Dead to sin, alive to God!!

Last week Pastor Dean helped us dig into the before and after of salvation. Before salvation we were on the broad road to destruction, lost, condemned, and under God’s wrath. There are many other descriptors in God’s word of our terrible state. Our ultimate destruction due to our sins that separate us from God.

It was so refreshing to look at what is true after salvation. When we trust in Christ as our savior our salvation is complete, we have been 100% forgiven, our sins have been taken away, I have been declared righteous and saved by his grace, delivered from the power of darkness.

We will have eternity to recount the blessings that God has granted to us through salvation. We will be able to marvel at his many instances of grace in our lives forever. God’s grace is truly magnified when you see the sinners that he has saved.

I don’t believe we looked at Romans chapter 6 last week and I wanted to spend some time here sharing from one of my favorite passages talking about the saved sinner. A continuation of what Pastor Dean shared with us. We will be in Romans chapter 6. Lets take 5 minutes to look at the larger context of Romans.

The Righteousness of God and Justification by Faith is the main themes of Romans. The larger context of Romans is how is one justified by faith. Romans brings the reader through how Israel has sinned, the gentiles have sinned, everyone has sinned.

Romans 3:9–10 ESV

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

Everyone is deserving of judgement. And then the book transitions into our need of grace through faith.

Romans 3:21–24 ESV

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

It talks of Abraham the father of the Jews, someone who had in some Jews lives become an idol. My heritage is so great. John the baptist said.

Matthew 3:9 ESV

9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

The chosen people of God are special and precious to us and to God. But they were always meant to be the heralds of God’s glory and to teach and show the nations who God is. The focus should never be on you or I, but on God’s glory. An all time purpose of God is to be glorified.

Back to the summary. Everyone is deserving of wrath. Justification is offered through faith in Christ. Abraham was an example of Justification by faith in Romans 4. There is a beautiful definition of faith in Romans 4:21.

Romans 4:20–21 ESV

20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

On to Romans 5 where it explains that sin entered through one man Adam. Judgement along with that. And salvation was offered through one man Jesus. The extent of sin was to the world because all sinned. The extent of grace is to all who believe.

Romans 5:15 ESV

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

Skip down a few verses.

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.

This is our immediate context to Romans 6. Paul was bragging on the great grace of His savior, as we should. Even though the law was like a great big magnifying glass on all that Israel was doing wrong, when the transgression increased God’s grace increased.

Romans 5:20–21 ESV

Grace abounded, not so that sin could reign, as some back then and some today suppose. Grace abounded so that grace might reign through righteousness. The lie Romans 6 confronts is that it is ok for believers to sin a whole bunch.

Romans 3:8 ESV

8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

Paul knew that if you preached grace as strong as you should, there were going to be those that would abuse it. That’s what he writes Romans 6 to confront.

Pray

Lord, I pray that you would help us to grasp the truths of Romans 6. Lord, help grace to reign in our lives, teach us more about what that means today.

Romans 5:20–6:14 ESV

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. 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.

If you only remember one thing from this message I believe it should be to: let God’s grace reign!

If you don’t know Christ as your savior. Take this moment, let sin no longer reign over you, let grace reign. Accept God’s free gift.

Romans 3:23–24 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

As a believer, let the grace of God rule over you. Let the wow of your salvation get a hold of you and run your life. Let grace reign. When we realize how much our Lord Jesus has done for us we should have the God given desire to serve and follow Him. It’s not going to always be the easy choice to serve Him, but it is the best the right choice. Let Grace Reign. Why?

We have died to 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?

Sin has no right to sit on the throne of a believers life.

Romans 6:6–7 ESV

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.

Shackled by sin is our state before salvation. When God’s grace is displayed by His righteousness being counted to us because Jesus died for us our hand cuffs of sin are removed. We now have the power only with His help to live a God honoring life. Not a perfect life, but any time we sin its like we are trying to put the hand cuffs back on our hands. To many times we do. Praise Him his grace is sufficient. We can see His grace active in forgiveness. We see His grace even better when we see Him giving us the power to stand firm against the attacks of the evil one. We have died to 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?

“died to sin” telling us at one point that was what your life was run by, sin. But at that moment of salvation, you died to sin. Its important to remember also that death carries an idea of separation not annihilation. When we die to sin at the moment of salvation sin does not disappear from our life, but its hold on our life is loosed, we are not defined by sin we are defined by grace. Let grace reign. You have died to sin, how can you live in it? You can’t. We have died to sin.

Let grace reign. Why? We have died to sin. And...

We have been baptized into Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:3–4 ESV

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.

This isn’t talking about being baptized into water, it says baptized into Christ Jesus. This is talking Spirit baptism that occurs at the moment of salvation when you were placed into Christ or identified with Christ. Baptism does not always refer to water baptism, but it does always carry the idea of “identification or being placed into.” Here in this passage it is very clear what we are being baptized into, Christ Jesus.

We have been identified with Christ. Who was without sin Heb 4.15. Why should we desire to keep sinning? We by no means should, we have been identified with Christ. Let His grace reign.

Romans 6:3–4 ESV

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death. All of this emphasizing the finality of the old self.

Christ’s burial shows that He actually died (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3–4). Christians’ “burial” with Christ shows that they in fact died with Him to their former sinful ways of living.

Witmer, J. A. (1985). Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 462). Victor Books.

Our old self died when Christ died and is gone, its buried, it has no control over you.

Galatians 5:16 ESV

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Let grace reign, Let God’s grace control you, not sin. Why? Because you are dead to it. You are baptized into Christ Jesus, into his death, burial, and as we will see next into His resurrection and into newness of life.

We have been raised to walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4 ESV

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.

Jesus wasn’t revived in His old body. He had a glorified body a supernatural body that could go through walls and disappear. His new body was radically different. We will get our new bodies in eternity, but point being here, do you see how big of a change Christ underwent when he was resurrected?? The difference between an unbelieving me and a believing me should be radically different. Unbelievers and believers should not act the same. We have been raised to walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:5 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.

Romans 6:8 ESV

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

The resurrection and life in these two verses remind us of the life to come. And the beginning of a new spiritual life now when we die to sin, excites us for when we will be with our heavenly Father and be sin free and ache and pain free.

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.

Sin brings death, God brings life. This may be an oversimplification. Christ gave up His life and has full control over life and death.

John 10:17–18 ESV

17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

He died once for all. His payment was sufficient. The innocent blood of God in human flesh was sufficient. He paid the great price so that we could walk in newness of life. God is the source of our life fueled by grace.

I saw a quote that stated this about life. God is the Source and also its goal.

We will conclude with verse 11 for the day.

Romans 6:11 ESV

11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Believers have died to sin. We are no longer enslaved to it because we are in Christ. We have new God-given life starting at the moment of salvation and continuing on for eternity. These are the facts. What does it tell us to do with them.

“So you also must consider or count”. That means we’ve got to dwell on these truths if we are going to let God’s grace reign in our life.

I would encourage you to keep reading through Romans 6 this week and dwelling on the truths there. We by no means can let sin reign. Let God’s grace, let dwelling on God’s grace reign over all aspects of your life.