Dying to Live

Romans 5:20-21
²⁰God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. ²¹So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Romans 6:1-2
¹Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? ²Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

 

Romans 6:3-4
³Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? ⁴For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

 

Romans 6: 20-23
²⁰When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. ²¹And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. ²²But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Past Status:
“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right.”

 

Result and Outcome:
“And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.”

 

Current Status:
“But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God.”

 

Result and Outcome:
“Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.”

 

Hebrews 12:14 
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

 

Sin earns a sick paycheck.

 

Closing Illustration:
“For the wages of sin is death”

 

God gives a secure position.

 

“But the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

Sin earns a sick paycheck.
God gives a secure position.

 

Romans 8:31-34
³¹What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³²Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? ³³Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. ³⁴Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

 

 

Humans are made for freedom.

Foolish freedom brings pain and wise freedom brings joy.

 

We are either “in Adam” and “under the Law” or “in Christ” and “under Grace”
(Romans 5:16-20; 1Corinthians 15:22)

 

We are freed from the penalty of sin because Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8-9

We are freed from the power of sin because Christ lives for us.   Romans 5:10

 

Romans 6:14
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

 

As long as we are “under the Law” sin will continue to have mastery over us.

 

Romans 6:15-19
¹⁵Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! ¹⁶ Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. ¹⁷Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. ¹⁸Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. ¹⁹Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. 

 

We are no longer under the Law, but under Grace.

 

To be “under The Law” means  “If you obey my commands, I will bless you.”

To be “under Grace” means “I have already blessed you. Will you obey me?”

 

1. Matthew 5:17-18  Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  

 

2. Romans 10:4  For Christ is the end/fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
   Jesus fulfilled it. The only person to keep it. He never broke one commandment or He could not have been our Savior.

 

3. Romans 14:5  Some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.
   Could Paul have said that if they were under the Law? No! They had to observe Sabbath.

 

4. 1 Corinthians 9:20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. ²¹ When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.
   He could not ignore the Law of Moses if he was still under it.

 

5. 2 Corinthians 3:6-11
   ⁶He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. ... ⁷ The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. ...  ⁹If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! …  ¹¹So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!    
   
   Hebrews 8:6-13 
   ⁶But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. ⁷If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it…. ¹³When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.

 

6. Galatians 3:19, 24 ¹⁹“The law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. … ²⁴ Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came
   See Psalm 110; Hebrews 7:12

 

7. Ephesians 2:14-15  “For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations.

 

8. Colossians 2:14-16  ¹⁴He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. … ¹⁶ So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.”

 

This was hard for the Jews to understand. It had been in effect for 1400 years.
How were they to think about the Law?
How should we?

 

1. The Law is not required for salvation, and not even for rules for holy living.  Acts 15:8-21

Acts 15:19-21  We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood. For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.

 

2. The Law is required to show our need of a Savior.  Galatians 3:24; 1Timothy 1:8-10

1Timothy 1:8-10 We know that the law is good when used correctly. For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.

 

3. The Law of Moses has been replaced by the “Law of Christ” – the New Covenant  (1Corinthians 9:21; James 2:8-12)

9 of the 10 Commandments are now in the New Covenant.

 

Galatians 5:13-14 
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Romans 6:16
Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

 

We all give our allegiance (our “yes”) to something. No man can serve two masters.
Who/What will we serve?
What will the consequences be?

 

Romans 6:13-14 
“Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. ¹⁴ Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.”

 

The secret to resisting sin is not “resisting sin,” it is remembering God’s grace.

 

1John 5:3 
“Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Romans 6:1-14
¹Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? ²Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? ³Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? ⁴For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. ⁵Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. ⁶We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. ⁷For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. ⁸And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. ⁹We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. ¹⁰When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. ¹¹So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. ¹²Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. ¹³Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. ¹⁴Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

 

Romans 6:11
So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

 

Justification: a declared righteousness free from penalty

 

Romans 3:28
So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

 

Glorification: the gift of a resurrection body to each soul secure in Christ upon His return.

 

Philippians 3:20-21
²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

 

Sanctification: the process of obedience to the Holy Spirit whereby we grow into Christ-likeness.

 

Romans 6:12-13a
¹²Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. ¹³Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. 

 

Romans 6:12-13a (DBT)
¹²Let not sin therefore rule as king in your body of death, to make you obey the desire of sin. ¹³Do not make available to sin the parts of your body as unrighteous weapons. 

 

Galatians 5:17 (ESV)
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

 

Romans 6:13b
Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

 

“Be killin’ sin before it be killin’ you.”

 

Colossians 3:1-10
¹Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ²Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ³For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. ⁵So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. ⁶Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. ⁷You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. ⁸But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. ¹⁰Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

 

Stop yawning at crocodiles

 

Romans 13:13-14
¹³Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

 

Hack space for whole-hearted devotion. 

 

1 John 1:9
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

 

Summon your “eagle power.”

 

Romans 8:13
¹³For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

 

There is strength in numbers.

 

 

Romans 5: 18-21
¹⁸Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.¹⁹Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. ²⁰God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. ²¹So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Romans 6:1-7
¹Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? ²Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? ³Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? ⁴For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. ⁵Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. ⁶We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. ⁷For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

 

Romans 6:8-10
⁸And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. ⁹We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. ¹⁰When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God.

 

If I’m united with Christ in His death, I am also united with him in His life.

 

Ephesians 2:6
For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

 

“We must for a moment forget about ourselves and our experiences and consider only what is true about the Lord Jesus Christ, and what happened to Him in this matter of relationship to sin.”

-Martin Lloyd Jones Romans 6

 

Philippians 2: 6-8
⁶Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. ⁷Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, ⁸he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

 

 “The resurrection of Jesus Christ is an announcement, a proclamation to the whole universe that His Son has completed the work of atonement and redemption and of salvation.”

– Martin Lloyd Jones Romans 6

 

John 17:5
Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

 

God doesn’t ask us to do anything until he tells us what He has already done for us. 

 

Romans 6:11
So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

 

Romans 12:2
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

 

The process of sanctification is hindered until we consider where we are in Christ.

 

Galatians 5:20
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 

 

Romans 5:1-11
¹Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. ²Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. ³We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. ⁶When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. ⁷Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. ⁸But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ⁹And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. ¹⁰For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. ¹¹So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

 

Romans 5:12-17
¹²When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. ¹³Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. ¹⁴Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. ¹⁵But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. ¹⁶And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. ¹⁷For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

 

Romans 5:18-21
¹⁸Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. ¹⁹Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. ²⁰God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. ²¹So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

More Sinning + More Grace = “I should sin more!”                                                                           

 

“The true preaching of the gospel of salvation by grace alone always leads to the possibility of this charge being brought against it.”  

-Romans 6; Martyn Lloyd-Jones

 

Romans 6:1
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 

 

You have either “died to sin” or are “dead in sin.”

 

Romans 6:2
Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 

 

Ephesians 2:1-3
¹Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. ²You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. ³All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

 

Your salvation is a matter of “Death and Life.”

 

Romans 6:3-4
³Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?  ⁴For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

 

Ephesians 2:4-6
⁴But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) ⁶For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

 

“What is this business of grace? Is it to allow us to continue in sin? No! It is to deliver us from the bondage and reign of sin, and to put us under the reign of grace.”  

-Romans 6, Martyn Lloyd-Jones

 

In the weakness of your flesh, remember where you are.

 

Romans 6:5-7
⁵Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. ⁶We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. ⁷For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

 

Colossians 1:13-14
¹³For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.