Live to God
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 going to turn to Romans Chapter 6 verse 11 today.
If we look back to the previous passage Paul presented a question, answer, and defense. Of those that would claim that the grace of God would justify a life filled with sin.
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.
The reality of a believer is that they are buried with him in death and raised with him in life. That they walk in newness of life, different than they were before. United in the likeness of his death and his resurrection. That the old self has been crucified so that the body ruled by sin may be rendered powerless ending man’s enslavement to sin as a person has died to sin.
Each of these truths he says they already know so then,
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.
The state of a saved man or woman has been defined. No longer dead in sin but dead to sin. So how does a person respond to the new life that they have been given. So you have confessed Jesus as Lord and savior and believe that God raised him from the dead. What is the response of a person? What do we do in light of God’s grace.
This is where we come today. As Paul starts to give instruction and commands to the church in Rome.
11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.
In this passage Paul instructs them on the newness of life that believers have been raised in. He starts with a mandate to think differently.
A New Mind
A New Mind
11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
He tells his readers and listeners to put the mind to work. To get the hamster wheel turning. You are to consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God. The word translated as consider can also be translated as to recon something. It is more that just thinking on it, it is to deem it to be true.
You can think about a topic or idea for a very long time. We might consider the possibilities, evaluate the possible outcomes, or deliberate on the validity of the topic we are evaluating. But this here has more emphasis on the conclusion. It is to deem the idea to be valid.
The word also has the idea of counting and adding up the cost of something and determining it to be true.
Here Paul tells them too deem it true that you are dead to sin and alive to God. Believe that you are both dead and alive. You were alive to sin and spiritually dead before God but now think differently about who you are and what you are.
2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
There is a renewing of the mind for a person that is saved by the gospel. There is a complete shift where what we thought we knew to be true, as we discover it is false. We find that we need to understand the world from a different perspective.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one....
We are given all sorts of information that we have to sort through every given day. The issue is that the information we gather must be used to make conclusions and those conclusions frame how we see our lives in the world.
The foundational truth that Paul gives them to establish their new life is to consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God.
The first is that we must do is to set our minds on the right things.
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.
To consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God is a truth that you continue to deepen as you mature as a believer. Each scripture adds clarity to this truth as we progressively are grown in the image of our savior.
17 Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.
If we are to Love the Lord with our mind then we should be careful what information we take in to our mind.
Today one current estimate is that the average person spends 8-9 hours a day exposed to digital media. The majority of people will spend over 1/3 of their waking hours on digital media. At 8 hours a day the average person spend more time on digital media than their own jobs nearly 3000 hours.
On the other hand the average time Christians spend reading their bible is 15-20 minutes. Which about 120 hours. Or 4% of the hours on digital media. For every 1 hour in our bibles we take in 25 hours from the world.
11 The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
This is not a guilt trip to get you to read but a reality that what goes in our minds matters. For what goes in our mind feeds our heart, our passions and desires.
8 Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. 9 Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Do what you have heard and learned.
Paul points out if you do not get the truth of being dead to sin and alive to God correct you will not understand the rest of his teaching.
Because if this is true he continues with.
A New Heart
A New Heart
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.
Do not let sin reign. Do not let it have dominion in your mortal body. Sin is lived out in the flesh as it manifests itself in our bodies obeying the flesh’s desire. In the book of Galatians Paul speaks of these fleshly desires.
16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.
The mortal body and the flesh still contain a corruption that stays with us in our mortal lives. It is the reason it must be covered and clothed in something in order to overcome death.
53 For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. 54 When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. 55 Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?
But until that day comes we will have to deal with the sinful corruption that is still in us. The desires of the flesh the passions that fit so well in the world we experience every day.
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
The world is filled with the false promises that draw our hearts of flesh. We find that there our passions and desires crave to continue in the sin that we were saved from. These desires lead to the works of the flesh.
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
When the shiny things of life are put before us we find ourselves at a cross road. Do I continue in doing what I know is wrong and obey the desire of sin?
14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.
Paul is speaking of the portion of our heart that still wants the things of this world. Without the Spirit dwelling in us we would never be able to go down any other path but the path that fulfills the sin’s desire. But this is not true of the believer.
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
But those who belong to Christ have put to death the flesh with its passions and desires and with the Spirit now have new desires and passions. And so the person has a choice to make. Will they follow the desires of the flesh or the Spirit.
13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.
There is a way out that that God provides. An off ramp from the freeway of sin. When we determine that we are dead to sin in our minds, then we realize that we can choose to do what is right. We can for the first time not let sin reign in our mortal body. We do not have to obey the passions and desire of the flesh any more.
What we do and say is an overflow of our heart. Our heart is described as the place of our inner person. Of who we are on the inside that motivates our outward actions.
We must know that our own heart is difficult to handle.
9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?
The battle against our own sin’s passions is one that we cannot fight on our own. It is a fight that is not unique to us today.
Paul tells Timothy to flee from youthful passions. He warns him about women who are lead astray by various passions and that there will be a time where people will find those that validate their sin.
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
Peter teaches to not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, to abstain from the passions of the flesh and many other warnings.
11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul.
To Titus
3 For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, 5 he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
You once were is a reminder that you have changed. The foolishness of the lost, those that are disobedient and deceived. The deception in the mind goes along with being enslaved to passions and pleasures. But God did not leave us there. He saved us from that place of ignorance. He does a work in our minds and hearts that leads to a new life.
9 Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, 10 no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. 11 And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
This is the freedom that is provided to a believer that they may accomplish what Paul says here. To not let it reign anymore in our mortal body. Which means there is a way to deal with our sin.
A New Will
A New Will
13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.
Next he says not only don’t let sin reign in your flesh but also do not offer any part of it to sin. Do not offer or present the parts of your mortal body. The NASB captures the idea that this is a continual and active
13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; ...
The life of an unbeliever presents their entire body over to sin and all that the person accomplishes is more and more unrighteousness. Each part of our bodies can only be used by one of two wielders. For instance our mouths can be used for good or evil.
29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.
The tongue is a small part of the body but can be used for great evil. But it can also be used to bless and to encourage. Paul speaks of the will of man. With his mind he considers the knowledge and truth of his position. With his heart, he recognizes his desire and passions. And here he recognizes his will. He has a choice in where he presents his mortal body for work.
Weapons and instruments are to be used and you and I are used every day for evil or for good. Like a sword given to a man, what the sword accomplishes is dependent on the one who hold the handle. One man can take that sword to kill and murder innocent people and in the hand of another it can defend the life of the innocent.
In both cases the sword yields to the one who uses it. We see an image of this when a young man or women presents themselves to the military for service. You stand there and you yield your will to be an instrument or weapon of the USA military. You are no longer your own.
The one who is saved is to present themselves to God as person alive. You are you offer yourself to God, to be used by him as a weapon of righteousness. To do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same understanding—because the one who suffers in the flesh is finished with sin—2 in order to live the remaining time in the flesh no longer for human desires, but for God’s will. 3 For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the Gentiles choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you don’t join them in the same flood of wild living—and they slander you.
The one who presents himself to God for instruments of righteousness will find themselves at odds with the world around them. Being alive to God changed everything. For we become tools in the hands of the great creator. We may see ourselves as broken and damaged, dull, and weak tools, but he uses us all the same. Each of us has been given different gifts to produce different things in the kingdom. Some will be seen by man as great and others will never be known but that is not what is important. What is important is where you present yourself. To sin or to God.
This is something that we do not do on our own. And we trust that this is God working in us for a purpose.
13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.
The mind, heart, and will have been unshackled from the dominion of sin. Why is this true?
A New Ruler
A New Ruler
14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.
The truth that sin will not rule over you is that you are not under the law. To be under the law is to have a life that can only be found righteous if it can follow all of the law that are laid out. If we were under the law we would never be able to do all of what it requires but instead God has justified us freely by his grace.
21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.
This is a profound statement that sin will not rule over those who are in Christ. Because of the grace God has given us we are to think, believe, and, choose differently.
Conclusion
Conclusion
If this is the new life as one who is alive in Christ, the question that arises from this for many is “If sin will not rule over me, then why do I struggle so much with it?” “Why do I still feel bound to it in many ways?”
We will get into this in more depth as we continue in the letter. But here Paul reveals the basic truths of the new man. We are to love the God who saved us and gave us the gift of his righteousness. This includes our mind, heart, soul, and mind.
37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command.
We new to suffer in the flesh and cease from sin. So we no longer live for human passions.
1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
The path is long and hard in many ways. Many of our members have been offered to sin for so long that it is a very hard work to be free of them, but the hope is that God is faithful to the process of sanctifying our bodies.
7 But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness. 8 For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
We must fill our minds with the Scripture if we have any hope to be equipped for the work God has for us.
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.
Paul said he too had to work and discipline himself so that he would not be disqualified.
27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Do not let sin reign in your mortal body.
It is what we are naturally and it is what we fall back to if we are not diligent. There are constant calls to fight the fight.
The call for us is to lay aside the sins that ensnare us and keep us from running the race before us.
1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,
We are positionally justified before God as holy and blameless but in this life we must seek the things above with our mind, live out the desires of the Spirit, and offer ourselves to Gos as instruments of righteousness.
4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.
Let us pray.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Blessing/Benediction
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
