Death and Resurrection

Intro

Happy Easter! Today is the day that we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. As we do so, I want us to stop and consider what that means for us.

Romans 6:1–14 ESV

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.

Baptism Into Christ: To Death

Romans 6:1-4

Are we to continue in sin?

Do we?

Do we claim to have given our lives to Christ yet we still live our lives day to day not giving him a second thought?

Baptism is more that a physical experience

It is 2 parts

An outward expression of the inward change (experienced physically in the water)

A spiritual emersion into the body of Christ (experienced spiritually in the believer)

The word Baptized isn’t just describing a physical process of being dipped in the water

The Greek word Baptizō, means to fully submerge or immerse

Too often we look at a believer’s baptism as a spiritual bath

Rom 6:3 says we are “ baptized into his DEATH”

We aren’t just washed off we die and are reborn

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

To restore your relationship with the Holy and Perfect God, you couldn’t just be cleaned off

You needed to DIE to your sins and be given a NEW LIFE in Christ

This is not just a restoration, it is a resurrection

Union with Christ: To Life

Romans 6:5-11

If we are united with Christ in his death we will also be united with him in his life

We are able to experience the spiritual resurrection with Christ right now

But we will not experience the full, physical resurrection until his second coming

So WHY must we die?

We must die with Christ so that our sins may be brought to nothing

Without the death of Christ we are enslaved to sin

You are a slave to the thing that you can’t say no to

NOW we have the opportunity to live in freedom from our sins

Because of Christ’s Resurrection we can have life free from our sins

If Christ had not been resurrected, then sin would have prevailed, death would have been the end!

If we are alive in Christ we are to consider ourselves DEAD TO SIN and ALIVE TO GOD in Christ Jesus

If we give our life to Christ and therefor die with him we CANNOT continue to live in our sins

Life with Christ: To God

Romans 6:12-14

Do not LET sin reign in your life

It has no power over you (only what you give it)

In Christ it is not that we CANNOT SIN, but that we CAN NOT SIN

V. 13: Present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to Life

And as instruments of Righteousness

This is a daily commitment

We must present ourselves, that is we offer ourselves to Him

As we leave this place make this your attitude,

That you face life in every moment saying Lord I present myself to you! Have me, use me, fill me with your spirit, so that I may live for you!