Romans 6:1-14

Subject: What am I talking about?

Why should those dead to sin no longer live in it?

Complement: What exactly am I saying about what I’m talking about?

Those who are dead to sin are participants in the death of Christ and furthermore in the life of Christ; therefore this reality demands a response that reflects life under grace and not the Law.

The Big Idea:

Christians are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ and therefore their lives should be marked by a proactive righteousness that leads us to adoration for God. / Christians are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ and therefore their lives should be marked by a proactive adoration for God.

Intro/Illustration 1

While Paul’s epistle to the Christians of Rome is often treated merely as a contributor to Christian doctrine, and to some degree it’s not hard to see why,[1] Romans is also a pastoral letter written by a pastor to a diverse group of congregants in the early first century. As we will find in tonight’s reading of the epistle, Paul, like any pastor, has a pastoral concern over this group of people regarding their identity as it pertains to sanctification. Specifically, his concern is over the righteous obedient lifestyle of Christians. The lifestyle that is defended, that is protected and made possible by the victory in Christ from the flesh (ch. 6). [6]

[1] Jr., C. D. M. (1992). Romans, Epistle to the. In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Vol. 5, p. 817). New York: Doubleday.

[6] Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 57). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Read Passage

Intro:

Paul sets us up with a discussion on Christian identity by asking a rhetorical question, (Read v. 1)

Obviously this is an atrocious notion, how could anyone who has been justified by faith, who has peace with God through Jesus Christ, how could they find it agreeable to participate in such a cheap grace? Yet Paul appears to have anticipated such a response from someone in his audience. And his return response is sharp and rebuking. “May it never be!” He presents three counterpoints to this false idea that having become Christians, we are now able live by a cheap grace.

Point 1: We are dead to sin (v. 2-7)

Point 2: We are alive to God in Christ (v. 8-11)

Point 3: We are to be responsive in a way that reflects these truths (v. 11-14)

These three points in of themselves give us the big idea of what Paul is trying to get across:

Big Idea

Christians are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ and therefore their lives should be marked by a proactive adoration for God.

Surely this should be obvious, however if you’ve been in the church long enough, at a certain point it doesn’t seem that it’s obvious to everyone. In fact, if you’ve been married longer than a week, your spouse might have realized that you definitely missed the memo on this.

With that said, let’s go ahead and break this down.

P1. Looking at Romans 6:2-7, Paul says, *Read passage* The first thing that Paul is stating is that, Christians are dead to sin (x2)

Consider how Paul sets up this portion of the discussion: how can you live in a way that is so juxtaposed to who you really are?

In all fairness, any of us who has been Christian long may have already found themselves in situations where they may say things, do things, or think things that are in contrast to the good works we were made for. So really Paul, on what authority do have to come about criticizing our inconsistencies?

His first response: Christ’s death to sin is our death from sin.

He presents two authoritative, identity-altering factors that confirm the true union that Christians have with Christ through their faith:

Our baptism into Christ’s death

Our crucifixion with Christ

Through faith, there is a participatory reality that shapes and defines who we are. When our baptism into Christ means a baptism into His death that leads to a newness of life in His resurrection or when the crucifixion of our old self with Him means being no longer slaves from sin, ...the idea that these palpable realities somehow then pardon us to indulge in a cheap grace… May it never be indeed! How shall we who have died to sin still live in it!?

Application:

Therefore, knowing why we are dead to sin requires that we that trust in what occurs between us and Christ’s death.?

Illustration 2

P2. Looking at Romans 6:8-11, Paul says, *Read passage* The next thing Paul states in response to his rhetorical questions is that, Christians are alive to God in Christ (x2)

While briefly mentioning it before, Paul now presents the power that the resurrection of Christ holds over God’s people. The reality that presides in the resurrected Christ is a reality that presides in us: that we who are united to Christ in the likeness of His death shall also be in the likeness of His life, for he who has died will never die again.

The death that is of sin no longer stains the beautiful and precious His body of Christ with its crippling, hopeless stench; instead He is perfumed by the life of glory that He lives unto God.

That sounds all well and good, in fact it is agreeable that Jesus would be described as such. But what has it to do with us forgetful Christians?

Rejoice children of God, for Paul says to consider yourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Do you still have doubt, you who struggle to love? Is this rich news too hard to grasp, you who fall prey to your fleshly desires? Is there any point in holding on to such a precious truth, when you cannot let go of that pride, that anger, that greed, that lust, that need to be right, first, best, holier than thou, that idolatry, that sin so easily entangles?

Yet here we have it. In God’s Word. Christian, consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. This isn’t a suggestion. Paul isn’t trying to send out good thoughts and vibes. He calling Christians to repent from any lesser perception of who our King says we are.

To that point,

Application:

Understanding how we can be alive to God in Christ requires that we trust in what occurs between us and Christ’s resurrection.?

Illustration 3

P3. Looking at Romans 6:11-14, Paul says, *Read passage* So Paul’s conclusion in this discussion is that, Christians are to be responsive to the previous two points (x2), responsive to the fact that we are dead to sin because of Christ’s death and alive to God because of Christ’s resurrection.?

What is worth noting about this response is that it is two-fold.

First, there needs to be an internalizing, cognitive processing, understanding and consideration of the truths that Paul has presented.

Second, it is not enough to have a good theology on Christian identity. Such a reality for the Christian demands a response of doxological proportions.

Therefore, in light of everything said thus far, do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies… Let every part of who you are be used as a holy, righteous tool in the precious pierced hands of Christ Jesus.

Paul exhorts the Christian to remember their higher purpose; their call to participate in a holy, righteous living that permits us to stand before God with every fiber of our being declaring the glory and victory that is inseparable from Christ’s accomplishments!

Application:

It is this participating in righteous obedience in response to what we know of Christ’s death and what we understand of Christ’s resurrection, this is what allows us to live in proactive adoration towards God.

Conclusion

?The problem we are facing is that many Christians seem to gloss over Romans 6:1-14 and right in to Romans 7:14-25 to celebrate the struggle with sin rather than the victory we have in Jesus Christ.?

My brothers and sisters, if you get anything from this, please remember and think on these three truths.

We are dead to sin and knowing why we are dead to sin requires that we that trust in what occurs between us and Christ’s death.

We are alive to God in Christ and understanding how we can be alive to God in Christ requires that we trust in what occurs between us and Christ’s resurrection.

We are to be responsive participants in righteous obedience in light of what we know and understand to be true of Christ’s death and resurrection, as this is what allows us to live in proactive adoration towards God.

When we bind our identity to these truths, and live in response to these truths, Paul’s point of how Christians are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ and are therefore to be marked by a proactive adoration for God suddenly this call to living becomes more tangible and realistic for the believer.