Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Romans 6:1-10

Transcript

Romans 6:1-10 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

0:00
Recall that I have told you that the overarching theme of Paul's writing is that a person is justified, or declared righteous by God, by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.
0:14
The thesis statement of his letter is found in chapter 1, verses 16 and 17, where he writes,
0:22
I am not ashamed of the gospel, or you could insert I am proud of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
0:37
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith.
0:49
In the remainder of chapter 1 and in chapter 2, Paul then makes the case that everyone has sinned.
0:56
The Gentiles, those without the law, and the Jews, those with the law.
1:02
Regardless of their status, all have sinned.
1:07
And he hammers this point home in the first half of chapter 3.
1:12
Chapter 3, verses 10 through 12.
1:16
Say, none is righteous, no not one.
1:20
No one understands, no one seeks for God.
1:24
All have turned aside together, they have become worthless.
1:28
No one does good, not even one.
1:34
All of humanity has a righteousness problem.
1:39
We are guilty of transgressing God, are separated from communion with him, and are due his judgment and just punishment.
1:49
We will not because we cannot earn our way to God.
1:54
And this is terrible news.
1:59
Paul doesn't end there.
2:01
In the rest of chapter 3, he speaks of the righteousness that is granted to us by grace through faith in Christ as our propitiator.
2:10
You have heard me say, Jesus lived the life I could not live, and died the death that I deserve, so that through faith in his completed work, I would be saved.
2:24
This promise is sure for you if you have or if you will believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
2:33
On a couple of occasions, I've read the following poem to you.
2:41
It is unanimous.
2:42
Some of you have debated this with me.
2:43
It is unanimous.
2:44
But it goes like this.
2:46
Oh, long and dark, the stairs I trod, with trembling feet to find my God.
2:54
Gaining a foothold bit by bit, then slipping back and losing it.
2:59
Never progressing, striving still, with weakening grasp and faltering will, bleeding to climb to God while he serenely smiled, not noting me.
3:12
Then came a certain time when I loosened my hold and fell thereby, down to the lowest step my fall, as if I had not climbed at all.
3:22
Now when I lay despairing there, listen, a footfall on the stair, on that same stair where I, afraid, faltered and fell and lay dismayed.
3:36
And lo, when hope had ceased to be, my God came down the stairs to me.
3:43
In chapter 4, Paul then puts forth Abraham as an example of one saved, not by his works, but by his faith.
3:55
No one has ever been saved by their works.
3:59
Old Testament saints were saved through faith in the coming promise of a Messiah.
4:05
New Testament saints, including us, are now saved through faith in the fulfilled promise of a Messiah.
4:13
See Hebrews chapter 11.
4:17
In chapter 5, Paul explains how the first Adam, as a representative of all humanity, brought sin into the world,
4:24
and how the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, can serve as our representative before God.
4:32
So we are justified, Paul argues, by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.
4:41
Now, at every step of Paul's writing, he is anticipating objections.
4:49
It feels sometimes like he's in a court of law against himself.
4:53
He asks questions and he gives answers.
4:58
Now likely he was familiar with the counter-arguments because he had already encountered them many times.
5:04
His missionary practice was to go to a new place and reason with the people from the scripture.
5:12
Today's text brings us to another anticipated objection to justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
5:22
We would do well to pay careful attention to the question and to Paul's answer for the instruction of our souls.
5:31
So let me remind you before we read the text, beloved, that this is God's word to us.
5:37
It was written for his glory and for our good.
5:41
So we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.
5:47
Romans chapter 6, beginning in verse 1.
5:49
What shall we say then?
5:52
Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
5:57
By no means.
5:59
How can we who died to sin still live in it?
6:03
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
6:08
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death,
6:11
in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
6:15
we too might walk in newness of life.
6:19
For if we have been united with him in a death like his,
6:22
we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
6:27
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing,
6:33
so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
6:37
For one who has died has been set free from sin.
6:40
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
6:45
We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again.
6:50
Death no longer has dominion over him.
6:53
For the death he died, he died to sin, once for all.
6:57
But the life he lives, he lives to God.
7:01
Fairly simple outline for our study this morning.
7:06
Number one, Paul asks a question.
7:09
Number two, Paul answers the question.
7:12
And number three, Paul advances his answer.
7:17
Alliteration, you're welcome.
7:18
Asks, answers, advances.
7:20
Number one, Paul asks a question.
7:24
He says,
7:25
What shall we say then?
7:27
Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
7:33
You may have asked this question or been asked this question.
7:39
I tell you this morning that you have at least functionally asked this question in your behavior,
7:45
although not likely in these terms.
7:49
A simple restatement of the question could be,
7:51
if Christ has paid the penalty for my sin and given me his perfection,
7:57
then can't I live any way I want to?
8:02
John Bunyan, you guys know I'm a fan of,
8:05
was a 17th century English Baptist, which I'm proud to tell you,
8:09
who was in prison for 12 years because he preached without a license from the state.
8:14
You may know of Bunyan from his seminal work,
8:18
The Pilgrim's Progress,
8:20
a work that I love and I read to you often.
8:23
You may have noticed I brought a copy of it with me.
8:25
I have a plan to read from it briefly this morning.
8:29
He wrote this allegory of the Christian life upon being placed in solitary confinement
8:34
because he would preach from the courtyard of the prison
8:37
and people would gather outside the prison walls to hear him expound upon the Bible.
8:42
During this time, some other Christ followers,
8:46
also in prison for preaching without a license,
8:48
but with very different theology from Bunyan,
8:51
told him,
8:53
Bunyan, if you continue to preach of God's love,
8:57
the people will live however they want to.
9:02
Does the objection sound familiar?
9:05
If our righteousness depends solely on a God who saves,
9:10
without any contribution on our part,
9:12
then can't we live however we would like?
9:17
This is not an unimportant question,
9:20
and we dare not be dismissive of it.
9:23
Paul certainly isn't.
9:26
In fact, much of his discourse for the next couple of chapters
9:29
comes as a response to this objection.
9:33
I would argue about halfway through chapter 8
9:36
is really his response to this objection.
9:40
So we ask an important question,
9:44
but it gives us an answer to that question,
9:47
an immediate and emphatic answer.
9:50
So number two, Paul answers the question.
9:52
He says,
9:52
By no means.
9:55
How can we who die to sin still live in it?
10:00
Paul follows his anticipated question
10:03
with an emphatic answer,
10:06
By no means.
10:08
The Greek phrase is me genoito,
10:11
and it is very strong Greek language.
10:15
It could be interpreted,
10:16
No way, or absolutely not.
10:19
And he follows this emphatic no with a question.
10:25
How can we who died to sin
10:28
still live in it?
10:34
Paul is going to go on to explain this phrase further,
10:38
as are we,
10:40
but herein is the simplicity of the matter.
10:44
If you are justified by grace alone through faith alone
10:48
and the person and work of Jesus Christ alone,
10:51
then you have been changed,
10:55
not in degree,
10:58
but in type.
11:01
This is the doctrine of regeneration.
11:05
We once were spiritually dead.
11:09
Now we are spiritually alive.
11:13
This doctrine is perhaps the most important
11:17
to be recaptured for the sake of the church
11:19
in our day.
11:23
Oh, that we would know
11:24
that we are no longer captives,
11:27
but have been set free.
11:30
Oh, that we would live holy lives
11:32
for the advancement of the gospel
11:33
to the glory of our God.
11:36
God.
11:37
We are not saved by works.
11:39
We are saved through faith,
11:41
but it is a faith that works.
11:46
Our very identity has been changed.
11:51
And I'm not going to stand before you this morning
11:53
and declare to you
11:54
that having been set free from sin,
11:56
we therefore no longer sin.
11:59
We do.
12:00
We carry around the baggage of our flesh.
12:02
We get to work in great deal with this
12:04
at the end of chapter 7.
12:08
However, we will begin the process
12:10
of growing in holiness.
12:15
This is a tightrope for our understanding
12:17
to balance upon.
12:20
So to make it more clear,
12:21
I want to show you the two ways
12:23
that we could fall off this tightrope.
12:27
On the one side,
12:29
you could fall off into legalism.
12:31
You can give too much credit
12:33
to your accomplishments
12:34
or you can give too much credit
12:37
to your failures.
12:40
I see Christians do this to themselves
12:42
all the time.
12:44
They take their focus
12:45
off the accomplished work of Christ
12:46
and they become hyper-analyzers
12:48
of their lives.
12:51
They often compare their current walk
12:53
with their walk in the past
12:54
or with the walk of another
12:55
and become self-accusers
12:57
or self-justifiers.
12:59
They put themselves
13:00
in the place of God.
13:03
I see Christians do this
13:04
to others all the time,
13:06
making judgments of faithfulness
13:08
in terms of agreeance
13:09
with their views
13:10
or with their lifestyle.
13:14
The legalist says,
13:16
look more like me.
13:19
The person walking the tightrope
13:20
helps others to look more like Christ.
13:25
On the other side,
13:26
you can fall off into antinomianism,
13:29
which means without the law.
13:32
The possibility of this accusation
13:35
seems to be the objection
13:36
Paul is primarily concerned with
13:39
in today's text.
13:41
somebody saying,
13:42
wait, wait,
13:43
we can't just disregard
13:44
God's moral commands for us.
13:47
Can we?
13:49
This error takes sin lightly,
13:52
either paying no attention to it at all
13:54
or readily dismissing it.
13:58
This error says,
14:00
let's continue in sin
14:01
that grace may abound.
14:04
Let's show how forgiving our God is
14:06
by going on
14:07
and sinning.
14:10
So we don't want to become legalists
14:13
and we don't want to become
14:14
antinomians.
14:16
Let us be careful
14:18
to make neither error.
14:21
We are not saved by works.
14:24
We are saved through faith,
14:25
but it is a faith
14:27
that works.
14:28
It's a faith that is given evidence
14:31
in the way that we live.
14:34
The person restored to relationship
14:35
with his or her God
14:37
does not view God's commands
14:39
as burdensome,
14:41
but receives them as a gift.
14:45
If we become aware
14:46
of God's great love for us
14:48
by grace alone,
14:49
through faith alone,
14:51
in Christ alone,
14:52
then we will gladly accept
14:54
his ways for our good
14:55
and his glory.
14:59
We will become increasingly
15:01
less enamored with what this world
15:03
has to offer us
15:04
and increasingly more enamored
15:06
with God's purpose
15:08
and with God's way.
15:11
It becomes the desire
15:12
of our hearts
15:13
that we would follow
15:14
in God's good commands.
15:19
This brings me
15:20
to the pilgrim's progress.
15:22
I haven't read to you yet
15:23
from the scene
15:25
in Vanity Fair.
15:26
At least I don't believe I have.
15:28
There's a city
15:29
that these pilgrims
15:30
in this allegory
15:31
happen across
15:32
and it's for the testing
15:34
of their faith
15:34
and it is everything
15:36
that the world
15:37
has to offer
15:38
in this one city.
15:41
And they find themselves
15:42
in this city
15:43
looking very strange
15:45
to those
15:46
who live there.
15:49
And so I read,
15:49
quote,
15:50
the thing that most
15:52
annoyed and puzzled
15:53
the merchants
15:54
was that these pilgrims
15:56
put no value
15:57
on the fair's goods.
15:58
They did not even enjoy
16:00
looking at them
16:01
and when the merchants
16:01
called out to them
16:02
to buy this or that,
16:04
the pilgrims
16:05
put their fingers
16:06
in their ears
16:06
and cried out,
16:08
turn away mine eyes
16:09
from beholding vanity
16:11
and looked upward
16:12
signifying that their trade
16:14
and traffic
16:15
was in heaven.
16:17
This is from Psalm 119
16:19
in verse 37.
16:21
One merchant
16:21
observing the strange
16:23
conduct of the pilgrims
16:24
mockingly said to them,
16:27
What will you buy?
16:29
But they,
16:31
looking sternly at him,
16:32
answered,
16:33
We buy the truth.
16:36
Which I just love
16:38
from Proverbs 23
16:39
if my memory
16:41
is serving me well.
16:44
Not enamored
16:45
with the things
16:45
of the world
16:46
but enamored
16:47
with the things
16:49
of God.
16:51
Do you remember
16:52
the concern
16:53
of Bunyan's
16:53
fellow prisoners?
16:55
Bunyan,
16:56
if you continue
16:56
to preach
16:57
of God's love
16:57
the people
16:58
will live
16:58
however they want to.
17:02
Well,
17:03
Bunyan reportedly replied,
17:05
No.
17:07
If I continue
17:08
to tell God's people
17:09
of God's love
17:10
for them,
17:11
then they will live
17:12
however he
17:13
wants them to.
17:16
But Paul doesn't
17:17
just leave us
17:18
with the answer,
17:19
by no means,
17:20
how can we
17:20
who died to sin
17:21
still live in it?
17:23
and leave us
17:24
to figure out
17:25
how he goes on
17:28
to answer the question.
17:30
And as I said
17:31
quite a bit
17:32
into his letter
17:33
but this morning
17:34
we have an advance
17:36
of his answer.
17:37
So third point,
17:38
Paul advances
17:39
his answer.
17:40
Helps us to understand
17:41
what it means
17:42
to die to sin
17:43
and no longer
17:45
live in it.
17:47
And Paul answers
17:48
the question
17:49
in four points.
17:50
We're going to give
17:51
each of them
17:52
a brief look
17:53
this morning
17:53
as we work
17:54
through the rest
17:54
of the text
17:55
and I just want
17:56
to encourage you
17:56
to consider
17:57
these four points
17:58
further than we
17:59
have time for
18:00
this morning.
18:02
Mold them over,
18:04
think about them
18:04
carefully,
18:06
talk about them
18:07
with a brother
18:08
or sister
18:08
at your dinner table.
18:10
They are an
18:11
absolute treasure
18:12
trove
18:13
for our souls.
18:14
This is all
18:15
so good
18:15
and sometimes
18:17
I hate
18:17
how little time
18:18
we have together
18:19
for them.
18:19
First,
18:22
Paul says,
18:22
by grace alone
18:23
through faith alone,
18:24
we are baptized
18:25
into Christ.
18:28
This is the
18:28
beginning part
18:29
of verse 3.
18:32
Do you not know
18:33
that all of us
18:35
who have been
18:36
baptized
18:37
into Christ Jesus?
18:41
Now Paul here
18:42
is not speaking
18:43
of the symbolic
18:44
ordinance
18:45
of baptism.
18:47
Some people
18:48
want to make
18:49
arguments
18:49
from this text
18:50
that we are
18:50
justified
18:51
through the
18:52
act of baptism.
18:54
This is known
18:55
as baptismal
18:56
regeneration
18:57
and it is
18:59
a heresy.
19:01
But Paul,
19:01
as I've said here,
19:02
is not speaking
19:03
of the symbolic
19:04
ordinance of baptism.
19:05
How do I know
19:07
this?
19:09
How can we know?
19:11
Well,
19:11
I know this
19:13
because I've read
19:13
the rest of the letter.
19:14
because I haven't
19:16
torn a tiny piece
19:17
out of my Bible
19:18
to make an erroneous
19:19
argument.
19:21
Because I haven't
19:22
forgotten
19:22
that Paul is
19:23
arguing for
19:24
justification
19:24
by grace alone
19:25
through faith alone
19:26
in the personal
19:26
work of Jesus Christ
19:27
alone.
19:28
So he can't
19:29
possibly be saying
19:30
that we're saved,
19:31
that we're made new
19:32
through the
19:33
physical act
19:35
of baptism.
19:36
So,
19:38
he must be speaking
19:39
of the spiritual
19:40
reality of what
19:41
is true
19:42
for all
19:42
who believe
19:44
in Christ.
19:46
Now,
19:47
as a side note,
19:49
as a Baptist,
19:51
one of the leaders
19:52
of a Baptist church,
19:54
we do believe in
19:56
what's called
19:57
credo or credo,
19:58
you'll hear people say,
19:59
baptism.
20:00
We believe that
20:01
water baptism
20:02
is not the means
20:03
of salvation
20:04
but a demonstration
20:06
of it.
20:07
It shows
20:08
what's already
20:10
happened.
20:12
I heard a pastor
20:13
one time
20:13
compare it to
20:15
another type
20:16
of ceremony,
20:17
a graduation
20:18
ceremony.
20:19
There's some
20:19
college students
20:20
here who are
20:21
looking toward
20:22
and longing
20:23
for graduation.
20:26
Graduation
20:26
ceremonies
20:27
aren't entirely
20:28
necessary
20:29
to finish school.
20:30
It's a little
20:31
secret,
20:31
but you don't
20:32
have to walk.
20:33
I got out of it
20:34
and yet,
20:34
I still graduated
20:35
from the University
20:37
of North Georgia.
20:38
You've already
20:39
completed the work.
20:40
It's been
20:41
accomplished.
20:42
You've checked
20:43
all of the boxes,
20:44
but it's showing
20:46
that you've
20:47
finished
20:48
the work.
20:49
If you ask
20:49
most people
20:50
about their
20:50
graduation,
20:51
they'll take you
20:51
to that
20:52
ceremony
20:53
as a sign
20:55
of the thing
20:55
that had already
20:56
been completed.
20:58
I think this is
20:58
a pretty good
21:00
analogy.
21:01
theology.
21:02
It's not
21:02
the means
21:03
of salvation.
21:03
It's just
21:04
a demonstration
21:05
of it.
21:08
I digress.
21:10
Notice that
21:11
the opening
21:11
phrase of
21:12
verse 3
21:12
is a
21:14
qualifying
21:14
statement.
21:16
Paul says,
21:17
Do you not
21:18
know that
21:18
all of us
21:19
who have
21:20
been
21:21
baptized
21:22
into Christ
21:23
Jesus?
21:24
For anything
21:25
to be true
21:26
of you
21:27
in today's
21:27
text,
21:28
you must
21:28
have been
21:29
baptized
21:29
into Christ
21:31
Jesus.
21:32
How is this
21:33
accomplished?
21:34
If we're not
21:34
talking about
21:35
the physical
21:35
baptism,
21:37
it's accomplished
21:38
by repentance
21:39
and faith,
21:41
by turning
21:42
from your sin
21:42
and turning
21:43
to Christ
21:44
for the
21:44
justification
21:44
of your
21:46
soul.
21:47
If you
21:47
have,
21:48
then you
21:49
have been
21:50
baptized
21:50
into
21:51
Christ
21:52
Jesus.
21:54
And again,
21:55
as a Baptist,
21:55
I would say,
21:56
and therefore
21:56
should be baptized
21:57
by immersion
21:58
as a sign
21:58
of that
21:59
reality.
22:01
That is,
22:02
you have
22:03
been
22:03
immersed
22:04
in
22:05
Christ.
22:06
That's why
22:07
we immerse
22:08
people in
22:08
the symbolic
22:09
ordinance
22:10
of baptism.
22:11
It's a
22:11
picture of
22:12
a spiritual
22:13
reality.
22:15
The symbolically
22:16
baptized person
22:17
declares,
22:18
as the church
22:19
declares with
22:20
them,
22:21
that they
22:22
identify
22:23
with
22:24
Christ
22:24
in his
22:25
death
22:26
death,
22:26
and
22:27
in
22:28
his
22:29
resurrection.
22:30
Which
22:31
brings us
22:32
to our
22:32
second point,
22:34
which is
22:34
an extension
22:35
of the
22:36
first.
22:36
So second,
22:37
Paul says,
22:37
by grace
22:38
alone
22:38
through faith
22:38
alone,
22:39
we share
22:40
in Christ's
22:40
death
22:41
and
22:41
resurrection.
22:44
See this
22:44
here,
22:44
picking up
22:45
in the
22:45
last half
22:45
of verse
22:46
three.
22:47
Do you
22:48
not know
22:48
that all
22:48
of us
22:48
who were
22:48
baptized
22:49
into Christ
22:49
Jesus
22:49
were
22:50
baptized
22:51
into
22:51
his
22:52
death?
22:54
We
22:54
were
22:54
buried
22:55
therefore
22:55
with him
22:56
by baptism
22:56
into death
22:57
in order
22:57
that,
22:58
just as
22:59
Christ
22:59
was raised
23:00
from the
23:00
dead
23:00
by the
23:00
glory
23:00
of the
23:01
Father,
23:01
we
23:01
too
23:02
might
23:02
walk
23:03
in the
23:04
newness
23:04
of life.
23:06
For if
23:06
we have
23:06
been united
23:07
with him
23:07
in a
23:07
death
23:07
like
23:08
his,
23:08
we
23:08
shall
23:08
certainly
23:09
be
23:09
united
23:09
with
23:09
him
23:10
in a
23:10
resurrection
23:11
like
23:12
his.
23:13
The
23:13
language
23:14
of verse
23:14
four
23:14
may be
23:15
familiar
23:15
to you
23:16
in
23:16
considering
23:16
the
23:17
symbolic
23:18
ordinance
23:18
of
23:19
baptism.
23:20
We
23:20
say
23:21
as we
23:21
baptize
23:22
people
23:22
as a
23:22
church
23:23
buried
23:23
with
23:24
Christ
23:24
in
23:24
baptism
23:24
raised
23:25
to
23:25
walk
23:25
in
23:26
the
23:26
newness
23:26
of
23:27
life.
23:28
This
23:29
is an
23:29
evidence
23:29
that you
23:30
are
23:30
regenerate,
23:31
that you
23:31
belong
23:32
to God
23:33
in
23:33
Christ
23:34
Jesus,
23:35
immersed
23:36
in
23:37
him.
23:39
This
23:40
is an
23:40
explanation
23:41
of the
23:41
doctrine
23:42
of
23:43
regeneration.
23:44
Those
23:45
who have
23:45
placed
23:45
their
23:46
faith
23:46
in
23:46
Christ
23:46
have
23:47
not
23:47
physically
23:48
died
23:49
and
23:49
resurrected
23:49
but
23:50
spiritually
23:50
share
23:51
in
23:52
these
23:52
realities.
23:55
Paul
23:55
states
23:55
it
23:55
this
23:55
way
23:56
in
23:56
2nd
23:56
Corinthians
23:56
chapter
23:56
5
23:57
and
23:57
verse
23:57
17.
23:58
If
23:58
anyone
23:59
is
23:59
in
24:00
Christ,
24:01
he
24:01
is
24:01
a
24:01
new
24:02
creation.
24:03
The
24:04
old
24:04
has
24:04
passed
24:05
away,
24:06
behold,
24:07
the
24:07
new
24:07
has
24:08
come.
24:10
If
24:10
you
24:11
are
24:11
in
24:11
Christ,
24:11
then
24:12
you
24:12
are
24:12
no
24:12
longer
24:12
who
24:13
you
24:13
once
24:14
were
24:14
pre-
24:15
Christ.
24:16
You
24:16
are
24:17
new.
24:18
You
24:18
are
24:18
now
24:18
post-Christ,
24:21
although
24:21
presently
24:22
Christ.
24:24
Those
24:24
who
24:24
are
24:24
in
24:24
Christ
24:25
have
24:26
been
24:26
born
24:27
again.
24:29
Where
24:29
this
24:29
phrase
24:30
comes
24:30
from
24:30
is
24:31
from
24:31
John
24:31
chapter
24:32
3,
24:33
and I'm
24:33
going to
24:33
read
24:33
verses
24:34
1
24:34
through
24:35
7.
24:36
There
24:37
was a
24:37
man of
24:37
the
24:37
Pharisees
24:38
named
24:38
Nicodemus,
24:40
a ruler
24:41
of the
24:41
Jews.
24:41
This
24:41
man
24:42
came to
24:42
Jesus
24:42
by
24:43
night
24:43
and
24:43
said
24:43
to
24:43
him,
24:45
Rabbi,
24:45
we
24:45
know
24:46
that
24:46
you
24:46
are
24:46
a
24:46
teacher
24:47
come
24:47
from
24:47
God,
24:47
for
24:48
no
24:48
one
24:48
can
24:48
do
24:48
these
24:49
signs,
24:50
speaking
24:50
of
24:50
his
24:50
miracles,
24:51
that
24:51
you
24:52
do
24:52
unless
24:52
God
24:53
is
24:53
with
24:53
him.
24:55
Jesus
24:55
answered
24:56
him,
24:57
truly,
24:57
truly,
24:58
I
24:58
say
24:58
to
24:59
you,
25:00
unless
25:00
one
25:00
is
25:00
born
25:01
again,
25:01
he
25:02
cannot
25:02
see
25:03
the
25:03
kingdom
25:03
of
25:04
God.
25:05
This
25:06
is
25:06
very
25:06
common
25:07
language
25:07
to
25:08
the
25:09
American
25:09
Christian.
25:10
Imagine
25:11
how
25:11
strange
25:11
it would
25:12
have
25:12
been
25:12
for
25:12
Nicodemus
25:13
who
25:13
responds,
25:15
how
25:15
can
25:15
a
25:15
man
25:16
be
25:16
born
25:16
when
25:16
he
25:16
is
25:17
old?
25:18
Can
25:18
he
25:18
enter
25:19
a
25:19
second
25:19
time
25:19
into
25:19
his
25:20
mother's
25:20
womb
25:20
and
25:20
be
25:21
born?
25:22
Jesus
25:23
answered,
25:24
truly,
25:24
truly,
25:24
I
25:24
say
25:25
to
25:25
you,
25:26
unless
25:26
one
25:27
is
25:27
born
25:27
of
25:27
water
25:28
and
25:28
the
25:29
spirit,
25:30
he
25:30
cannot
25:31
enter
25:31
the
25:32
kingdom
25:32
of
25:32
God.
25:33
That
25:34
which
25:34
is
25:34
born
25:34
of
25:34
the
25:35
flesh
25:35
is
25:35
flesh!
25:36
And
25:36
that
25:36
which
25:36
is
25:36
born
25:37
of
25:37
the
25:37
spirit
25:38
is
25:39
spirit.
25:40
Do not
25:40
marvel
25:41
that I
25:41
said
25:41
to
25:42
you,
25:42
you
25:42
must
25:43
be
25:44
born
25:44
again.
25:46
So,
25:47
tying in
25:48
that we,
25:50
and Paul's
25:50
going to pick this up
25:51
pretty heavily
25:51
in chapter
25:52
8,
25:53
we're given
25:54
the spirit.
25:55
This is how we
25:55
become
25:56
regenerate.
25:57
This is how we're
25:57
baptized
25:58
into
25:59
Christ,
25:59
is that we
26:00
are given
26:00
the spirit
26:02
who makes
26:03
us new,
26:04
causes us
26:05
to believe,
26:06
we're justified
26:07
before God,
26:08
and then
26:08
we begin
26:09
to walk
26:10
in his
26:10
ways by
26:11
the power
26:11
of that
26:12
same
26:13
spirit.
26:15
If we
26:16
have been
26:16
united
26:17
with Christ
26:18
in a
26:18
death like
26:19
his,
26:19
we shall
26:20
certainly
26:20
be united
26:20
with him
26:21
in a
26:21
resurrection
26:22
like
26:23
his.
26:24
The old
26:24
self
26:24
put away,
26:25
the new
26:26
self
26:26
put
26:27
on.
26:30
Third,
26:30
Paul says,
26:31
by grace
26:31
alone,
26:32
through faith
26:32
alone,
26:33
we have
26:33
been
26:33
set
26:34
free
26:35
from
26:36
sin.
26:37
Verse 6
26:38
and 7,
26:39
he says,
26:39
we know
26:39
that our
26:40
old self
26:40
was crucified
26:41
with him
26:41
in order
26:42
that the
26:43
body
26:43
of
26:44
sin,
26:45
that old
26:46
self,
26:47
might be
26:47
brought
26:48
to nothing
26:48
so that
26:49
we would
26:49
no longer
26:50
be
26:50
enslaved
26:51
to sin.
26:53
For one
26:54
who has
26:54
died
26:54
has been
26:55
set
26:56
free
26:56
from
26:57
sin.
26:58
This is
26:59
so
27:00
important
27:01
please
27:02
note it
27:02
carefully.
27:04
If you
27:05
are in
27:05
Christ,
27:06
then you
27:06
have been
27:07
set
27:07
free
27:08
from
27:09
sin.
27:11
Sin
27:12
no longer
27:12
has power
27:13
over you.
27:16
Beloved,
27:17
we do not
27:17
cope
27:18
with our
27:19
sin.
27:20
We,
27:20
by the
27:21
power of
27:21
the Spirit,
27:22
overcome
27:23
it.
27:23
We're not
27:24
copers,
27:24
we're
27:25
overcomers.
27:26
sin
27:27
nowhere in
27:28
the Bible
27:28
is sin
27:29
justified
27:30
due to
27:32
a circumstance.
27:33
Your
27:34
circumstances
27:34
may provide
27:36
temptation,
27:37
but your
27:38
circumstances
27:38
do not
27:39
justify
27:40
your sin.
27:42
If you
27:43
are in
27:43
Christ,
27:44
you have
27:44
been set
27:45
free
27:46
from it,
27:47
and we
27:47
would do
27:48
well as
27:48
a people
27:48
to live
27:49
in the
27:50
reality
27:50
of this
27:51
truth.
27:52
Paul tells
27:54
us in
27:54
1 Corinthians
27:55
chapter 10
27:56
and verse
27:56
13.
27:58
It begins,
27:59
no temptation
28:00
has overtaken
28:01
you that
28:02
is not
28:02
common
28:03
to man.
28:06
And
28:06
across my
28:07
years of
28:08
ministry,
28:08
I've sat
28:08
with many
28:09
people who
28:10
act as if
28:10
they're
28:11
experiencing
28:11
a unique
28:12
temptation,
28:13
a temptation
28:13
that they
28:14
must give
28:15
into because
28:15
it's unique,
28:16
and this is
28:17
the text we
28:17
go to.
28:18
No temptation
28:19
has overtaken
28:19
you that
28:20
is not
28:21
common
28:21
to man.
28:23
We as
28:24
Christ followers
28:25
deal with
28:26
temptation.
28:28
Paul goes
28:29
on,
28:30
God is
28:32
faithful,
28:33
and he
28:33
will not
28:34
let you
28:34
be tempted
28:34
beyond your
28:35
ability,
28:36
but with
28:36
the temptation
28:37
he will
28:37
also provide
28:38
the way
28:39
of escape
28:40
that you
28:41
may be
28:41
able to
28:43
endure it.
28:44
God is
28:45
faithful in
28:46
the midst
28:46
of our
28:46
temptation
28:47
to provide
28:48
everything
28:48
that we
28:49
need
28:49
to not
28:50
sin.
28:51
We have
28:51
been
28:52
set
28:52
free
28:53
from it.
28:55
Will we
28:56
sin?
28:56
Yes.
28:58
But we
28:58
need to
28:59
stop acting
28:59
like we
29:00
have to.
29:02
Fourth,
29:04
Paul says,
29:05
by grace
29:05
alone,
29:06
through faith
29:06
alone,
29:07
Christ's
29:07
death was
29:08
sufficient
29:09
to set
29:10
us free
29:10
from sin.
29:12
This is
29:13
verse 8
29:13
to the end
29:14
of our
29:15
text.
29:16
Now,
29:16
if we
29:17
have died
29:17
with Christ,
29:17
we believe
29:18
that we
29:18
will also
29:19
live with
29:19
him.
29:20
We
29:20
know that
29:21
Christ,
29:21
being raised
29:22
from the
29:22
dead,
29:22
will never
29:23
die again.
29:24
Death
29:24
no longer
29:25
has dominion
29:26
over him.
29:28
For the
29:28
death he
29:29
died,
29:29
he died
29:29
to sin
29:30
once for
29:31
all,
29:31
but the
29:32
life he
29:32
lives,
29:33
he lives
29:34
to God.
29:36
Christ
29:36
will not
29:38
die again,
29:39
for he
29:40
has no
29:41
need
29:42
to do
29:43
so.
29:43
his
29:45
once for
29:45
all
29:45
sacrifice
29:46
was
29:46
entirely
29:47
sufficient
29:48
to set
29:49
us free
29:49
from sin.
29:51
It
29:51
accomplished
29:52
the work.
29:54
It's a
29:54
completed
29:55
work
29:56
on our
29:57
behalf.
29:59
I think
30:00
we could
30:00
meditate
30:01
for decades
30:02
on Jesus'
30:03
final word,
30:04
it is
30:05
finished.
30:07
What is
30:08
the it
30:08
that he
30:09
is talking
30:09
about there?
30:10
It's
30:10
at very
30:11
least
30:12
this.
30:12
We
30:14
have
30:14
been
30:15
set
30:15
free
30:16
from
30:16
sin
30:17
if we
30:17
have
30:18
believed
30:18
in
30:19
Christ.
30:21
So let's
30:22
think about
30:22
some
30:23
application.
30:25
One,
30:27
repent
30:27
and believe.
30:30
If you
30:30
have never
30:31
placed your
30:31
faith in
30:32
Christ for
30:32
your
30:32
justification,
30:34
your soul
30:35
is in a
30:35
desperate
30:36
state,
30:38
turn from
30:38
your sin
30:39
and flee
30:39
by grace
30:40
through faith
30:41
to Christ.
30:43
Recognize
30:44
your
30:45
wickedness
30:45
before
30:46
the holy
30:47
God.
30:48
Turn
30:48
from that
30:49
and flee
30:50
to Christ,
30:51
his sufficient
30:51
work on
30:53
your behalf.
30:55
If you
30:55
have already
30:56
done so,
30:57
when you
30:58
sin,
30:59
turn from
31:00
it and
31:01
flee by
31:01
grace
31:02
through faith
31:03
to Christ.
31:05
Beloved,
31:06
it is good
31:07
that we
31:07
take our
31:08
sin
31:08
seriously.
31:10
I think
31:11
we should
31:12
feel it
31:12
and I
31:12
think we
31:13
should feel
31:13
it deeply
31:14
when we
31:15
sin against
31:16
our God.
31:18
Some have
31:19
asked me,
31:19
how long
31:20
should I
31:20
feel that
31:21
way?
31:21
And my
31:21
answer is
31:22
always,
31:23
only as long
31:24
as it takes
31:25
for you to
31:26
repent
31:26
and believe.
31:28
Recognize
31:29
the weight
31:29
of your sin
31:30
and turn
31:30
from it.
31:31
Run
31:31
to the
31:32
finished
31:33
work
31:33
of the
31:34
cross.
31:34
So repent
31:36
and believe.
31:39
Second
31:39
application,
31:41
stop whining.
31:44
Do not
31:45
act like
31:46
you are a
31:46
victim of
31:48
your sin.
31:49
You may
31:50
be a victim
31:50
of another
31:51
sin.
31:51
I don't
31:52
mean to
31:52
say that
31:53
you are
31:53
not.
31:54
We are
31:54
sinned
31:55
against,
31:55
to be
31:56
sure.
31:57
But you
31:58
are never
31:59
a victim
31:59
of your
32:00
own.
32:02
You
32:02
willingly
32:02
sin.
32:03
When you
32:04
sin,
32:04
you willingly
32:05
do it.
32:06
If you
32:07
are in
32:07
Christ,
32:08
you have
32:08
been set
32:09
free
32:09
from your
32:10
sin.
32:12
When you
32:12
sin,
32:13
do not
32:14
act as
32:14
though Christ's
32:15
death
32:15
didn't
32:16
atone
32:16
for that
32:17
sin.
32:20
Some of
32:20
you act
32:21
as though
32:21
Christ's
32:21
work wasn't
32:22
sufficient and
32:22
that he
32:23
needs to
32:23
climb back
32:24
onto the
32:26
cross.
32:27
He
32:27
couldn't
32:27
have
32:27
possibly
32:28
paid for
32:28
this one.
32:29
He
32:29
must come
32:30
back and
32:31
die again.
32:32
remember
32:34
the
32:34
completed
32:34
work
32:35
of
32:35
Christ
32:35
on your
32:36
behalf,
32:37
the
32:37
once-for-all
32:38
sacrifice
32:39
that he
32:40
has made.
32:41
Remember
32:42
what he
32:42
started
32:43
and that
32:44
he is
32:44
sure
32:44
to keep
32:45
his
32:46
promises.
32:48
Have
32:48
the
32:49
confidence
32:49
that I
32:50
have
32:51
of God
32:52
for you.
32:53
I hope
32:53
you have
32:54
it of
32:54
yourself
32:54
that Paul
32:55
states in
32:56
Philippians
32:56
chapter 1
32:57
and verse 6
32:58
where he
32:58
says,
32:59
I am
32:59
sure
32:59
of
33:00
this,
33:01
that he
33:02
who
33:02
began a
33:03
good
33:03
work
33:03
in
33:03
you
33:03
will
33:04
bring
33:04
it
33:04
to
33:04
completion
33:05
at
33:06
the
33:06
day
33:06
of
33:07
Jesus
33:07
Christ.
33:08
He
33:09
will
33:09
bring
33:09
us
33:10
to
33:10
that
33:10
place
33:11
where
33:12
we
33:12
get
33:12
to
33:12
put
33:12
off
33:12
the
33:13
body
33:13
of
33:13
death
33:14
and
33:14
never
33:15
have
33:15
the
33:15
baggage
33:16
of
33:16
our
33:16
flesh
33:17
any
33:17
longer
33:17
with
33:18
us.
33:19
So
33:20
repent
33:20
and
33:20
believe,
33:21
stop
33:21
whining,
33:23
third,
33:25
run.
33:27
Press
33:27
on,
33:28
beloved,
33:29
make
33:30
war
33:31
against
33:31
your
33:32
flesh.
33:33
You
33:33
should
33:34
be
33:34
greatly
33:35
encouraged
33:35
to do
33:36
so
33:36
by
33:36
Romans
33:37
6
33:37
verses
33:38
1
33:38
through
33:40
10.
33:41
Having
33:42
been set
33:42
free
33:43
from it,
33:44
we have
33:44
all the
33:45
reason
33:45
in the
33:46
world
33:46
to run
33:47
towards
33:48
the
33:48
ways
33:49
of
33:50
God.
33:51
Paul
33:52
says in
33:52
Philippians
33:52
chapter 3
33:53
beginning
33:54
in
33:54
verse 12,
33:56
not that I
33:56
have already
33:56
obtained
33:57
this,
33:58
he's
33:58
talking
33:58
about the
33:58
final
33:59
resurrection
33:59
from the
34:00
dead,
34:00
or am
34:01
already
34:01
perfect,
34:03
but I
34:03
press
34:04
on to
34:05
make it
34:05
my own.
34:06
I press,
34:07
I press
34:08
toward holiness,
34:09
right?
34:10
Why?
34:11
Because
34:11
Christ Jesus
34:12
has made
34:13
me
34:14
his own.
34:16
Brothers,
34:16
I do not
34:17
consider that
34:17
I have
34:18
made it
34:18
my own,
34:19
but one
34:20
thing I
34:20
do,
34:22
forgetting
34:22
what lies
34:23
behind and
34:24
straining
34:24
forward to
34:25
what lies
34:26
ahead,
34:27
I press
34:28
on toward
34:28
the goal
34:29
for the
34:29
prize of
34:30
the upward
34:31
call of
34:31
God in
34:32
Christ Jesus.
34:34
Run,
34:36
press on in
34:37
holiness for
34:38
your good
34:39
and for the
34:40
glory of
34:41
our God.
34:42
You have
34:43
been,
34:44
if you're in
34:44
Christ,
34:45
if you've been
34:45
baptized into
34:46
him,
34:46
you have
34:46
been set
34:48
free from
34:49
the power
34:50
of sin.
34:51
John Owen
34:53
once said
34:54
in closing,
34:55
do you
34:56
mortify?
34:58
Do you
34:58
make it
34:59
your daily
34:59
work?
35:01
Be always
35:02
at it
35:02
whilst you
35:03
live.
35:04
Cease not
35:04
a day
35:05
from this
35:05
work.
35:06
Be
35:07
killing
35:07
sin,
35:09
or it
35:09
will be
35:09
killing
35:10
you.
35:11
Let's pray
35:12
together.