Are You Free To Die & Live?

Are You Free To Die & Live?

Text: Romans 6:1-14

Introduction

Freedom is not about having the opportunity to do what you want, but about having the ability to live holy before God.

Sometimes we may think that Satan is only interested in robbing truth from the lost. Far from the truth! Satan is equally interested in keeping every believer in the dark of spiritual truths we should do. Satan wants nothing more that for you as a believer to live beneath your privileged position.

Some, many or all of you have come to know Jesus died for you and have received Him by faith, but you have yet to KNOW the glorious liberty you have in Jesus. Let us leave knowing our freedom in Jesus Christ.

1) The Freedom Of Jesus’ Death

A. What does it mean to be “dead with Christ?”

FIRST — notice the depth of this baptism; submerged.

This does not refer to a physical baptism; this is spiritual.

Whatever reigned over your life previously has now lost its reigning power.

SECOND — Notice the affects of being “dead with Christ.”

Ephesians 2:1-3 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

This baptism has equipped the believer with the ability to live for Jesus and not their sin.

For there to be an old life, there must be a new death.

The old nature is still here, but it has been stripped of ALL ITS POWER.

(v6) “Destroyed” = to be rendered inactive.

The kingship of sin was nailed to the cross.

“…that the body of sin” — Our bodies will always be a servant to who we are on the inside.

Only those who have died with Jesus are free from sin’s slavery.

These benefits of Jesus’ death eternal by nature.

2) The Freedom Of Jesus’ Resurrection

A. “Likeness of his resurrection”

FIRST — what is the distinction between His death & resurrection?

His death was “once for all.”

His resurrection is continual through the life He lives to His Father’s glory.

The point of His death was to terminate your old life. The point of His resurrection is to perpetuate holy living through the new life He has given you.

SECOND — Resurrection has brought about a NEW LIFE.

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Illustration: What was the first thing Jesus intructed the people to do when Lazarus walked to the entrance of the tomb? He said, take the grace clothes off of him.

Too many believers are living as betweeners; living between Egypt and Canaan.

Illustration: The Prodigal son — Romans 6:16–20 (BEC): When he was at home, he decided he wanted his freedom, so he left home to find himself and enjoy himself. But his rebellion only led him deeper into slavery. He was the slave of wrong desires, then the slave of wrong deeds; and finally he became a literal slave when he took care of the pigs. He wanted to find himself, but he lost himself! What he thought was freedom turned out to be the worst kind of slavery. It was only when he returned home and yielded to his father that he found true freedom.

3) A Freedom You Must Reckon & Yield

When you profess “I am born again,” you are affirming that this two-fold work of grace has changed the inner you.

Repenting and believing on Jesus alone guarantees this reality.

A. You are responsible for reckoning your DEATH and RESURRECTION in Jesus Christ.

(WEONT): Reckoning is simply that step of faith that says, “What God says about me in the Bible is now true in my life.

(WEONT): Reckoning is faith in action, resting on the Word of God in spite of circumstances or feelings.

(WEONT): God does not tell us to crucify ourselves, but rather to believe that we have been crucified and that “the old man” has been put to death. Crucifixion is one death you cannot inflict on yourself; you must be crucified by another. Reckoning is that step of faith that believes God’s Word and acts upon it.

(BEC): Paul didn’t tell his readers to feel as if they were dead to sin, or even to understand it fully, but to act on God’s Word and claim it for themselves.

Illustration: It is like endorsing a check. If you really believe the money is in the back, you will sign your name.

B. You are responsible for YIELDING to the one who has freed you.

Define: Romans 6:12–23 (BEC): “to place at one’s disposal, to present, to offer as a sacrifice.”

(WEOT) If believers truly reckon themselves dead to sin, then they will prove their faith by yielding themselves to God.

The act of yielding is not some kind of impulsive decision…it is an act of intelligence.

Notice verse 12… “Let not”

It is not enough to KNOW or even RECKON it…you must YIELD your life to it; step of OBEDIENCE.

Question: Why should you be obedient to a master who has already been defeated???

Notices verses 13 & 22

For those who think Satan may provide some kind of victory for your life:

Satan knows that if he confuses you about your victory in Jesus Christ, you will never live up to your greatest position in Jesus Christ.

Your usefulness for kingdom work has now become a hinderance.

Without this first step of complete yielding, there will never be follow through of any other step for Jesus!!!

You may ask, “How do I know if I am yielding to Jesus?”

Well, do you truly ENJOY yielding to Him?

Yield to Jesus is not like yielding to an oppressor!

Yield to Jesus is like yielding to a loving Savior and friend. All that He is (Savior, friend, provider, healer, liberator, protector, redeemer, etc…) becomes accessible once you yield to Him by faith.

Conclusion

Knowing, reckoning and yielding to Jesus are NOT emergency measures! These steps are steps for the soul who truly wants to live a life of victory for the glory of God.

So, how important is it that you are CRUCIFIED and RESURRECTED with Jesus?

How important is it that you live your life believing you have been CRUCIFIED and RESURRECTED with Jesus Christ?

The answer is pretty simply…It all depends if you want to enjoy true lasting freedom for the rest of your life and future eternity.

To the lost — Will you confess your sin and confess a believing faith in Jesus alone?

To the saved — Will you grow in your knowledge and reckon and yield your life according to that knowledge?