United To Christ - Romans 5:18-6:14

Text :

Romans 5:18–21 (ESV) — 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.

Romans 6:1–14 (ESV) — 1 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.

Intro:

Connect Romans 5 back to Exodus — The Law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (5:20).

The Law exposed us, like a mirror and a window, but grace abounded all the more.

“Sin reigned in death” (5:21). The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is grace.

Illustration: The law is a good thing - it’s a revelation of God’s character. But it’s like a person who is starving and has been wondering in the desert and comes upon a restaurant and a menu full of pictures. Do the pictures satisfy him? Do the pictures help? No, its not the real thing and it doesn’t help unless it comes with food that the picture represents. We don’t just have the law (the picture of righteousness that condemns us) we have the fullness of the law. We have Christ (grace upon grace - the full meal to taste and enjoy). [Ben Merkle Illustration]

Today: What is that gift? What does that grace look like?

Our Union With Christ Sets Us Free From

The Problem/Presence of Sin, The Power of Sin, And The Penalty of Sin

Problem/Presence of Sin

Romans 6:1–4 (ESV) — 1 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.

Since God has given “grace that abounded all the more” (5:20), should we just keep sinning so that we can keep receiving grace? By no means!

Why were we sinning? Why would we want to keep sinning? -- The Old Man (6:6)

The Old Man was a slave to sin.

Romans 6:15–16 (ESV) — 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

When sin said jump, the old man said, “how high”?

This is where we see the curse. The Bible doesn’t just condemn us for having committed sins, but for desiring to sin, and liking to sin, and having a will to sin (Jn. 3:19).

Romans 6:20–23 (ESV) — 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John Stott on the New Man:

"Our biography is written in two volumes. Volume one is the story of the old man, the old self, of me before my conversion. Volume two is the story of the new man, the new self, of me after I was made a new creation in Christ. Volume one of my biography ended with the judicial death of the old self. I was a sinner. I deserved to die. I did die. I received my deserts in my Substitute with whom I have become one. Volume two of my biography opened with my resurrection. My old life having finished, a new life to God has begun" (49).

[Back to Text]

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.

“Do you now know?” — A new reality for those united to Christ. The old man is dead. Now there is a newness of life in Christ.

We are redeemed from the presence of sin by our union with Christ.

We don’t just get forgiveness, we get Christ.

United to Christ [Covenant Solidarity] - baptized into death, raised with him into newness of life.

Free from the presence/constraint of sin

Romans 6:12–14 (ESV) — 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.

When you tip toe back into Egypt, you are doing so by your own will, not bound and dragged by a chain. Present your members to God for righteousness - you are not under the law, but under grace.

God redeems us from the hopelessness of being bound and constrained to sin. We may still sin, but we are not obligated to do so. We are not chained. Sin, and wage it brings, are now impotent, lame, and an empty accusation. We are under grace now.

“The motivation of a person whose relationship with God is governed by law is fear, primarily of the consequences if he does not obey. When the relationship is governed by grace, the motivation is love and gratitude.” - Sam Storms

[Question from the text]

The Power of Sin

Romans 6:5–6 (ESV) — 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.

The power of sin is Slavery and death (Rom. 6:16, 23)

1 Corinthians 15:56–57 (ESV) — 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

But we are united to Christ!!! No longer are we bound to slavery and death

A death like His — “He didn’t die that we may live, He died that we may die” (Wilson)

A resurrection like His — As dead as we were in Adam is as alive as we are in Christ

Given the record of a life like His

We are joined to Him in all the events in His life -- His victory over sin, His relationship with the Father, His power over death, but also a life of suffering and persecution.

Jesus in place of the Israelites. They fell short with the Exodus -- Jesus succeeded. “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Hos. 11:1)

The obedience of Jesus is all yours. God offers it freely and it is yours by faith.

All the accusations against you may be accurate, but they have no power anymore.

“To run and work the law commands,

Yet gives me neither feet nor hands;

But better news the gospel brings,

It bids me fly, and gives me wings!”

The Penalty of Sin

Romans 6:7–11 (ESV) — 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.

The one who has died has been set free from sin. Think of the death penalty in prison — if you died, then you are free to go.

Not only did we die with Christ, we will also live with him. That scary old death that we all face, has already happened to us in Christ. There is no need to fear death — it has now lost its sting.

We, too, must consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV) — 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Substitution:

Not like basketball, more like a state representative

Would a good judge condemn the innocent? Did a random person need to die?

No, Jesus stood in our place as Adam. He represented us before the throne and bore the penalty that we deserved.

But as God, He was raised. He alone has power over death. The penalty has been paid in full, the grave has been defeated, a path has been forged for us to follow, and He is dwelling in us giving the strength and will to come along willingly and full of gratitude. Jesus is a total redeemer. God is lavish in His mercy. The old man is dead. The new man has nothing to fear, - not even death.

You can’t be judged for you sins anymore because you already have been.

Christ Is Our New Reality

Repentance For Sin

Romans 6:1–2 (ESV) — 1 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?

Reassurance of Pardon

Romans 6:9–11 (ESV) — 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.

Communion