Romans 6 (2)

transfer the license

Intro/ Review:

So, Paul has established humanities great need for salvation outside of our own works. The obvious sinner needs Jesus, the morally good person needs Jesus, the really religious person needs Jesus. In ch 3 we get to Grace. Romans 3:23–24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

setup:

And at the end of ch 5 Paul says something remarkable..

Romans 5:20 “Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,”

— So, remember Paul was well versed in the Socratic method.. All that means, is that he anticipates arguments or particular thoughts that can be generated in his readers/listeners minds. Then he gets ahead of those arguments or thoughts by presenting those arguments or thoughts and then shredding them..

Romans 6:1–4 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! 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? 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.”

Prayer

Story: Chloe getting her license for the first time.. She was excited, dad and mom terrified..

Transition: Paul had a group of people that were confused about the grace that Paul preached.. Remember Paul said in Romans 3:8 “And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.” Some are pushing back to Paul that he’s not being serious enough about sin.. And some might fall back. Some might read that Paul has just printed them a license to just go crazy with sin!

Paul isn’t issuing licenses (he’s not handing out sin licenses)

— Are we continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

— By no means, in modern venacular.. “Seriously? Uh, no.” As a Christ Follower you have a different relationship to sin..

— The danger of people misunderstanding grace back then is the same today..

— Some of us maybe in the back of our mind think.. “God will forgive me anyways, it’s fine”

— These two extremes have seemed to be a temptation going back to the early church..

— Hyper GRACE. Hyper LEGALISM.

— When it comes to salvation:

— some people have been taught perfectionism.. If you say a naughty word and then get hit by a bus? Stinks to be you.. Off to hell with you..

— OR, “ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED!” We almost have this “Thanks God for the GRACE license to go live how I want now!

— Neither of these views the way I described them are biblical..

— Paul is saying if you really are SAVED you are going to have a much different relationship with sin..

— If you are really looking and hoping for an excuse to sin you aren’t a believer..

— 1 John 3:8 “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

— That doesn’t mean you won’t stumble because it also says in the same book 1 John 1:8–9 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

— A true believer now has a hate relationship to sin.. They may sin, but they repent.. They don’t want to do it.. They run from it not to it. Why? Because if you are a true believer you are now connected to Christ’s value system..

— If you look at Romans 6:5 “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.”

— That word united in the Greek is a botanical term which means “grown together”

— If you’re growing together with Christ you are going to bear fruit..

— Fruit of the Spirit, a hatred towards sin..

2. “moved” to a new state

— when my wife and I moved from Washington to Idaho, we had to retake the written drivers test.. I am sure many in this room have felt that anxiety.. I remember this when I was 16..

— They don’t care what the other state thought of your driving skills. You’re in a new state now there are expectations placed on you when you are in a new state.

— When you moved from wherever you came from to here you found new realities!

— Washington state was really good about traffic safety. So much so that the roads were closed more than they were open.. Idaho for instance, is a survival of the fittest state..

— So what about your spiritual “state”? Paul is saying, you moved!

— When you put your trust in Christ your old nature DIED!

— Romans 6:3 “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”

— Baptism is an important action that believers are called to do.. That along with participating in communion are the two important sacraments the church is called to do.

— Baptism is a shadow of the reality.. If you can see the shadow of my hand now it follows the richer reality of my physical hand.

— Paul is saying something profound and it’s said elsewhere like Col. WE DIED WITH CHRIST.

— That power that sin had over my body is now dead! There is a change of state within you? Are you aware of that reality?

— Now, does that mean you won’t struggle with temptation? NO!

— For as long as you live that zombie of your flesh. Those old desires are going to keep coming back. Some desires and temptations just go away.. Some like to stick around..

— But we have power to combat it..

— It says in Colossians 3:5 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

— Sin leaves you empty, beat up, ashamed..

— Some of us, even though we’ve been set free, still have a relationship with sin in almost a “Stockholm syndrome” way..

Stockholm syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where victims of captivity or abuse develop positive feelings toward their captors or abusers, often identifying with them. This can manifest as a survival mechanism, with the victim attempting to appease their captor to mitigate further harm. The term originates from a 1973 bank robbery in Stockholm, where hostages reportedly developed sympathy for their captors. 

— Sin messes you up, leaves you in shambles.. We have the power through the Cross to leave the old master and come into our new life!

3. the card you do have

— There’s a state id, star card, passport card, passport.. This is your identity.. Paul is consistently reminding us that as a believer you identify with Christ. You have a new nature. A new minted card that gives you so much!

— So, it’s not just a negative. That you died to sin..

— it says in Romans 6:4 “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.”

— Paul is stressing this identification with Jesus. You died with Him. You live with Him.

— Paul kind of repeats himself on purpose to really get this point across but I think vs 11 really helps:

— Romans 6:11 “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Romans—Righteousness From Heaven The Reality of Our Identification with Christ (v. 11)

THE REALITY OF OUR IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST (v. 11)

“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (v. 11). The word translated “count yourselves” or “reckon” (KJV) or “consider” (NASB) is one of the most important words in Romans. Paul uses it nineteen times in the letter, and if one does not know what it means he or she will not understand Romans. It is a commercial term which means “to impute to one’s account.” The idea is, we are to reflect on our position in Christ. Then we are to set two things to our account: 1) We are “dead to sin.” And 2) we are “alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

— I am not much of a cards player. But don’t you hate it when someone plays a card in a game on you and you’re like, “I’ve got that same card, I could’ve used it on them!”

— If you are a believer and you’re stuck in a particular sin or desire for sin. I want to share with you the card you have in the realities of Christ victory over death.

— You see Jesus said in John 8:34–36 “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

— Without Christ we are helpless slaves. But because we identify with Christ, we died with Him, we are raised with Him.. We are set FREE.

— But sometimes we don’t FEEL that way..

— Story of a marine who found his new “card”

Romans—Righteousness From Heaven The Response to Our Identification with Christ (vv. 12, 13)

When as a young teenager Stuart Briscoe was drafted into the Royal Marines during the Korean War, he came under the control of a particularly imposing regimental sergeant major who strode around the barracks leaving a train of tough men quaking in their boots. Briscoe did not realize how dominant this man had become in his life until the day he was released from the Marines. Clutching his papers in one hand, he was luxuriating in his newfound freedom to the extent of putting the other hand in his pocket, slouching a little, and whistling—sins so heinous that if they had been observed by the sergeant major, they would have landed him in big trouble! Then Briscoe saw him striding toward him. On an impulse he sprang into the posture of a Marine until he realized that he had died to him. He was not dead, and neither was the sergeant major. But as far as the sergeant major’s domination of his life was concerned, it was all a matter of history. So Briscoe did some reckoning, decided not to yield to the man’s tyranny, and demonstrated that fact by refusing to swing his arms high and march as if on parade and keep his back at ramrod stiffness. Instead he presented his feet, hands, and back to his newfound freedom as a former Marine—and the sergeant major could not do a thing about it!

— Your card means freedom! Your card means that you have a new life..

— Romans 6:17–18 “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, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

Conclusion:

— some of us seem stuck between states. We haven’t fully moved into to this new state. We are stuck!

— Analogy of being in the airport but still grounded.. Haven’t yet passed through security..

— We are staying in the airport though we have a new identity,

— God wants to take you to a new place of freedom. Wants you airborne, going on this incredible adventure with Him.

— He has a plan for you, He has places for you to go!! The enemy is a liar, his power is broken. Come live out the new life He has for you!