this is why he reacts the way he does....not because the hypothetical objection is insane on it’s own....but because it just makes no sense in light of this truth! That if we’re a Christian....if we’re in Christ...that means we have died....to our old way....to our old life!

And I love how Paul just kind of casually drops this...because what he’s doing and what he’s gonna continue to do really for the rest of this chapter and the next....is show us that our identity as Christians, runs so much deeper than we think. Like, many of us think of being a Christian just like a decision we’ve made...a choice to align ourself with team Jesus..and that’s true, but that’s only half the picture! And what Paul is saying is look....if ou’re a Christian that means something about you has fundamentally, and intrinsically, and foundationally changed!

Isn’t that what he also says in his 2 letter to the Corinthians? Anyone in Christ is just a better upgraded version of their old self? No! What’s he say in 2 Corithians 5:17...if you’re in Christ you’re NEW....say NEW....if we’re in Christ we are a NEW creation...the old is gone! The NEW has come.

And so here’s our first shocking truth: here it is...If we have been Justified that means we have already died. You say, okay this is crazy talk. Like...what in the world are you talking about....well let me just read what Paul says and then I’ll explain. (pause) He says...verse 3 of Romans 6.

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

Again, I love Paul’s way of just telling us this is something we’re supposed to know....and I don’t think he’s saying this in a way that’s supposed to make us feel dumb if we don’t know this. It’s as if he’s saying “hey in case you didn’t know...let me tell you....becuase you NEED to know this!” So if you’re like...i don’t know this and I still don’t really know what you’re talking about, that’s okay let me keep reading and then I’ll explain. )pause_ Verse 4.

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.

Now...I don’t want to stop after every verse....but before we go on, we have to understand what’s meant here by baptism. Okay...let me put it this way. And I learned a lot about this from Pastor Paul LeBanlc years ago at Calvery Chapel Onterio...phenominal teacher and expositor. But he said this...he said, “If I ask people if they’ve been baptized into Christ they immeditalty think I’m talking about water baptism. But that’s not what thst questons talking about. And here’s what he said that’s stuck with me...he said the reason people think when they hear that question...they think about water...is because we’ve exalted the symbol of baptism over the meaning.

Okay...follow me here....when we do our baptism Sunday...when we do our baptism services you’ll here me say this a lot...that what we’re doing is an outward symbol of an inward reality. Right, that’s what water baptism is. Any of you like going to plays? Or going to the theater...watching acting...or even acting yourself? That’s what the cermony of baptism is....it’s us acting out if you will the reality of what it means to be a Christian...what’s that reality...it’s that just like Jesus died on the cross...if our faith is in him...then our old sinful pre-Jesus us was crucified....and just like he raised from the dead, we were raised – verse 4 into newness of life!

That’s what baptism the symbol represents! So when myself and Pastor Valmir or whoever elese is conducting the service...that’s what we say...we say do you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and God raised him from the dead....they say “yeah”

And so we say then we baptize you in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit,,,why/ Great Commission....then we lower them into the water – whether the waters here in Lake Erie or in Mozambique we say the same thing....we say you were buried with him in death....then they go under the water like Jesus went into the grave...but did he stay there? No....so we bring them back up and say “raised to newness in Christ”

And so – as a side note but an important note...we announced a few weeks ago at our family meeting that our Baptism Sunday service (screen behind me) will be August 24

- One of my favorite

- Not too early to get information and get signed up

video on website

- We believe that even if you were baptized as an infant we want to encourage you to take it public on your account....not because it saves

But because again, the water baptism is the symbol of a concrete reality that is true of us if we are saved...and the reality as Paul is explaining is that as a result of our justification...Romans 1-5...now our new identiy is that we are identified with Jesus in his death and resurrection. Look at how Paul keeps explaining it in verse 5.

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.

I want to unpack this...but let me just finish the section...verse 8.

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 and listen...this is the key verse in this section...we have to get this....this is Christnaity 101....what does it mean to be a Christian....is it just that you’re a better version of an old you? Is it that we think we’re better than people outside the church? Is it that we just have a long moral code that we need to follow and hold everyone too and judge those who don’t....no this is what it means to be a Christian...right here....you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Do you see why this is shocking? Do you see why those outside the church, apart from the working of the Holy Spirit will always misconstrue the faith? Do you see why we can’t just spend every week talking about the How’s in how to make ourselves better? All that’s important...and in the next few verses he’s gonna give some practical instructions...look at verse 12..

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

What’s he saying he’s saying if you want to be freed from sin – stay away from sinful stuff. That makes sense, right? Like...if you struggle with pornography or lust...step one is probably to avoid tiktok, social media apps that are filled with the mess, and movies with explicit seens. Don’t present yourself to the mess...instead fill your minds with God!

If you struggle with anxiety and worry...probably don’t go to bed listening to serial killer podcasts...like it seems so simple...why do we still striggle with it then...it’s because the greater picture Paul is trying to get us to see is that our reason for seeking to combat sin has to be more than just that we don’t want to sin or feel the ramifactions there off...it’s because we know that we have been made new...and we’re no longer under the bondage of sin....and so therefore we need to live in accordance to our new identity...which leads to shocking truth number 2.

IF WE HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED that means we ARE SLAVES OF CHRIST.

Another shocking statement is it not? We talked about this a little bit in the very first message of this series...that this is how Paul identifies himself...but it’s also how he tells us we should see ourselves as Christians!

You’re wait a second...you’re telling me that if I’m a Christian I’m supposed to see myself as someone who already died...I’m still trying to wrap my mind around that...now I’m suppsod to be a slave...(pause) well, let me let Paul do the talking and we’re really just gonna be able to scrape the surface on this great section.....but look at verse 15 of Romans 6.

15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Right, May GinoitTo! He’s essentially repeating himself....and look at verse 16

16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Okay, that’s a lot of words...what’s he saying....he’s saying that in our old preChristian life...we were slaves to sin...it’s what he talks about in Ephesians when he says we were following the Ruler or the Prince of this World which is who? Satan. Like we didn’t have choice. Could we do some good things...yeah...non Christians can give to charities...non Christians can say kind words...non Christians can show hospitality...but even so....Romans 1-3 the wrath of God is directed their way because they’re not seen as perfect like those who are in Christ Jesus. Does that make since? Like the righteousness of Jesus hasn’t been imputed on to them...that was last week’s message...but what Paul is saying here is that not only did the old us die...when we were made new in Jesus....but or allegiances change and now...we have new master....Jesus!

I know this is complicated....I mean it’s not...but it is...right? It’s so simple...we’ve died we used to be slaves to sin now we’re slaves to Jesus....but it’s complicated because this is a completely foreign way of thinking! Like...let me get philosophical for a second...this is saying that being a Christian is not just a decision we make...but it’s an ontological change that occurs with in us.

Anyoen ever seen the Incredible Hulk....I rewatched the 2008 one last week, great movie. I watched it because Hezekiah is getting into Marvel cartoons and I was like let me see if I can show him these movies...nope...we still got a while..but the thing about the hulk...is outside when he’s not the hulk he looks the same, right? Like a normal guy.

But in the movie there’s scene where it shows his cells. And guess what...they’re Green. Like when he was exposed to the radiation or whatever the even was that made him the hulk... every cell...every bit of his fiber has been changed...essentially he’s not human. And as a result there’s this monster within him that comes out when he’s angry, right? But it’s him. He is the monster.

Well, friends, the message of the Gospel is essentially the reverse. That before we became Christians there was something inside of us...something awful...something wretched...that’s just who we are...even if we were better behaved than others...even if we tried our best and lived by a moral code....we couldn’t be perfect...BUT at the moment of genuine faith in Jesus...everything about us changes...not biologically like the hulk...but spirtuually.

Out spiritual celluar make up was stained with sin and is now covered by the blood of Jesus! Being a Christian means that an ontological change has taken place and brothers and sisters that changes everything about us!

And before I get to the last point...our point of application...Paul...I love this...he’s like I get this is hard, let me break it down for you...and he repeats what’s he’s already said earlier about how we can view this practically. Look at verse 19.

19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. In other words...let me make this as simple as possible...then he says and follow this line of thinking... For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, in other words you used to be just like the world...you used to watch the world watches, listen to what the world watches, smoke wha the world smokes, drink as much as the world drinks...cuss like the world cusses...so now.... PAUSE...don’t miss this...friends...this is for us today.....he’s saying something has changed...it doesn’t matter what you used to do...listen you might be here today thinking lawlessness...that’s me....I don’t fit in here...I’m too dirty...you don’t know my past....if you knew where I was last night or what I was looking at last night you wouldn’t be preaching to me....

Well, brothers and sisters, the message of the gospel is that our past doesn’t define us....because 6 comes AFTER 1,2,3,4, and 5...and Paul...having spent 5 chapters talking about what it means to be justified....now says...let me tell you how to get Holy...here it is...and it’s nothing he hasn’t already said...second half of verse 19.

so now present your members (that means your mind, your body...everything about you) as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

That’s it? But what am I supposed to DO? Here’s what you do....present your members.... (that means your mind, your body...everythign about you) as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

Do you see what he’s saying...he’s saying when you realize who you are...that’s when you’re ready to be sanctified!! But you can’t be and you won’t be sanctified...you won’t be made holy....if you don’t know who you are!! And if this is not who you are!! If you’re not a slave to righteousness...and you’re not dead to sin....you can’t be sanctifed!!!

And so here’s our final point...our application for today...to summarize all of this and bring this to a close, here we go: Fighting sin begins with recognizing who we are. (repeat)

Let me read the last three verses of chapter 6.

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? Right, he’s not saying we should still carry with us the shame of our past...but the more we grow in Christ the things that we used to enjoy...they don’t appeal to us anymore...our affections change. Why? Well he tells us....For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

Pause real quick...he’s contrasting the fruit of the way we used to live...and he’s saying essentially I know those things seemed fun in the moment....I know those nights you barely remember were fun in the moment....but where do they lead? Ultimately to death! Like Christian or non Christian, we know that lives spent just in pursuit of wordly pleasure...it won’t benfit us in the end. BUT...he says verse 22...you’ve been set free....you’re a slave of God and the fruit of that is holiness...man we could dwell on this verse alone for a whole sermon.

But we’ve gotta get to the chili cookoff...so let me read the last verse....verse 23 and then we’ll land the plane. (pause) This is one of – if not the most popular verse in the book of Romans...Romans 6:23 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Okay we can’t remove this verse from it’s context. He’s talking about who we are....what’s our identiy...we’re dead to sin...that’s our old master...now we’re alive in Christ...and the wages...that means the pay....what we earned by living for the world is what? Death! Where have we heard thag? Romans 1:18 -3:20. But now...if we submit ourselves to Christ....if we leab in on the free gift of God....Romans 3:21 through chapter 5....then we actually get eternal life!! Like...our wage...is more than a wage...it’s a gift!!

Because in our allegiance fo Christ...our reconition of our position to him....not only do we become his slaves....but we become his children. We become his heirs!!!

Brothers and sisters, this is how we begin to fight sin! This is how we begin to get...holy if you will. We’ll get into some practical things in a couple weeks we will....but nothing that comes after this point matters if we don’t know who we are!!

So let me leave you with this question. (pause) Do you know who you are...and an even bigger question is...why? Do you know who you are....or better yet who’s you are....and why?

We all want to say we belong to God, right? That we’re his children...well the only way we can claim that is if we’ve been saved by him....if we’ve been justified...and so for anyone here who doesn’t know what that means and your like...I want that, I don’t fully understand it, but I wwant to be a child of God....I’ve been trying to live life for myself...trying to clean myself up but I want to trust wholly in the finished work of Jesus....don’t just push those feelings down. Lean into those. In just a moment I’m gonna pray. And I want you to pray with me....asking Jesus to be the Lord and King of your life.

And if you’re here, and you’re like...I’ve done that...but I’m not living like it. I’m gonna pray in just a second for you as well....and don’t push those feelings down. There’s no bigger or more important question we can answer than this...who are we.

But when we know who we are and who’s we are...that’s the entrance into a life of sanctification....because we can’t help but live for him. (pause) We don’t clean ourselves up to get holy....but when we’ve been saved...Romans 1-5....when we truly understand what all that means...then we can move into chapter 6 and beyond.

PRAY