Or “Christianity in The Classifieds”

Scripture: Romans 6

1.  A Point Of Identification

o       No resurrection without a crucifixion.

o       The "give and take" of grace.  Grace gives to us but it also takes away.  What does it remove?  The penalty for our sins for that has already been paid.

o       Easier to get forgiveness than permission.  God has already done that for every living breathing human being.  It’s history, over and done, once and for all – whether you want it or not, he has done it.  In so doing he has satisfied his holy nature.  Sin cannot be ignored or winked at as though it never took place.  It must be dealt with if we are to move on in our faith pilgrimage.

2.  A Position Of Immunity

o       Certain things that we must "grant" ourselves.  Hearing the truth about ourselves is difficult.  There are times when we cannot hear the truth because of our own insecurities.  It hurts too much to hear the truth.  There are other times when we cannot hear the truth because of our feelings about modesty.  I cannot enjoy the good truth about myself because that would be pride.  There are other times we can’t hear the truth because we have such a firmly entrenched, negative perception of ourselves.

o       God won't deliver us from things that we don't want to be delivered from.

o       The way we see our "relationships" will largely determine the quality of our relationships.

3. A Proactive Investment

o       What are you giving up?

o       Theory of replacement.

o       The notion of victory implies "contest".