33) Death of Sin, Life in Christ
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Pastoral Reminder: Head Heart Hands
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Today we are turning to Chapter 6 as we continue the book of Romans.
1 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
Paul has spent his time helping the church understand the truth of the gospel in detail. He wants them to see clearly. To not be ignorant or mislead by the many different thoughts and ideas that were developing at the time.
A new born baby does not have a clear idea and understanding of how the world works. How they fit into it. A baby is all warm and cozy in the womb and then all of a sudden every thing changes. There is cold and hunger. There is sight and smell. Life is new and immediately the new born takes in the information around them and starts to make conclusions about life and the world they have been brought into.
Day after day and week after week they take in new information and have to change how they think about the world around them. They find out that they have to relearn things that they thought were true.
A child does not have a clear understanding of the world and how it works. But they are filled with a curiosity to know what is out there and what is going on. So they ask the question many parents come to dread. Why? They ask a question and you give them a thoughtful answer and what is their response? Why? So you explain further and what is their response? Why?
As the child grows they create a view in which they look at the world. This can be hard to change once it is set but it is the means that many use to interpret the world for the rest of their lives.
In much the same way a person who has been made alive spiritually alive will act like that young child. They want to know why, how. How the world worked yesterday is different than today. A spiritual infant’s eyes are opened but they have a mind to processes the information. They find out that the way in which they look at the world is not completely accurate. They find out they are wrong about so many things.
Paul in a way is speaking to the church in Rome with many fundamental truths about the state of man spiritually, the work of God on man, how men are saved, and who is the one who is responsible for salvation. He is bringing explanation and reason. Correction and argument. He masterfully weaves a true picture of the gospel for his readers.
They need to know what to believe before they can act on that belief.
One of the tools he uses to bring his readers to the truth is to provide a pair or set of rhetorical questions that are answered with the emphatic no!! This same phrase in Greek is translated as absolutely not. By no means, Certainly not, and may it never be in many of the common translations we use here. He uses this phase 11 times in this letter
We already examined the first pair in chapter 3 in relation to God’s Faithfulness and the Law. Chapter 6 contains a pair on sin. Here is the first.
What Should We Say Then?
What Should We Say Then?
1 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?
Paul has just concluded that a person is dead and condemned in Adam due to his sin. That all men and women are born into the fallen state that Adam’s disobedience has brought when sin came into the world through him.
That all people will die condemned if they do not find spiritual life in Jesus that comes through faith and that brings eternal life.
16 And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification. 17 If by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life for everyone. 19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
The conclusion is that works do not bring condemnation or salvation. And the law that they trusted in to give them salvation, only multiplied the sin showing that grace abounds greater than the sin a man can perform in his life.
20 The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Grace will reign because the work of Christ will cover every sin of anyone who receives the righteousness of God. This truth has been a difficult truth for people to lean into and accept. People do not want to receive consequences of someone else's actions and at the same time cannot accept that their effort does not matter when it come to their redemption and salvation.
This truth leads to this question naturally.
1 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?
If God demonstrates how great his grace is by taking on all sins for one who has been saved. And if this brings glory to God then wouldn’t it be good for me to sin as much as possible so that God can show greater grace on me.
This would be the equivalent of my children rebelling and disobeying as much as possible. And when I ask them why they say that they are providing me the opportunity that I may demonstrate how great my love is for them.
The thought would be to take the laws of God and break them over and over again so that he can show greater grace. So that he can glorify himself all the more.
Paul’s response is:
2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
May it never be. Never let this thought come into your mind. How could your ever think this is good. But when we look in the scripture we see that people did just this in the church.
4 For some people, who were designated for this judgment long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.
Those that live in this way are showing that in spite of their claims, they are ungodly people designated for judgement that deny Christ. They deny what the master calls his servants to be.
He asks, How can we who died to sin still live in it? You were dead in your trespasses and sins and have been made alive with Christ.
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
Paul asks how can a person who has died to sin still live in it. If we say that we have died to a portion or part of our life then how can we still live in it.
9 Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because his seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God.
How can a person who has been made alive through the righteousness of God continue to act as an unbeliever. Here he isn’t speaking of the details of how a Christian lives with their sin and the continued corruption of the flesh but a person who lives to sin in abundance with no guilt, reservation, repentance or sorrow. How could a person who has been saved by God live as if God wants his people to do evil more and more so that he can show that he is greater and greater in saving them from the same behaviors.
May it never be.
Baptized into Christ
Baptized into Christ
Paul then starts to defend his position with the following question and response.
3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.
He asks if they are unaware of the truth of their salvation by pointing them to baptism. To remind us, the root word for baptism means to immerse. It was used in a couple if different ways:
It was used identify a person into a group like we see in 1 Cor.
1 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
It was also used as a symbol of a profession like John the baptist:
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
We also know that Jesus sent out his disciples into the world to make more disciples and he commanded them to baptize in the name of the triune God
19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
He also told them to wait for the coming of the Spirit on them.
4 While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Baptism is used as an identifier for a person being brought into a group or community, it is used as a symbol of confession like John’s baptism of repentance and believer's baptism symbolizing the salvation of a person. It is uses figuratively to describe a person being immersed into something.
Because of this there are many different ideas on what Paul is arguing here. There are those that use these verses to determine that a person cannot be saved without water baptism. But that is totally out of line with what Paul is arguing here. He is still speaking on the truth that justification and salvation is not based on actions and works but belief and faith. No mention of baptism has been mentioned so far in Paul’s instruction on the gospel.
It is most likely he is pointing them back to the symbology of their own water baptism and the meaning behind it.
3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.
Were you not taught, or have you forgotten what your baptism symbolizes. That you were brought into his death and therefore buried with him. You were united with him in death, in order that, as Jesus was raised from the dead, we too may walk in newness of life.
17 But anyone joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
On our own we cannot save ourselves. Death has come to all since all have died. The wages of sin is death. A righteous life is required to be justified before God on the day of Judgement. You will either stand there guilty in Adam or you will stand there and be saved from the wrath of God as you stand there in Christ. clothed with him.
27 For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.
For you can never stand there on your own.
This was done to Glorify the Father and to make a way that we may walk in newness of life. No longer dead but alive in a completely different way of life.
Don’t you remember that baptism in Jesus is required for new life. For there is only one baptism.
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
To even share in the same body of Jesus
15 Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body? So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not!
Don’t you remember or don’t you know what your baptism means. And how could a person who has been baptised, not in the symbol, but into the man continue to walk in the sin that the man saved him from? How can one who has been brought into one body with Christ believe it is God’s will to unite that body over and over in a life that is alive to sin.
United in Death and Life
United in Death and Life
5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.
If you have been truly united with him in the crucifixion of your flesh and belong to him.
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If this is true then a person is also be in the likeness of his resurrection. Alive and living for God walking in the newness of life.
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
31 Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel?
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and they will trust in the Lord.
17 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
24 and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.
The one who has been given all of these could not life in the full practice of the unregenerate. They are different then before. There have been spiritually changed in a powerful way.
6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin.
The old self was crucified with Jesus. For the purpose that the body ruled by sin is rendered powerless. Thus ending the dominion of death and the slavery to sin. This means that without the old being crucified and the new given, the fallen man is unable to stand against the onslaught of the brutal master, sin. The only way to be freed from the abuse of this master, a master that has so much power that without Jesus there is no resisting its will.
But the person who has died is now freed from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him.
The thought here is that this is a one time act. Christ died once for sin and lives. And if a Christian has been united with him then they too will be buried with him once and raised to life once. If a believer is raised he or she will never see death in a spiritual sense but eternal life. For the dominion of death has been broken and does not rule over him but grace reigns.
Notice that is says that death no longer rules over him. In no way was the gift that comes from belief just a flip of a switch on us. It was a uniting into him. That without his life abiding in us, without the spirit dwelling in us, we would not be able to cheat spiritual death. But if we died with him we believe that we live with him.
10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
And so if the death he died, he died to sin once for all time. The life he lives he lives to God.
2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Paul answers the question:
If we are those who died to sin, have been baptized into Jesus and into his death, so that in his resurrection we may walk in new life.
And if we have been united in a death like his then we also will be united with him in a resurrection like his.
And if we know that our old self is crucified with him, so that we may be freed from sin
And if we believe that we died with Christ, and that we will live with him.
And we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again, and that he lives his life to God.
If we know all of this, then it is absolutely absurd for a person to believe that what I am teaching “that salvation is by faith and not by works” would support the claim that we should sin all the more so that God’s grace may abound.
Consider Yourself
Consider Yourself
11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. This is the framework of how we are to look at our own lives.
That Christ lives in you.
20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
That we live with him.
11 This saying is trustworthy: For if we died with him, we will also live with him;
That we are raised with him
12 when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
That we are made alive and forgiven
13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses.
That we are seated with him
6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
That we are coheirs with him.
17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
That we reign with him
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us;
If these truths are all true, then look at your own life and consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ.
1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Paul is provoking the mind of his readers and ourselves to the truth of who we are and what God has done. From the very first page of this book he is revealing the reality of the gospel.
It may surprise you that so far Paul has not given a single command to the church in Rome. No call to action, no response, just a continued string of truths that provoke the mind. There are no calls to for them to be anything. He does this often, where he will spend a large portion of the beginning of a letter to bring the mind to the clear truth before he calls them to change or continue.
Verse 11 is the culmination of all that he has taught so that they may consider their position in Christ. A false understanding of sin, justification, righteousness, reconciliation, and salvation will effect how we live out our lives.
When you look back through this letter is shows us the deadness and condemnation of all men demonstrated from Adam to today as sin abounds in the flesh and death comes to all. But for those that believe in the work of God, the obedient act of Jesus on the cross that pays for their sins, and makes one alive.
He shows us that those who profess Jesus as their savior are united with him and changed as the old is crucified and the new is raised.
The symbol of baptism is not to be forgotten in the great grace that it proclaims. That to be buried with him and risen in newness of life is a work of God on the believer. Too many religions fail to see this truth. And once they do, man must respond with false teaching that man must work for his salvation.
Man must be in the right place, do the right thing, say the right thing, and if they do not man needs to make a way for the sin of man to be resolved in some other way.
We are to no longer be spiritual infants. 2000 years and we are still on the milk of the word.
I have not ran across anyone who truly believes that we should be great sinners to increase God’s grace but they are out there. But what I do find is that most people do not consider themselves dead to sin. It is almost like there is a belief that God is blind. I heard that once. That if we are saved God becomes blind to our sin. The result is a life that continues in sin and lives alive to it. In contradiction to living alive for God. Christ did not die so that we may be free to sin but that we are free from the dominion and rule of sin.
These things are to be considered because they set the frame work for what comes next. The instruction on living alive in Christ, dead to sin, but still dealing with the sin nature that we still have in this life.
The next passage is where the commands and calls to action start. But we must know the reality of the situation before we run off and act.
Let us pray.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Blessing/Benediction
5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.
