The Glorious Gift of Christmas Future
Romans: Unashamed - Building the Church through the Gospel • Sermon • Submitted
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ENGAGE
The story of Ebenezer Scrooge...
Explain the spirits/ghost of past, present, and future.
This story is significant because it...
ENCOUNTER
As I was reading through Romans 6:20-23, I recognized and interesting parallel with Paul’s words and Ebenezer Scrooge’s story. Like Scrooge, we all have a past, we must come to terms with our past, present, and our choices today will effect our future in terrible or amazing ways.
Transition to main idea...
Main Idea - The Future is Merry and Bright if You Choose Right!
While we won’t be visited by three ghosts, we will (as a believer’s) understand more clearly our past, present, and future are filled with some powerful truths.
Your Past is Filled With Regret!
You Present is Filled With Opportunity!
Your Future is Filled With Hope!
1. Your Past is Filled With Regret (vs. 20-21)
This is certainly true of me...
This is also true of the apostle Paul.
I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
And you have a past as well. Even the most innocent among us were born in sin and wrestled with that condition before coming to a saving faith in Christ.
Paul, in Roman 6 has been comparing and contrasting the unbeliever with the believer. And in a very real sense, there is a stark contrast between the two!
And in verses 20-21 he does it again...
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 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.
Explain - Just as Ebenezer Scrooge and his partner, Marley were slaves to avarice and greed, we all were slaves to sin in our past. Some still are.
Understand what Paul says about your past.
He makes a very clear point that we were “slaves of sin” - This word “slave” should conjure up the idea that of obedience. Christian, you and I WERE obedient to our slave master, sin.
In fact, the next part of the verse is a really interesting phrase. We were slaves to sin and were...
“free in regard to righteousness.” This means while you were a slave to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right (NLT).
Why? Because you couldn’t.
We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Nancy Pelosi on Crime Wave - "It's absolutely outrageous. Obviously it cannot continue," Pelosi said. "But the fact is that there is an attitude of lawlessness in our country that springs from I don't know where… and we cannot have that lawlessness become the norm.
Notice that what Paul says in verse 20 is at the heart of the gospel and this message does not support a works based salvation.
Notice also the forthright question Paul asks in verse 21. “How did your sinful life work out for you?” “What lasting, fruitful gain did you receive from being saturated in sin?”
We now look back and are ashamed of our attitudes and actions before we knew Christ...
And it’s more than just about our shame. It’s about the realization of what we faced - death! Think about that for just one minute. If you would have died in the condition you were in (slave to sin) you would have missed out on the glories of heaven and would have been subject to an eternal separation from God for all eternity.
This is what Paul means when he uses the word, DEATH!
And if one doesn’t repent from one’s sin, they will not simply have some regrets from life, they will live with eternal regret because they rejected the gracious offer of eternal life through Jesus Christ!
Illustrate - Marley’s reality was fixed. It was too late for him. But he was given the opportunity to come back and warn Ebenezer. He had a message of a reality check for his business partner / friend.
Apply - What about your future? Is it Merry and Bright because you have chosen right?
Have you settled your account with God? Then rejoice! This season should be a wonderful celebration of joy, wonder, and love!
Yes, you have regrets, but they are washed under the blood of the lamb (Rev 7:14).
They are forgiven as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).
Your sins are buried in the depths of the deepest sea (Micah 7:19).
You may have regrets but I bet you don’t regret entrusting your mortal soul into the hands of the gracious God of the Bible.
But for those who have yet to trust Christ, what are you waiting for? God desires to give you a new heart, save you from eternal death, bring you into His eternal family, and make you new! No more regret - only a growing peace that passes all understanding that guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Won’t you repent of your sin and place your faith in Christ now!?
Review - The Future is Merry and Bright if You Choose Right!
Your Past is Filled With Regret
Transition - But for the Christian...
2. Your Present is Filled With Opportunity (vs. 22)
Explain - After Scrooge was confronted by Marley and the ghost of Christmas past, a new ghost haunts him.
The ghost that would show him his current state of affairs, especially of how other thought of him.
He soon discovered just how despised he was by most everyone - except his nephew, his beloved sister Fran’s son, Fred.
Fred took pity on his uncle because if his mother loved Scrooge, there must be something in him worth loving.
This spirit of Christmas present’s revelation really challenged Scrooge was yet another impetus for his eventual, dramatic change.
For those of us who are in Christ, we’ve had a crisis moment in our lives that forces us to take an honest look at ourselves. And if we did, we came to grips with some harsh realities about ourselves (the point of verses 20-21).
But there was opportunity for change! And through faith in Christ and repentance of Sin, change came. Look at verse 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.
You are now set free from sin - It holds no condemnatory power over you. It is no longer your master. You are set free from sin and you are under no obligation to obey its demands.
Instead, and here is the contrast,
You are now slaves / bondservants for God - you now live to do His will. Now Paul uses the term slave intentionally to help his readers understand their responsibility for submission and obedience to God. This is a good reminder for us as well. “We are not our own, we have been bought with a price.” And as followers of Christ, we have an obligation to pursue holiness. Are you growing more righteous and holy? Perhaps you aren’t clear on what righteousness and holiness looks like? It looks like Jesus.
In fact Paul uses the word fruit again in this verse. “the fruit you get...”
What is this fruit? Well whatever it is, it is fruit that makes you more like Jesus. This is why I believe it is the Fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
And it is this fruit that leads to two very special things...
Your fruit does two things
It grows you in holiness - Makes you like Jesus.
It promises you eternal life.
Christian, this is who your are because of Christ! What will you do with this opportunity.
Illustrate - Scrooge was a very rich man who kept everything to himself. What he didn’t realize was his employee, Bob Cratchit’s son Tim was crippled and sick. So sick he would die. Scrooge was so self-focused, he didn’t even realize that bob had a son in such a condition until the spirit of Christmas present revealed it to him. A missed opportunity.
Apply - You are born again. You are a follower of Christ. You have been given a great gift - abundant, eternal life! What are you doing with it?
Open your eyes to the needs around you. Figure out how you can be a blessing to someone. How?
Physically - Financially
Spiritually - Read the bible with someone. Read a book with someone. Go to an Equipping Class or online class together.
Emotionally -
Put yourself in someones life and make a difference. You are in Christ. Christ is in you! Act like Christ to those in your circle of influence.
Review - The Future is Merry and Bright if You Choose Right!
Your Past is Filled With Regret
Your Present is Filled With Opportunity
Transition -
3. Your Future is Filled With Hope (vs. 23)
Explain - The last spirit to visit Ebenezer Scrooge was the ghost of Christmas future in which this spirit showed him the terrible reality of his imminent death. Very soon he would face the same fate as his business partner, Marley. He would be forever doomed to walk the earth in chains forged by the sins he committed in this life. And according to Marley, Scrooges chains were far more burdensome that his own. After Scrooge awoke from this strange dream and warning, he vowed to change his ways and live the rest of his life a changed man!
Scrooges’ life was radically altered from the greedy, angry, curmudgeon, to a kind-hearted man who carried the spirit of Christmas in his heart throughout the year. Why this radical change? It was because of the confrontation he received from the three spirits. His changed life lead to a radically changed future not just for him, but for those around him (e.g. Tiny Tim). What Marley and the Spirits did for Ebenezer Scrooge was a real gift. To prove to him the stark reality of his future death if he didn’t change his ways was powerful!
According to verse 23, God has given an even more powerful gift than was given to Scrooge, the gift of eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul gives a helpful illustration to point our the differentiation between death and eternal life. On the one hand, Paul speaks of wages - what we earn.
What is the earning potential of sin from God’s perspective? Death / Eternal Condemnation! We may like to look down on Ebenezer Scrooge and tell ourselves we are not nearly as bad as he, but the stark and harsh reality is we are all Ebenezer Scrooge in one way or another. And without the intervention of God, through His Holy Spirit, we are all doomed to eternal condemnation.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
The only thing we can earn is death! We cannot earn eternal life. God knew this. He knew our desperate situation and so He gives (free gift) the opportunity for eternal life IN Christ Jesus our Lord.
“gift OF GOD” In other words, this gift originates from the heart of God. He desires your salvation. Listen to the prophet Ezekiel quoting the Lord Himself...
Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
And so He provides Christ the Son and THE payment of your wage! He paid off your debt to Him by the blood of Jesus. Jesus’ blood that was shed on the cross, satisfied the wrath of God against you. That was done for you at no cost to you!
What is the free gift of God?
Eternal = without end
Life = being alive in every way possible!
Through what agency?
“IN” = The vehicle in which we are able to receive this eternal life.
Jesus = God saves
Christ = anointed one
Lord = Yahweh
This is where HOPE is.
Illustrate - Ligon Duncan make a very powerful observation when he says, “It would be a tragedy to spend decades celebrating Christmas never having received the Christ.”
Apply - If you are a follower of Jesus here this morning, you have great reason to celebrate these verses. You have crossed over from death to life. Because you are in Christ, you have HOPE! There is nothing in this world, there is no power anywhere that can seperate you from the love of God and the promise of eternal life for you. You can’t even mess it up! This is the beauty of the gospel and what Christ has accomplished for you. How should you apply this passage? Spend your days on this planet rejoicing because of your position in Christ and what it means. and secondly, spread this joyous reality to those around you. Just like the reformed Scrooge did! His life was forever altered, and it affected everyone around him.
For those who are not yet followers of Christ, please realize the dire straights you are in. Realize and repent!
This was the message of Christ...
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Won’t you finally believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? If you do, you will be saved.
It was true for the jailer in Philippi...
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
And it is true for you! If you believe!
We are here to help you establish faith in Christ - you need to seek us out! We will help you become a follower of Jesus.
Review - The Future is Merry and Bright if You Choose Right!
Your Past is Filled With Regret
Your Present is Filled With Opportunity
Your Future is Filled With Hope
Transition -
EMPOWER
Friends, Scrooge’s life was radically changed. He went from a greedy miser to a generous , full-of-life man who desired to make a difference in the lives of those around him.
For the follower of Christ, You have been even more radically transformed than old Scrooge. Not because of three spirits, but because of the transformational power of Christ’s Spirit!
Your past no longer matters and your present should be full of joy because of what your future now holds because of God’s amazing promise of eternal salvation!
Eternal life = share the glory of the life to come
The old life = No righteousness
Eternal life = Surrounded by Right, Good, and Godliness
The old life = Regret
Eternal life = Sanctification
The old life = ends in eternal death
Eternal life = Everlasting, joy-filled, purposeful, meaningful existence with the one who created you and loves you.
Christian, are you living a hope-filled life now in light of the amazing eternal to come?
Non-Christian, are you longing for true life?
Two-thousand years ago a baby was born. Not just any baby, but a baby that was both human and divine.
This baby would grow to be the most influential person to ever walk the earth.
Why is He so influential?
Because of His wisdom? Yes!
Because of His ability to perform miracles? Yes!
Because of His great love? Yes!
But mostly because He can raise the dead to life.
And when He does that to you, nothing will ever be the same because you are not the same!
Connection Group Reflection Questions
1. What do these verses teach me about our character?
2. What do these verses teach me about God and his character?
3. Because these words are from God, they are TRUTH! What truth is he asking me to believe?
4. What do I need to do to obey him?
5. With whom can I share these truths?