Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
The Apostle Paul is writing to the Church at Rome to prepare them for his visit that he plans to make on the way to Spain.
Of course, we know from history he did end up in Rome but as a prisoner.
This letter to the Romans is slightly different to the other letters Paul wrote to churches.
The others were written to tackle particular problems in the Churches at the time, this letter is a more of a general statement of Paul’s doctrine.
He does know that the church in Rome has a mixture of both Jews and Gentiles and so speaks alot about God’s plan for both.
In Paul is explaining the truth that Christ died in the place of sinners so that they can be justified before God.
He explains that all who were in Adam died because of sin, and all those who are united to Christ by faith are made righteous in God’s sight.
By one man, Adam, many were made sinners, by one man Christ, many are made righteous.
Then in verse 19-20 Paul makes the statement “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” Here he is referring to God’s free grace that he shows to sinful people in Jesus Christ.
But its as though Paul makes this statement and then he thinks to himself “ I know what people are going to say to a statement like that.”
And he anticipates the criticism that he might receive.
But its as though Paul makes this statement and then he thinks to himself “ I know what people are going to say to a statement like that.”
And he anticipates the criticism that he might receive.
V.1 he says “What shall we say then?
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?.”
He knows what people might think.
“Well if thats the case lets keep on sinning.
If God’s grace abounds the more we sin, well lets just sin on.
If its by grace then it doesn’t matter if we sin or not.”
In the verses that follow Paul shows that this kind of mindset is impossible when you are a Christain because a great change has taken place in the life of the believer.
In our day there are many who promote what might be called “Hyper-grace”.
They say it doesn’t matter if you sin because you are saved by grace, God is a God of love they say.
Even we have the danger in conservative evangelical churches to think a similar thing.
If its true I’m saved by God’s grace and its true he will keep me and preserve me to the end, then it doesn’t matter if I sin because God will forgive me.
I wonder if you ever think like this?
Well Paul shows us in our passage that a great change has taken place in the believer and that they should not, they cannot continue in sin that grace may abound.
In v. 1-10 we see that Paul explains the change that took place in us when we were united to Christ by faith.
firstly- we died to sin
Secondly- we were made alive with Christ
and then at the end of our passage Paul gives some practical application, he tells the reader what all of this means for them.
He does this in two ways
i) How they are to think.
ii) how they are to live.
I. Dead to sin
Firstly, we see that the Christian is now dead to sin.
Paul starts this section with a hypothetical question.
He knows that some will throw this accusation at him and so he tackles it before they do.
Maybe he has heard this objection before and so he knows whats coming.
v.1 he says “ Whats shall we say then?
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”
To this his reply is very strong.
V.2 “Certainly not!”
Some translations say by no means, the AV says God forbid.
In Pauls mind this is unthinkable.
He explains why.
v.2 How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
If you like Paul is saying its impossible to continue in sin that grace may abound because those who are Christians have died to sin and so can no longer continue in it.
He then goes on to explain when this took place in the life of the believer.
He does this by asking another rhetorical question.
V.3-4 “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Here Paul says that the Christian died to sin at their conversion.
He says that those who were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death.
The New King James Version.
(1982).
().
Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
The word baptism here is probably short hand for conversion in general.
In the early church repentance and baptism went hand in hand, the moment a person trusted Christ for themselves they were baptized.
Paul here is saying that when you became a Christian you were united to Christ in his death and resurrection.
You died with him.
V.5 says “We were united together in the likeness of his death.”
V.6 explains this further.
What does this mean?
“knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with.”
What this passage is saying is that the moment you were united to Christ by faith at conversion, which was pictured in your baptism, your old man, the sinful nature you had from Adam, your old way of life, the old self.
He was crucifed with Christ.
So that the body of sin, might be done away with.
The New King James Version.
(1982).
().
Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
The old man was crucified with Christ.
When Christ died, you died, your old man died.
The sinful you died with Christ the moment you were united to him by faith at your conversion.
This is pictured in baptism, you were buried with him.
Whats the outcome of this truth?
The end of v.6 and v.7 tells us what the reason of all this is.
“that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
For he who has died has been freed from sin.”
The outcome of us dying with Christ is that we are now freed from the tyranny of sin.
The Bible presents the power of sin in the unbeliever as a slave master.
Jesus said “He who commits sin is a slave of sin.”
He also said “If the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed.”
Here Paul is saying thats exactly what happened.
You were once under the bondage and dictatorship of the sin that ruled over you.
You were a slave to sin and you obeyed its every desire and command.
But the moment you died with Christ when you were converted, you were freed from the tyranny of sin.
You are no longer a slave of sin.
Sin no longer has unwavering power over you in your life.
Now you can say no to sin, you no longer have to obey it, sin no longer rules over you.
You have a new matser which is Christ.
Illustration
I heard a helpful illustration of this once.
Its as though you were a slave and your master controlled you.
One day you were set free, someone paid the ransom for you and you were freed from your master.
Now that your free if your old master sees you in the street and says come and do this or do that, you can say no, no I’m not going to come and do that, you do it yourself.
You no longer have to obey them because they are not your master any more.
You are free.
This is what has happened to every believer.
We have been freed from the bondage and power of sin, we are no longer slaves of sin.
We can say no.
This does not mean that we dont still have to battle with sin, it doesn’t mean that we wont still fall into temptation, this is not saying that it is impossible to sin.
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