back to index2016-08-07 New Life In Christ
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Alright, if you can turn your Bibles with me to Romans 6. 00:00:09.300 |
We're going to be mainly focused on verse 8-11, 00:00:19.700 |
"For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, 00:00:22.960 |
we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. 00:00:26.800 |
We know that our old self was crucified with Him 00:00:29.160 |
in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, 00:00:31.800 |
so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 00:00:34.700 |
For one who has died has been set free from sin. 00:00:41.700 |
We know that Christ being raised from the dead 00:00:47.060 |
For the death He died, He died to sin once for all. 00:00:52.000 |
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin 00:01:03.060 |
Heavenly Father, we thank You again for this morning. 00:01:05.600 |
We pray, Father God, that You would anoint Your Word, 00:01:12.700 |
and we pray, Lord God, that as we have come to worship You, 00:01:15.360 |
that it would truly be from the bottom of our hearts. 00:01:20.840 |
that Your children may be able to hear from You, 00:01:30.100 |
You know, years ago when I was young in marriage, 00:01:34.500 |
I think I was about two or three years in marriage, 00:01:38.400 |
who was about 12 years ahead of me in marriage, 00:01:43.360 |
And I remember him not being satisfied with that answer, 00:01:49.600 |
What are the struggles that you're going through?" 00:02:01.000 |
people who've been married for more than a few years, 00:02:08.000 |
but generally speaking, don't have a high view of marriage. 00:02:13.000 |
If you are in a workplace filled with non-Christians, 00:02:18.360 |
it's strange to talk about your wife in a positive light. 00:02:21.960 |
It's one thing to talk about it here up in the pulpit, 00:02:24.160 |
but when you're out on the streets or in the gym, 00:02:26.260 |
and you're talking about, "Yeah, my wife is the best. 00:02:39.760 |
And you typically hear wives talking about their husbands 00:02:49.620 |
of people who've been married for a certain period of time. 00:02:53.000 |
And it's sad, but that is the reality that we live in. 00:02:56.700 |
And sometimes, I think part of the reason why that happens 00:03:00.160 |
is, I think if you've been in a marriage for a while, 00:03:08.420 |
Everybody gets married because they want to get married. 00:03:12.520 |
despite the opposition from parents, from friends, 00:03:20.760 |
If you remember, but for whatever the reason, 00:03:26.960 |
It's important for us, and that's why we have anniversaries, 00:03:30.620 |
that's why we have different days that we set aside 00:03:33.580 |
to remember the gift that God has given in our marriage. 00:03:37.060 |
But I think this morning, my point is not talking 00:03:39.720 |
about marriage, but a lot of times in our walk with God, 00:03:42.980 |
our relationship with God is perceived the same way. 00:03:54.380 |
but rarely do you see somebody who's been walking 00:03:56.820 |
with the Lord for 30, 40 years on fire for God. 00:04:03.580 |
for a long time to be jaded, kind of lukewarm. 00:04:11.360 |
And I think part of the reason why we do that 00:04:14.660 |
is because sometimes Christianity in our walk with God 00:04:18.280 |
becomes nothing more than things that we need to do. 00:04:21.420 |
We have things we need to do at work, things to do at home, 00:04:25.160 |
and then there's things we need to do at church. 00:04:30.380 |
if I didn't meet Christ, I would have less of a burden 00:04:35.660 |
We've been talking about how Paul is trying to convince, 00:04:40.260 |
as he is preaching the gospel here in Book of Romans, 00:04:43.520 |
that every single person who has been united with Christ, 00:04:46.060 |
first and foremost, have been united with his death. 00:04:49.500 |
That as Jesus was crucified, we were crucified with him. 00:04:54.200 |
He says every Christian who genuinely confessed their faith 00:04:59.500 |
But if the gospel stops there, it would be a tragedy. 00:05:03.800 |
You know, a lot of times we think about Christian life 00:05:19.660 |
but if we don't understand why these things are taught 00:05:27.040 |
That all we do is to celebrate Christ crucified, 00:05:31.900 |
not realizing or celebrating what happens after. 00:05:36.760 |
He is buried, he is resurrected on the third day, 00:05:48.200 |
That if we are united with Christ in his death, 00:05:54.800 |
But if we stop at the death and not recognize the life, 00:06:05.800 |
See, the text that we're looking at this morning, 00:06:09.800 |
that we've clearly been crucified with Christ, 00:06:15.900 |
"the reason why we were united with Christ in his death 00:06:18.040 |
"is because we have been united with his resurrected life." 00:06:23.000 |
Romans 6, 8 says, "Now, if we have died with Christ, 00:06:27.440 |
"we believe that we will also live with him." 00:06:37.940 |
Paul has not given a single command up to this point. 00:06:41.800 |
We're gonna get to that when he gets to verse 11. 00:06:48.160 |
"Now that you know what it means to be a Christian, 00:06:54.860 |
he's going to give imperatives, commandments. 00:07:22.500 |
is he talking about this belief that leads to life? 00:07:25.300 |
Is he talking about that one day when we die, 00:07:27.500 |
and we're gonna be resurrected with him in eternity, 00:07:50.300 |
"casts its shadow into the believer's present experience, 00:07:55.500 |
"that Paul wants us to see the present implication 00:07:58.440 |
"of this promise of future resurrection life." 00:08:09.020 |
that promise of the future resurrection of Christ 00:08:35.060 |
The hope that you have changes the way that you live. 00:08:38.680 |
That's true in every other aspect of our lives. 00:08:41.500 |
Some of you guys are trying to get into grad school. 00:08:44.260 |
And as a result of that, you got a cheap job. 00:08:53.340 |
and your other college friends who graduated college, 00:09:16.440 |
is causing you to make some sacrifices today. 00:09:22.400 |
Some of you guys have a picture of what your body, 00:09:28.520 |
You have a very, you watch certain commercials, 00:09:30.800 |
and you go to the gym, you say, that's what I want. 00:09:41.320 |
You're making some serious sacrifices in your life, 00:10:00.300 |
You're getting up early, you're going to the gym, 00:10:02.920 |
and you're willing to bear with some of these sacrifices 00:10:11.400 |
We practice that in every other aspect of our life, 00:10:14.880 |
the greater the impact that it has on our daily life. 00:10:18.840 |
There is no greater hope that any Christian confesses 00:10:56.760 |
we know it in our head, but we haven't really seen it yet. 00:11:04.560 |
We've gotten a glimpse of what that eternal life 00:11:15.480 |
So everyone who genuinely has this confession, 00:11:27.400 |
Those who have been united with Christ in His death, 00:11:31.160 |
believe that we will also be united with Him, 00:11:41.840 |
remember, the context in which Paul is saying this is 00:11:44.640 |
to answer the question that came up in verse one. 00:11:47.840 |
Paul has been preaching in the Book of Romans 00:11:54.920 |
That if you are under the law, you'll be judged with the law. 00:11:58.640 |
If you don't have the law, you'll be judged outside the law. 00:12:00.720 |
But all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 00:12:03.480 |
And salvation is by grace and by faith alone. 00:12:09.600 |
if that's the case, isn't that going to cause licentiousness? 00:12:18.760 |
and he's gonna forgive sin, so it doesn't matter what I do. 00:12:21.720 |
Well, Paul answers that question in verse one. 00:12:25.360 |
Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 00:12:29.000 |
And the answer is, by no means, absolutely not. 00:12:44.320 |
That makes a good sermon, but is that really the reality? 00:12:47.000 |
Hasn't salvation by grace produced cheap grace? 00:12:51.280 |
Hasn't salvation, if you look at the Jehovah Witnesses, 00:13:08.120 |
Once they die, if they're good, it's going to outweigh the bad. 00:13:20.280 |
in order to have at least even a little bit of assurance 00:13:23.240 |
that they may be, after they die, go to heaven. 00:13:25.900 |
But if you give assurance of salvation to just everybody, 00:13:42.160 |
If they have been truly crucified with Christ, 00:13:47.980 |
as you and I may know it in our generation, right? 00:14:04.100 |
He's defending genuine preaching of the gospel 00:14:10.940 |
So don't just automatically sit there and think, 00:14:15.780 |
It may be, but let's examine closely when he says that. 00:14:25.780 |
because we have this groaning, according to Romans 8, 00:14:29.440 |
that can't be satisfied in anything else but Christ. 00:14:37.860 |
"has been groaning together in pains of childbirth until now 00:14:43.680 |
Everything that has been created, something went wrong. 00:14:55.640 |
But not only the creation, it says in verse 23, 00:14:57.960 |
"But we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, 00:15:04.800 |
The Holy Spirit has been implanted, given us, 00:15:10.320 |
and that Holy Spirit primarily is groaning inside of us, 00:15:18.760 |
wait a second, I thought we were already adopted. 00:15:27.080 |
It's kind of like a child who has been adopted, 00:15:31.000 |
in every way is a child of the new father, new family. 00:15:44.320 |
but the parents haven't physically come and gotten her yet. 00:16:03.920 |
until then, there is a groaning in our hearts 00:16:13.520 |
And it is that groaning that causes us to pursue him. 00:16:18.080 |
It is that groaning that causes us to worship him. 00:16:27.200 |
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:16:37.760 |
So again, he's not saying you should do this, 00:16:45.160 |
And this is the reason why a genuine confession of faith 00:17:00.040 |
who by God's power are being guarded through faith 00:17:02.800 |
for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. 00:17:06.040 |
So a believer who has been crucified with Christ, 00:17:09.600 |
we believe that we also will be resurrected with him. 00:17:13.760 |
And that everything that you and I have hoped for 00:17:23.080 |
In light of the groaning that God has placed in our hearts, 00:17:26.880 |
everything else that gets in the way is rubbish. 00:17:41.800 |
Those who have genuinely been forgiven of their sins 00:17:44.240 |
and repented and is united with Christ in his death 00:17:47.640 |
will now be united with Christ in his new life. 00:17:50.400 |
See, he says not only will be united with him in life, 00:18:01.400 |
this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life. 00:18:03.840 |
And this life is in his son, whoever has son has life, 00:18:07.800 |
and whoever does not have the son does not have life. 00:18:10.440 |
You know, back in college, I was taught how to evangelize 00:18:16.360 |
This is one of the things that they taught us. 00:18:24.040 |
And the Bible says that the life is in Jesus. 00:18:46.960 |
See, that's what he means in 1 John 5, 11 and 12. 00:18:57.960 |
So a life of a Christian is a pursuit of this life. 00:19:02.520 |
And this pursuit of this life is a pursuit of Christ. 00:19:06.600 |
And that's exactly what Jesus meant to his disciples. 00:19:14.240 |
The last I am statement that he gives to his disciples 00:19:26.680 |
but a portion of John chapter 15, one through 11. 00:19:30.000 |
A lot of times we read that passage as an encouragement 00:19:40.080 |
because every indicative, every theological truth 00:19:49.080 |
we look at this passage as like, you know, Christians, 00:19:53.560 |
If you wanna bear fruit, you need to remain in Christ. 00:19:55.720 |
But I want you to look at this passage in the context 00:20:04.440 |
He's describing a Christian and a non-Christian. 00:20:06.880 |
In John chapter 15, one is that I am the true vine 00:20:12.320 |
Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit, 00:20:17.560 |
I'm not gonna answer, just keep that in mind. 00:20:23.840 |
He takes away and every branch that does bear fruit, 00:20:53.640 |
Is that a lesser Christian who's not bearing fruit? 00:20:59.200 |
See, what he's describing is a Christian and a non-Christian. 00:21:08.360 |
He's describing a Christian who is abiding in Christ 00:21:27.920 |
He's gonna remind you of everything that I have said. 00:21:37.840 |
As you've been following me up to this point, 00:21:39.680 |
as you've been depending on me up to this point, 00:21:43.880 |
And so he's describing a Christian versus a non-Christian. 00:21:51.200 |
a Christian life, his justification, sanctification, 00:21:57.680 |
It is a continual, ongoing pursuit of Christ. 00:22:09.960 |
A Christian is not somebody who comes to church, 00:22:13.720 |
owns a Bible, attends Bible study and evangelizes. 00:22:19.960 |
A Christian is someone who is born again into a new life. 00:22:31.840 |
Those are the fruits that come from a genuine salvation. 00:22:36.840 |
But the difference, the fundamental distinction 00:22:56.600 |
"We know that Christ being raised from the dead 00:23:01.600 |
"For death he died, he died to send ones for all." 00:23:13.600 |
He's not describing everybody that goes to church. 00:23:20.600 |
He's describing every genuinely born again Christian. 00:23:24.360 |
And this is why it doesn't lead to licentiousness. 00:23:38.960 |
Because those are avenues in which we remain in Christ. 00:23:48.200 |
Up to this point, he's been talking about indicative. 00:23:52.200 |
So starting from verse 11, he's gonna switch gears 00:23:59.480 |
So, again, so is just another word for therefore, 00:24:34.160 |
one of the first things that we may think is, 00:25:19.600 |
The first again, is about what we think, right? 00:25:27.840 |
Even though there are times that you may not feel 00:25:30.920 |
I'm pretty sure there are people in this room 00:25:40.040 |
but there are times when we feel like we're bound, 00:25:43.600 |
because we may not be successful for whatever the reason. 00:26:06.080 |
double life sentence, there is no possibility of parole. 00:26:09.920 |
Somebody has compassion, say, you know, I'm gonna pay, 00:26:12.000 |
I'm gonna take his place, and that's the gospel message. 00:26:23.760 |
he can use the library, he can use the infirmary, 00:26:28.800 |
He's no longer bound because his guilt has been taken away. 00:26:40.520 |
is describing and making sure that every Christian 00:26:47.480 |
Let me give you another way for us to understand this. 00:27:01.160 |
And so he invites us to come to this throne of grace 00:27:08.680 |
is constantly mediating on our behalf as our high priest. 00:27:11.800 |
So there no longer is any barrier because of this. 00:27:15.320 |
So the difference between a non-Christian who sins 00:27:18.600 |
and a Christian who sins is a non-Christian is bound. 00:27:26.240 |
So every careless word that comes out of his mouth 00:27:36.880 |
every mistake that he's made that is considered sin, 00:27:52.920 |
we're not just saying like we say these magical words. 00:28:12.560 |
I can do all things through him who gives me strength. 00:28:18.720 |
He said now, because the door has been opened 00:28:21.320 |
and I'm no longer bound by the guilt of my sins, 00:28:25.520 |
I have access to the heavenly Father that I can pray. 00:28:30.920 |
That's why Paul says I'm laboring and sacrificing 00:28:34.260 |
with the strength that works so powerfully within me. 00:28:46.860 |
if you don't recognize that this door has been opened, 00:29:08.160 |
And that's why the second part of this is possible. 00:29:12.920 |
The second part of the word consider is to actively pursue, 00:29:19.800 |
After three chapters of explaining what Jesus did for us, 00:29:29.580 |
urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling 00:29:38.700 |
than if somebody above you tells you to do something 00:29:43.480 |
If running a marathon was the qualification of a pastor, 00:29:56.100 |
it's like, you know what, you have to be the center. 00:29:57.580 |
We're putting a new team together and you're five feet three 00:30:15.940 |
A lot of people look at their Christian life and says, 00:30:19.500 |
well, God is telling me to do things that I cannot do. 00:30:22.220 |
The gospel tells us, no, that is not the case. 00:30:27.300 |
He says, there is no barrier between us and God. 00:30:33.540 |
'Cause every time we genuinely confess our sins, 00:30:44.340 |
ask whatever you wish, it shall be done for you. 00:30:47.700 |
And that's why he says, well, I'm ready to go. 00:30:53.140 |
In the book of Acts chapter one, he says, do not go. 00:31:04.460 |
Judea, Samaria, to the remotest part of the world. 00:31:10.580 |
They couldn't stand with Christ going to the cross, 00:31:12.660 |
and then you're gonna give that burden to them 00:31:14.540 |
to get the gospel to the remotest part of the world? 00:31:26.740 |
You're gonna give that responsibility to him? 00:31:46.860 |
is now live up to the calling you have been given. 00:31:55.140 |
Right now, as you guys know, the Olympics are going on. 00:32:01.260 |
It's not because, I'm not interested in all these sports. 00:32:04.420 |
There's basketball, maybe swimming, if I know who they are. 00:32:08.940 |
Archery is a few things that I have interest in. 00:32:13.940 |
I know nothing about archery, but just for some reason, 00:32:22.260 |
Some of them, since they were little children. 00:32:34.700 |
but at the same time, it's like, there's no way. 00:32:45.300 |
I look at these Paralympics, and I'm thinking, wow. 00:32:50.020 |
even though the deficiencies they have physically, 00:32:56.060 |
20 years ago, a lot of these things that are happening now 00:33:01.740 |
you have these prosthetics where people can actually run, 00:33:06.340 |
They can actually swim, they can put limbs on. 00:33:14.940 |
So they can distinguish when they pick up something, 00:33:18.740 |
That's incredible, what they're able to do now. 00:33:24.260 |
These guys are, again, physically challenged, 00:33:53.140 |
and they're maximizing what they can do with these. 00:34:01.180 |
They're doing more than what average person does, 00:34:06.420 |
I mean, even eyes, I mean, more and more people, 00:34:12.340 |
You know, there's some studies where some of these guys 00:34:14.580 |
who are not 100% blind are starting to gain sight again 00:34:47.140 |
every Christian didn't just get new legs and new eyes. 00:34:54.860 |
We have been crucified, and our old self died, 00:35:04.340 |
That's what he means by consider yourself dead to sin, 00:35:30.540 |
And we don't see the benefit of this new life 00:35:32.740 |
because we passively, we're constantly passively 00:35:35.500 |
hoping that we could live vicariously with somebody else. 00:35:39.220 |
So we hear about people who went out to missions, 00:35:45.500 |
We're looking at all of this, and living vicariously. 00:35:52.300 |
And then we kind of forward emails that we get. 00:36:15.540 |
See, when he says consider, the first imperative is, 00:36:34.540 |
I remember the very first time my eyes got open, 00:36:58.100 |
and this new life is something that they can have too, 00:37:31.060 |
And that's why people who are not actively pursuing Christ 00:37:37.820 |
You're like the people who are watching the Olympics, 00:37:43.620 |
and then their leg moves just a second like that. 00:37:59.820 |
And he missed his first place by a millisecond. 00:39:03.380 |
Not just enough so you can be okay at Bible study. 00:39:09.020 |
See, for a Christian, life is found in Christ, 00:39:22.460 |
That's why we are united with Christ in his death,