“DOING THE RIGHT THING” “HOW DO WE LIVE A LIFE OF VICTORY?”

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Sunday
10:30 AM Worship Service

Wednesday
6:30 PM Bible Study

Mar. 26, 2023

“DOING THE RIGHT THING”

“HOW DO WE LIVE A LIFE OF VICTORY?”

ROMANS 6:1-14



As Paul concluded chapter five, he boldly declared that, whereas sin reigned over the earth and death through sin, Jesus Christ had initiated a takeover:


Romans 5:20-21 “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”


Now let me put it like this, justification is an act, sanctification is a work. Justification declares the sinner righteous, sanctification makes the sinner righteous. Justification removes the guilt and penalty of sin, sanctification removes the growth and the power of sin.


1 Corinthians 1:30 “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”


So Paul now gives us instructions for attaining victory over sin. Living a life of victory:


  1.   Knowing This “Certainly Not”


The word “know” or certainly not, indicates that Paul wanted us to understand a basic teaching. Christian life depends on Christian learning.


So Paul asks a question:


Romans 6:1 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”


Romans 6:2 “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”


It says we died to sin in Christ, but we are never dead to sin as long as we have this flesh.


Colossians 2:20 “Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations.”


Colossians 3:3 “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”


Romans 6:3 “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?”


“Baptized”- comes from Greek word “baptizo” which means to immerse or to submerge.


I believe Paul is talking about our identification with Christ, we are baptized or identified with Christ in His death:


1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”


Galatians 3:23 “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”


*Know Truth


Romans 6:4 “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”


Colossians 2:12 “buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”


Just like we are identified with Christ in His death, we are also identified with Christ in His resurrection.


Ephesians 4:22-24


*Enjoy New Life- because we are united with Christ in His death. And resurrection.


Romans 6:5-7 “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7For he who has died has been freed from sin.”


We actually share the life of Christ somewhat as a limb grafted into a tree shares the life of the tree. The life of Christ is our life now.


“…knowing this…” vs.6- That our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with.


When we died with Christ, our bodies were relieved from submission to sin.


“Destroyed” vs.6-means to make of no effect, to be paralyzed or cancelled or nullified, the old nature is eradicated. We are declared righteous from sin, we are free.


*Don’t Serve Sin


Consider the Truth:


Romans 6:8-11 “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”


Acts 2:24 “Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”


Revelation 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”


*Claim the Gift:


vs.11 “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”


2.   Reckon Yourself


“Reckon”- consider or count on it to be true and then act upon it.


Colossians 2:20 “Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations.”


*The Present Truth


Romans 6:12-13 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”


“Instrument” vs.13- means weapon of war.


*Sin Shall Not Be Master Over You


Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”


Growing In Grace begins with three specific changes in how we operate allowing the Spirit to have control:


  1. Know the Truth- vs.1-10- We are free in Christ
  2. Consider the Truth- vs.11-  Replace old thinking with new thinking.
  3. Present Your Body to Truth- Be a doer of the Word not just a hearer only. James 1:22