Alive In Christ
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Over the last few weeks we have been studying through the theme “In Christ” wherein we have been examining those passages that specifically use the phrase “in Christ.”
The goal of these lessons is to demonstrate and hopefully encourage each of us to not only remember why we are “in Christ” but why we should be telling everyone we know of how great it is to be “in Christ.”
Up to this point…
We have studied how one gets into Christ - Through obedience of God’s plan of salvation.
We have studied what it means to have “faith in Christ.”
Last week we studied what it means to have “Redemption In Christ.”
That brings us to today and today we are going to be studying what the scriptures say concerning being “Alive In Christ.”
With this in mind let’s examine our lesson for today.
Sin Is Death
Sin Is Death
It Entered Through Man.
It Entered Through Man.
Sin entered this world through God’s creation man and brought with it death.
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
However, Adam, Eve, and all mankind since do not die after their first sin so what death is under consideration?
The death that is being talked about here is…
Spiritual Death.
Spiritual Death.
When man has “unforgiven sin” in their life they are dead spiritually.
Notice I said “sin” singular not plural.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The one that refuses to repent of sin and confess that sin cannot have their sins removed and thus is in a perpetual state of sin which is a perpetual state of spiritual decay and death.
4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
Summary
Summary
When sin entered into this world it brought with it spiritual death, exactly what God had said would happen.
From that point on all those that sinned had no way of being made spiritually alive again because there was no sacrifice sufficient for such on this earth.
4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
This is why Jesus had to come to this earth.
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
This then reminds us that…
God Is Life
God Is Life
It Entered Through Man.
It Entered Through Man.
In the same way sin entered into this world, through one man, so also life entered this world, through one man.
14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Notice Romans 5:14 that many sinned “differently then Adam” thus not “original sin” (Ezekiel 18:20).
However, that isn’t the focus of what we just read; the focus is on the entering of “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
This could only happen through Jesus the Christ and his perfect, blameless, spotless, sacrifice.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Sin and thus death entered the world through one man, Adam, just as righteousness and live entered through one man, Jesus.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
Therefore, in Christ there is…
Spiritual Life.
Spiritual Life.
When we put death that “old man of sin” we are raised to a newness of spiritual life.
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.
All we who have sinned (Romans 3:23) were brought near to God, through the blood of Christ, thus being made alive according to the promise of life in Christ.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,
Summary
Summary
God told Adam & Eve, when sin entered into the world it would bring spiritual death, and sure enough it did.
But thanks be to God our Creator, he sent his only begotten son to take on the sins of the world (Romans 5:8; 1 John 2:2) and bring spiritual life back to his creation.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Yes death entered this world through man but also through man life entered as well.
Those of us here that have obeyed God’s gospel plan of salvation by putting to death our old selves were made alive in Christ through his precious blood.
God only asks that in return for spiritual life, we dedicate our life to him who gave us life and that isn’t too much to ask.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
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.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.