You Are Dead To Me!
Romans: Unashamed - Building the Church through the Gospel • Sermon • Submitted
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What is the OBJECTIVE of this Sermon? To prove that we are responsible to die to sin because we are dead to sin.
What is the DESIRED RESPONSE for this Sermon? A repulsion not attraction to sin.
TENSION - Where does the tension lie? We still sin yet we hate to sin. The process of sanctification is drawing us away from sin. Are we helping this process or hindering it?
Me - Movie where they say, “You are dead to me.”
Unfortunately, while I should say should say this to my sinful desires - You are dead to me! - I often don’t. Many times, even though I am a follower of Jesus, I’m lured by the siren song of sin, and I run to it instead of being repulsed by it.
We - Have you ever struggled with sin in this way?
Or worse yet, have you had the attitude, “I’ll sin and God is obligated to forgive me of my sin because of His superabounding grace. The, “He’ll forgive me anyway” spirit.
Or worse yet, If I sin, God’s grace will abound more and more and therefore God receives more glory when I sin! So I’m actually doing God a favor by sinning!! UGH!
This is what Paul is addressing in this passage.
If you remember from last week, The Grace of God Supersedes Your Sin!
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
And we all agreed on two realities from those verses.
1. Your Sin is Greater than You Think
2. God’s Grace is Greater Still!
And I remember you all saying, amen and amen to this fact.
But here’s the rub. Paul’s detractors were accusing him of Antinomianism.
The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church Antinomianism
A general name for the view that Christians are by grace set free from the need of observing any moral law. It was attributed to St *Paul by his opponents (Rom. 3:8) because of his disparagement of the Mosaic Law in favour of the Law of the New Covenant ‘written in the heart’—an internal impulse towards good—and strenuously repudiated by him.
Paul has already started to deal with this accusation back in chapter 3...
But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
And he made it clear in chapter 3, and here in chapter 6 - God is not unrighteous, we are.
So, the question Paul deals with is clear...
God - Should we take advantage of God’s Superabounding, Amazing grace? Should we, as Martin Luther says, “Sin boldly!”
Should we walk all over God’s moral law and live any and every way we want depending on God’s grace to clean it up?
I’ll answer this by saying there is one simple point Paul wants believers to understand very well in light of God’s superabounding grace...
Main Idea - Christ Followers are Dead to Sin and Alive in Christ
It’s a simple axiom, but a challenging one for sure. Why?
Because...
We may be dead to sin, but sin is still alive in us (Romans 7)
We may be dead to sin, but sin’s power is undeniably real.
We may be dead to sin, but sin’s presence is all too real in the culture around us.
This is why sin continues to challenge you and me even as followers of Christ. And sometimes its just easier to give in instead of fighting this seemingly ultimate powerful force.
But, Paul wants believers to know pursing a life of sin is off limits for the Jesus loving believer!
In fact, for the genuine follower of Christ, a continuious lifestyle of sin is impossible for believers.
No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
More on this later...
And He starts this discussion by asking a rhetorical question...
Look at what he asks in verse 1...
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
Imagine sitting in a room and hearing this letter for the first time. This question would have been shocking!
How does Paul answer this shocking, rhetorical question?
Look at the first part of verse 2...
Romans 6:2 (ESV)
By no means!
This is about as emphatic as Paul can be!
By no means! Lit. “may it never be!” Used 14 times in Paul’s epistles (10 in Romans: 3:4, 6, 31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13; 9:14; 11:1, 11), this expression is the strongest Gr. idiom for repudiating a statement, and it contains a sense of outrage that anyone would ever think the statement was true.
John MacArthur Jr., ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed. (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1702.
Let’s call this Paul’s Emphatic NO!
And Paul’s emphatic NO is so strong that in verses 2b-4 he gives three levels of this “NO!”
Why? Because it is important that we get this right!
Yes it is wonderfully true - Superabound grace is amazing!
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
But, as Christ followers, we do not take advantage of the graciousness of God! How wicked it is of people to make this kind of accusation against Paul, God, and His gracious gospel?
Check out the first level of Paul’s three levels of “NO!”
1. NO, You Shouldn’t Sin! You Are Dead To Sin! (vs. 2b)
By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Explain -
What does Paul mean “We died to sin.”? Believers are “In Christ” and Christ is “in us.”
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
In either case, Christ in us or us in Christ - this divine mystery links the believer with Jesus starting at our regeneration. And in that sense, we died with Christ to our old sinful nature, and have been born again unto new life.
Death, whether physical or spiritual, means separation, not extinction (cf. vv. 6–7, 14). Death to sin is separation from sin’s power, not the extinction of sin. Being dead to sin means being “set free from sin” (vv. 18, 22).
Of course, the logical conclusion from Paul’s perspective is if we are dead to sin because our new identity is Christ’s identity - if we are “Jesus” in this time and space, how can “Jesus” sin?
And the logical, honest answer is to this rhetorical question is - YOU, as a little Christ, CAN’T! Just as Christ died on the cross to pay for you sin, so you died on the cross with Him and you are now dead to your sin.
This is how we must think regarding the sin that so easily trips us up!
But there is a great tension that you are feeling right now if you are going to be honest with yourself.
If I am dead to sin, why is sin still attractive to me?
Fair question. One of three answers.
You are not a Christians...
You are a Christian who has gotten his or her eyes off your savior...
You are a Christian who is winning the battle of sin - ever aware of its presence and vigilantly standing guard against it by the power of the Holy Spirit and the direction of God’s holy word.
I think Christians will always live in some tension with this issue - God is in the process of growing you out of your sinful nature. But here’s a secrete to help you in this process
Set your affections on Christ! That’s it!
The more you love your savior, the less you’ll love you sin.
Illustrate - When one is on a Keto diet, in order for the diet to work you must live like refined sugars and carbohydrates are anathema to you. You are dead to them. They are not an option if you want to lose weight.
Apply - This is how we as believers must look at SIN! Cultivate a distaste for your sin.
Folks how do you handle sin in your life?
discern what is and is not sin...
Avoid sin
When you fall into sin (because we all do), repent quickly!
Do a thorough job of repenting!
Act as though you are what this text claims of you - dead to sin.
Review - Christ Followers are Dead to Sin and Alive in Christ
You Are Dead To Sin!
2. No, You Shouldn’t Sin! You Died With Jesus! (vs. 3)
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Paul takes us to the next level of his “Emphatic No in this verse. And he does this by bringing in the past tense phrase..
“all of us who have been BAPTIZED INTO Christ Jesus...”
What does “Baptism into Christ Jesus” mean?
Well, let’s answer this by first defining BAPTISM. The word means to “immerse, dip, dunk, be surrounded by.”
Now as baptists, we immediately think of water baptism. But I don’t this we should jump to that conclusion just yet.
First, let’s consider what happens to someone when they become a Christian.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
When someone becomes a follower of Christ in an instant many beautiful activities take place in particular by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
One of those activities is call “The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.” This activity, as 1 Cor 12:13 suggests, makes you part of the body of Christ. You are, if you will immersed into Christ and become part of His Holy Body!
So, you Christian, were baptized “Into Christ” by the power of the Holy Spirit and you became a vital part of Christ’s body for all eternity.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
You, Christian “have put on Christ.”
Just like when a golfer who wins the Masters receives the coveted Green jacket and is forever identified as the ultimate golfing champion, so the Christian has put on Christ and is now identified as Christ’s representative.
The rest of the verse says...
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
What does “Baptism into His death” mean? Paul deals with this question more thoroughly in verses 4-7, but suffice to say, that this “immersion deals with the whole process that Christ went through, part of which was His death on the cross. As a believer, you are considered dead to sin because you are considered to have died with Jesus.
Listen to Paul’s beautiful words in...
For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 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.
Paul considered himself to have died with Christ. So should you!
Why should believers understand this doctrinal truth?
Being in Christ happens at the point of salvation - therefore we are treated as Christ throughout our salvation.
Act like Christ because you are IN CHRIST!
Illustrate - In a car helps us to understand the preposition being IN CHRIST...
Apply - This mystery of being in Christ should challenge your thinking process as you walk through this life. You, by the power of the Holy Spirit should preach regularly and often to yourself.
Would Jesus display this attitude?
Would Jesus harbor bitterness in His heart?
Would Jesus love this unlovely person who doesn’t think or act like I do?
Better than “What Would Jesus Do?”
“What Would Jesus Have Me Do?”
Review - Christ Followers are Dead to Sin and Alive in Christ
You Are Dead To Sin!
You Died With Jesus!
3. No, You Shouldn’t Sin! You Are Raised With Jesus to New Life (vs. 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.
Explain -
Buried with Christ - Proving He was dead - thus we died with Him.
We had to die and be buried with Christ in order to experience something beyond our comprehension - being raised from the dead.
So positionally all these things are true of those who are in Christ. We died with Christ. We were buried with Christ. We are now alive with Christ.
“In Christ”
This sounds familiar! Listen to Paul’s explanation of the Gospel in...
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
This, my friends, is the boiled down, essence of the Gospel by which we have been saved!
What is the difference between this passage and Romans 6 1-4 passage?
The difference is in Romans 6, Paul shows our passive participation!
In other words, we are “considered” participants. This is Paul’s point back in Romans 4...
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
Counted, considered, reckoned - You are thought of as righteous by God Himself. And as Paul says in Romans 9, “Who are you to question God?”
So, here’s a crazy thought. If God thinks this about you, how about you start thinking this about you?
You died with Christ! You were buried with Christ! You were resurrected with Christ! And now you are new like Christ!
Dr. Francis Shaffer asked this question in the 1970’s, “How Should We Then Live?” He wrote and entire book on this question.
The answer? We, as followers of Christ are to walk in the newness of life!
We are to live, not as the Walking Dead! No!
We are to live the resurrected life!
What are the implications of “Walking in the newness of life?”
Christ is holy/we are holy!
Christ is loving/we are loving!
Christ’s path is righteous/our path is righteous!
Your salvation isn’t simply a “get out of hell” free card.
Your salvation isn’t a ticket to live in a way contrary to God
Your salvation is all about you being rescued from eternal damnation and then being conformed to the image of Jesus.
Illustrate - I’m not sure if this will help you curtail whatever sinful inclinations you have, but I want you to picture our Jesus on that bloodied cross. I want you to imagine him hanging there and writhing in pain. And the next time you are tempted to lie, steal, lust, be lazy, whatever, picture Jesus suffering on the cross to free you from that sin that you often like to coddle and nurture. I want you to remember...
Jesus was brutally killed physically and suffered God’s wrath literally so you would not die eternally!
Apply - Let me share with you a section of my prayer journal that I use to help me stave off those sins that easily trip me up.
Confession of Sin
· Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23–24 (ESV)
Self-assessment
Areas of pride? Where are you acting prideful?
Areas of selfishness? In what ways are you being selfish?
Areas of lust? Are you lusting for anything or anyone?
Areas of sensuality? Are you living by your feelings?
Areas of anger? Are you angry about anything or anyone?
Areas of sloth? What are you putting off? Areas of procrastination?
Review - Christ Followers are Dead to Sin and Alive in Christ
We Are Dead To Sin!
You Died With Jesus!
You Are Raised With Jesus to New Life
You - So, what will your response be to sin? Will you be lured by the seductive siren song sin sings to you? Or will you put your hand up to sins face and say, “No! You are dead to me!”?
As a follower of Jesus, because we have died with Him, were buried with Him, and been resurrected to new life with Him - This is our only acceptable response! We must view our sin the way God views our sin!
We - And as a body of believers we must corporately say to sin - No! You are dead to us!
Instead we must pursue two characteristics of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. What two characteristics?
Holiness and Grace. These two characteristics are at the forefront of Paul’s thinking so far in this letter.
Why these two?
Holiness - Pure, unadulterated / Holy like Jesus was holy.
Grace - Underserved favor with sinners around us / like Jesus was with the sinners around him.
This is what it looks like to walk in the newness of life.
What if Allendale Baptist was know for our holiness and our grace? Revival!
Connection Group Reflection Questions
Why would Paul’s critics come up with such an argument agains God’s grace?
Why do you want to sin? What is sin’s appeal?
What are ways that you pursue to keep sin at bay in your life with Christ?
What do these verses teach me about our character?
What do these verses teach me about God and his character?
Because these words are from God, they are TRUTH! What truth is he asking me to believe?
What do I need to do to obey him?
5. With whom can I share these truths?