We've been studying through the book of Romans.
We're in Romans chapter 6.
! The last few verses of the chapter.
Romans chapter 6.
That's a hard song to follow.
I'm just going to say it.
Alright, we're equal.
Romans chapter 6.
I'll start reading in verse 19 through the end of the chapter.
Paul is writing to the church in Rome.
He writes and he says,
I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations.
For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity
and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness,
so now present your members as slaves to righteousness
leading to sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin,
you were free in regard to righteousness.
But what fruit were you getting at that time
from the things of which you are now ashamed?
For the end of these things is death.
But now that you have been set free from sin
and have become slaves of God,
the fruit you get leads to sanctification
and it's in eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death.
The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
Let's pray together.
Father, we thank you for Jesus.
We thank you for the grace and the mercy
that you've shown us through him,
through his life, his death, and his resurrection.
We thank you for your word that you have revealed to us,
that you have shown us,
so we can hold in our hands and read.
We thank you that your word speaks of Jesus,
shows us about Jesus,
teaches us Jesus.
I pray this morning that we prove with the word spoken
and the ears of listening that we love Jesus.
I pray, God, that we would honor him,
lift him up,
and he would receive all praise this morning.
Speak to us this morning in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Now, I'm going to approach this text a little different.
Usually it's verse by verse.
This is what it's saying.
This is what it means.
I'm still going to be faithful to it,
but I want to look at how does being set free,
we've been set free in Christ
from the power and burden and control of sin,
how does that affect our gathering?
How does that affect this meeting time,
our meetings during the week,
our meetings with families
or one-on-one discipleship?
How does being set free really affect our lives?
Because theologically and doctrinally,
we can say it all along,
every moment of every day,
but how does it affect our everyday life
and in specific,
us here together?
In other words,
so what?
So we've been set free.
So what?
What does it mean?
What does it lead us to?
So we have sin in our life
that no longer has power over us.
What do we do with that?
And why does the fact that we have been set free from sin
and now have been made slave to God
impact us and our gathering together?
This is the question that I want to answer this morning.
The easy answer,
the simple answer is in every way.
In every way it changes,
it impacts our gathering.
In every way,
in how we speak,
in how we sing,
in how we gather,
in how we care for one another,
in how we look at one another,
how we listen to one another.
In every way is a simple answer.
So let's get a little more specific.
And in our text,
I think we have a little more specific answer.
If we've been set free,
if our identity has changed,
if we're no longer slave to sin,
but slave to God,
then our identity has changed.
Because if our identity has changed,
then what we do,
how we live,
and why we gather changes as well.
So no matter how mature you are as a Christian,
you know how much knowledge you have,
or I have,
we all need help in this endeavor
to live out this Christian life.
We all need help.
None of us have figured this out.
None of us have perfected it.
Paul himself says,
I am not yet perfect.
I continue on forward.
We need one another
to preach the Gospel to us,
to remind us that we are set free from sin,
and to etch into one another's minds
that this gathering is not about us.
It's about Jesus.
Joy to the world
is about Jesus,
not about us.
So as I review,
Romans 1 and 2,
divine for us,
clearly,
that all human beings,
then and now,
have been born into a curse.
We are dead.
Curse that goes all the way back
to Adam and Eve
in the Garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve bought into the lie
that the devil gave them,
bought into the lie
that they can be important,
that they can be special,
that they can be like God,
and they decided to worship themselves
instead of worshiping God
as they were created to do.
As we are today,
they were created to worship God,
to bring glory to God.
As our Logos question number two says,
the adult version is,
what is the chief end of man?
To glorify Him
and enjoy Him forever.
That's what we were created to do.
We were created to worship Him alone.
And from this moment
in the Garden of Eden,
through all of eternity,
mankind,
and all of time,
mankind has been cursed
with the inability to worship God.
We've been cursed
with the inability to please God,
to do God things.
We cannot worship Him
apart from a supernatural act of God.
So we come to Romans 3,
and it says,
for all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God.
All of us have sinned.
No one is left out of that equation.
We are unable to bring glory to God.
We are unable
to do good,
God-glorifying things.
Now of course,
semantics,
we can do good things.
We can do nice things.
We can be nice human beings
and care for people
and love people,
but we cannot do God-honoring,
God-glorifying things.
We cannot enjoy Him
as we were created to do.
Even religious things
are like filthy rags.
We weren't created to be religious.
We weren't created to be Baptists,
although some people might say we were.
We weren't created to be Methodists,
or Presbyterians.
We were created to be God's people,
His children,
and whatever name you want to put to that.
That's what we were created to be.
Religion was created by man
to replace God,
to make where we have no need for Him.
And if there's no need for God,
then our curse that we are born into
no longer has powers,
no longer as powerful as we thought.
And then we can fix that issue
with good deeds or religious activities.
But that's not the case.
Romans 1, 2, and 3,
and then building up to chapter 4,
all of it proves
that even religion does not save.
Chapter 4,
we have Abraham,
who's been justified,
Paul lays out for us
that Abraham was justified by faith,
not by anything else,
not by works,
not by religious activity,
no special bloodline,
no being the patriarch of the Jewish people.
That didn't save him.
What saved him was his faith
or faith from God.
He was justified by faith.
No religious activity,
no good deed.
Abraham did not earn
his faith.
He did not earn
the salvation that he received.
Romans 4,
verse 20 and 21 says,
of Abraham,
no distrust made him waver
concerning the promise of God.
But he grew strong in his faith
as he gave glory to God,
fully convinced that God was able to do
what he had promised.
So this amazing faith
that Abraham showed
was nothing of his doing
or his ability.
It was all based and rooted
on who God is
and what God has promised.
What God said that He would do.
This same faith can be evident
in your life and in mine.
But like Abraham,
it is God working through us.
just earlier in Romans 4,
faith wasn't given to Adam
and he wasn't made righteous
because of being circumcised.
And I point that out
because that is the one
religious activity
of the Jewish people
that was important.
That was it.
It proved to the world
that they were Jewish.
It proved to them
that they belonged
to God's chosen people.
And even Abraham,
who was the patriarch,
was not made righteous
because of being circumcised.
Made righteous because of his faith.
So, to summarize,
we are justified by faith
apart from works.
It's a good Christian saying,
but it's very important.
We are justified by faith
apart from works.
So, nothing in us
earns, deserves
the salvation that God gives us.
This is the launching point.
This truth,
justified by faith
apart from works,
that's the launching point
for all of Romans.
As Paul writes
to the Christian church,
to the church in Rome,
to the Christians there,
he writes to them
and he says,
as Abraham,
you too can be justified by faith.
Not anything that you have done.
You haven't earned it.
Everything we are and do
is out of being justified.
Being made right before God
because of his love,
his grace,
and his mercy.
We've got to make sure
we understand this.
And on the cross
is where we've been justified.
On the cross
is where our sins
were taken
by Jesus.
And in return,
we are given
his righteousness.
Martin Luther calls
the great exchange
and we mention it
often.
Jesus took our sin
and gave us
his righteousness.
This
is the launching point.
See,
at the cross,
we find victory
over sin.
At the cross,
we are set free
from that same sin.
At the cross,
we are given peace
with God.
Because of the cross,
we can approach
the throne room
with boldness.
Because of the cross,
we live victorious lives.
Because of the cross,
we love our neighbors.
See,
all of what we are
and do as Christians
because and through
the cross of Jesus Christ.
At Calvary,
where He died for you
and for me.
That's where
it all comes from.
John Piper,
in his book,
The Roots of Endurance,
is writing about
William Wilberforce,
John Newton,
and Charles Stimeon.
Three great men of,
as we sometimes say,
old dead guys.
Great men of faith.
He writes about them
and he says,
they were careful
to savor the cross first
as the basis of justification
before they experienced
its purchased power
of sanctification.
Before the power of endurance
came the pardon of guilt.
Before the blood-bought enabling
of righteous living
came the free gift
of perfect righteousness
credited to our account
because of Christ alone
through faith alone.
These men,
we can lift them up,
but they're just men.
These men knew
that what we do
is secondary
to what Christ did
on the cross.
What Christ did
on the cross
determines what we do here.
So out of what Christ did,
we now live for Him.
Justification is the launch point
for Romans
and for the Christian life.
So we now come to chapter 6.
On the cross,
our sin nature died with Jesus.
If we are Christian,
if we are believers,
if we are a biblical definition
of being a Christian,
if you know when you love Jesus,
then you have been set free
on the cross
from the control
and bondage of sin.
And now,
in our text,
we have the outcome
of being set free.
We have the outcome
of no longer being empowered
or no longer being powered over
by sin.
And that outcome is
sanctification and holiness.
Or sanctification
or holiness.
The infinitely holy God
through Christ
has given us
His holiness.
It is a process.
A long process.
A slow process.
But we are being perfected
because of Christ.
Because of His work
on the cross.
We can be holy
as He commanded.
Be holy
as I am holy.
We can be holy
as God is holy
because of Jesus.
Later on in the book,
John Piper says
of the time
that William Wilberforce lived,
he said,
nominal Christians
were confusing
and reversing
sanctification
and justification.
They were making
the fruits of holiness
the cause
and not the effects
of being justified.
What the whole
beginning part of Romans
is about up to this point
is out of being justified
we are becoming sanctified.
Out of what Christ has done
we are able to live
a certain and specific way.
Sounds a lot like our time,
doesn't it?
We know people
who are trying to live
good lives.
People who are trying
to be religious.
We are surrounded
by nominal Christians
or non-Christians
at all
believe that they
have to live
a good life.
They just have to be good
in order to earn
God's favor.
But we know
that that is not
the case at all.
We don't want
this building,
we don't want
this gathering
to be filled
with people
who are nominal
Christians
who think they have
to earn God's grace.
That wouldn't be
grace at all.
And there is no victory
in that life.
That is a life
of slavery,
of burden,
trying to earn
God's favor
and God's grace.
We want to lead
people who love
out of joy,
who gather
out of joy
and who bless
out of joy,
not out of obligation
or out of some
form of payment
to God.
So as we look
at our text
this morning,
so what?
So what does
this mean?
What does
this mean
about how
we gather?
We have been
set free,
so what?
Well,
as I've kind
of set us up,
we can't go
any further
without completely
and totally
understanding
verse 23
of chapter 6.
We have to get it,
understand it,
know it.
Verse 23 says,
for the wages
of sin is death,
but the free
gift of God
is eternal life
in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Wages of sin.
There is a payment
to be paid.
Our sin
earns a payment.
It earns a paycheck.
So sin is working
against you
and against me
and as it works,
it's earning its wage
or earning a wage.
Sin doesn't just
deserve death.
Sometimes we'll say,
you know,
sin deserves death.
Deserve
leaves room
for subjectivity.
It leaves room
for
a little play,
too much play.
According to our text,
the wages of sin,
sin earns,
there's a clear
payment exchange
there.
It's wage
and the wage
is death.
And it's not
talking about
you dying
here on earth.
It's talking about
eternal,
permanent
separation
from God.
Everything God
does is good.
Everything God
does is right.
Everything God
does is holy
and just.
You're going to
be separated
from that
eternally
because of the
sin in your life,
because of your
sin,
if you do not
know Christ,
if you do not
love Him.
this is the
reality of our
curse that we're
born into.
We receive,
we're born into
this curse
by the second
part of verse
23.
But,
the free gift
of God
is eternal
life in Christ
Jesus our
Lord.
We receive a
gift,
an undeserved
gift from the
Creator.
That is eternal
life.
Eternal life in
Christ.
He's because of
Jesus.
In Jesus and
for Jesus,
our lives are
all about
Jesus.
That's why our
vision statement
is not up there.
Christ's Family
Church exists to
experience,
proclaim,
and display the
supremacy of
Jesus Christ in
all things.
Our lives are
all about
Jesus.
Our gatherings
are all about
Jesus.
Our entire
life is about
Him.
So,
we move from
verse 23.
We got verse
23.
We have to
understand verse
23.
And then out of
that,
so what?
So what do
we do?
Because we are
recipients of
this gift from
a holy God,
our identity
changes.
As I mentioned
a few minutes
ago, we're no
longer slaves to
sin if we are
Christians, if we
are born-again
believers.
we are now
slaves to God.
And that is a
complete identity
change.
Ephesians chapter
2 says you
were dead.
You're now
alive.
That's a big
identity change.
See, at that
moment of being
justified, being
born again, our
identity changes.
verse 19 of
Romans chapter 6
says, for just
as you once
presented your
members as
slaves to
impurity and
to lawlessness
leading to more
lawlessness.
See, before
Jesus, our
identity was in
what we did.
Sin.
And I don't
mean, you
know, your
sports
accomplishments,
your life
accomplishments,
your struggles.
It was in how
we lived, what
we did, what
determined what
we did, and
that was sin.
That was where
our identity
was.
According to
this, impurity
and lawlessness
was your
identity, was
our identity
before Christ.
Impurity
represents the
inward sin,
the thoughts,
the lust,
the judgment,
the hatred,
the anger,
the vanity.
We have those
inward sins that
nobody might
see.
We can hide
those.
But lawlessness
represents the
outward sin,
the actions,
the murder,
the malice,
the hatred,
the homosexuality,
the fornication,
on and on and
on.
Both of those
lists.
We could go on
and on and
on.
That's who we
were.
That's what our
identity was and
what we did.
But after
Jesus, we
become slaves to
righteousness
leading to
sanctification.
holiness.
See, our
identity is not
under the power
of sin anymore.
It is now
becoming empowered
by God
leading to
holiness.
See, as the
nominal Christians
did and
thought and
will before us
time, we are
holy out of what
Jesus did, not
on what we do
or try to do.
When our
identity changes,
what we live
for changes.
What we
desire changes.
For example,
if I became a
Muslim,
if I decided I'm
going to become a
Muslim, I like
their ideas and I
like how the
Quran is spelled
a little weird
and I just like
it.
my identity,
who I was,
would change.
It would
obviously change.
I don't even
know half the
laws and stuff
they have, but I
follow them.
But
what I live for
would change.
That identity
would determine
how I lived.
as a Christian
though, my
identity is
Jesus.
It's for
Jesus, through
Jesus, and so
I live for
Jesus and His
glory.
So when we
gather together,
big group,
small group,
morning service,
community group
in midweek,
families over a
meal, a one-on-one
discipleship,
whatever it is,
when we meet
together, we
unite over our
identity.
We unite over
what binds us
together, and
that is Jesus.
That is His
righteousness, His
holiness.
We unite over
what Jesus did
for us.
2 Corinthians 5
says that His
love compels
us.
We are
compelled to
live for
Him.
And
honestly,
no matter what
that means or
looks like,
we're going to
do that.
We're going to
live for Him
and love
Jesus.
Because,
truth be
told,
He did the
extreme for
us.
He did the
radical for
us by dying
on the cross
for our sin.
See,
our new
identity based
in Scripture,
based on who
Jesus is,
has already
measured the
cost.
And Jesus
is worth it.
Already
measured it.
We are
willing or
should be
willing to
go to do
and to be
whatever He
requires,
whatever He
commands.
He hung and
died on the
cross so that
we can fight
for Him and
love the
people of the
world.
He hung on the
cross so that
we can live
victorious over
sin and not
constantly stumble
over the same
thing.
1 John 3.16
says,
By this we
know love,
that He laid
down His life
for us,
and we ought
to lay down
our lives for
the brothers.
When we
gather,
when we're
apart,
be willing to
lay down our
lives for the
brothers.
Whatever that
means,
because Jesus
is worth
more than
what measurements
we can put
on here on
earth.
When we
unite over
our identity
in Jesus,
we gain a
kingdom view.
We gain a
vision of what
God is doing
and what He
wants to do.
And that
becomes contagious.
Infectious even.
When we unite
over our
identity in
Jesus,
this kingdom
view becomes
contagious.
When the body
gathers,
the body
becomes infected
with the
commission of
the King.
Because being
set free,
because of
Jesus and
being set free
from sin,
we do radical
things then.
We make radical
decisions.
We live radical
lives for Him.
Turn to
Isaiah chapter
61.
Isaiah 61 is a
prophecy of the
coming Messiah
who we know
is Jesus.
Isaiah 61,
Isaiah writes,
the Spirit of the
Lord God is upon
me because the
Lord has anointed
me to bring good
news to the poor.
He has sent me to
bind up the
brokenhearted,
to proclaim
liberty to the
captives,
and the opening of
the prison to those
who are bound,
to proclaim the
year of the
Lord's favor,
and the day of
vengeance of our
God,
to comfort all
who mourn,
to grant to
those who
mourn in Zion,
to give them a
beautiful headdress
instead of ashes,
the oil of
gladness instead
of mourning,
the garment of
praise instead of
a faint spirit,
that they may be
called oaks of
righteousness,
the planting of
the Lord that He
may be glorified.
They shall build
up the ancient
ruins.
They shall raise
up the former
devastations.
They shall repair
the ruined cities,
the devastations of
many generations.
Look at these
actions.
Bring good news
to the poor.
Bind up the
brokenhearted.
Proclaim liberty
to the captives.
Open the prison
to those who are
bound.
Comfort all who
mourn.
Proclaim the
year of the
Lord's favor.
Grant those who
mourn in Zion.
Give beautiful
headdresses instead
of ashes.
Give the oil of
gladness instead
of a faint spirit.
If this is
Jesus, then this
is our mission
too.
If this is
Jesus, then
this is why
we gather
what we
celebrate.
We are united
with one
identity.
An identity
that changes
the world.
An identity
that crushes
the power of
sin and enables
us to live in
freedom and to
share that
freedom.
We have freedom
to love Jesus
and fight for
Him.
we unite
over identities
and we
minister out
of that
identity as
well.
We minister
together.
We minister
to one another.
We minister
apart to those
around us in our
circles out in
the world.
world.
We haven't been
called just to
meet.
We haven't been
called to gather
together on Sunday
morning at
1030.
We have been
sent into the
world to live
for Jesus, to
fight for Jesus, to
make disciples, to
live in the world
and love those
around us.
We have been
sent to be
as 2 Corinthians
5 says,
ministers of
reconciliation.
But the
question is,
how can we be
ministers of
reconciliation if
we ourselves
have never been
reconciled?
If we
ourselves have
never received
faith to
believe in
Jesus and
repented of
our sins?
Or maybe we
just don't
understand that
being set free
comes from
Jesus' work on
the cross and
not from some
good life that
I live.
Turn to
Colossians
chapter 3.
And then we'll
come back to
Romans.
Colossians
chapter 3.
The beginning
of chapter 3,
Paul,
writing to the
church at
Colossae,
says we
basically have a
new identity in
Christ.
Verses 1-4,
this is our
new identity.
Because of what
Christ has done,
this is who we
are.
So we can jump
down to verse
12.
This is how we
should live
together,
how we should
gather together,
how we should
act amongst one
another.
It says,
put on love.
Put on then,
as God's chosen
ones,
holy and beloved,
compassionate hearts,
kindness,
humility,
meekness,
and patience,
bearing with one
another.
And if one has a
complaint against
another,
forgiving each other
as the Lord has
forgiven you,
so you also must
forgive.
And above all
these,
put on love,
which binds
everything together
in perfect harmony.
And let the peace
of Christ rule
in your hearts,
to which indeed
you were called
in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the Word of
Christ dwell in you
richly,
teaching and admonishing
one another in all
wisdom,
singing psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs
with thankfulness in
your hearts to God.
And whatever you do,
in word or deed,
do everything in the
name of the Lord
Jesus,
giving thanks to
God the Father
through Him.
This is living like
this.
Put on compassionate
hearts,
kindness,
humility,
meekness,
patience.
Put on love.
Let the Word of
Christ dwell in you
richly.
All of that is out
of what Christ has
done for you and
for me.
You can't do any of
this apart from the
work of Christ on
the cross.
Apart from a new
identity.
Our new identity
identity is not
this ambiguous
idea.
It's not this
someday,
maybe,
possibly,
might happen
thing.
It's present
now.
It's a present
moment thing.
Look at verse
22 of Romans
6.
Back to Romans
chapter 6.
Language is in
present tense.
Verse 22.
But now that you
have been set free
from sin,
writing to the
church in Rome,
writing to
Christians,
to believers,
but now that you
have been set free
from sin and
have become slaves
of God, the fruit
you get leads to
sanctification and
eternal life.
It is now that we
have a new identity.
It's not when we
die and we're with
Jesus.
It is now.
We are no longer
slaves to sin.
Sin no longer
has power over us
because of Christ
and the cross we
have this new
identity.
Galatians 4,
verse 7 gives us
a clear picture of
identity change.
Verse 7 of
Galatians chapter 4.
So you are no
longer a slave,
but a son.
And if a son,
then an heir
through God.
We are no longer
a slave to sin,
but an heir to
the greatest
kingdom.
The greatest
kingdom that has
ever been.
A kingdom that is
beyond our
understanding and
comprehension.
This is who we
are.
This is our new
identity.
And this new
identity affects
every area of our
lives, including
the times we
gather together.
in verse 20,
it says in
chapter 6 of
Romans,
for when you
were slaves of
sin, you were
free in regard
to righteousness.
Which, just
reading it is a
pretty obvious
statement.
When you're
slaves of sin,
you're not
connected with,
bound with
righteousness.
There's no
connection there.
You're not
under its
master.
We were
free from
righteousness,
which means,
as I've already
said, we were
unable to do
it or be
righteous.
Unable.
We were
unable to
please God.
We had not
been forgiven.
We had not
been given a
right standing
before God.
But not only
were we unable
to do righteous
acts because of
verse 20,
really because of
our sin,
communicated in
verse 20,
there's also no
binding, no
commitment between
us and
righteousness.
There was no
relationship between
us.
It did not have
control over us.
It did not
change how we
did things.
It didn't
change our
identity at all.
We couldn't
do any of it.
We couldn't do
righteous acts.
We were broken
from doing
good.
It was not
connected because
we were not
born again.
Look at the
end of verse
22, though.
The fruit you
get leads to
sanctification and
it's in eternal
life.
The end of
verse 19.
So now,
present your
members as
slaves to
righteousness
leading to
sanctification.
Because of
Jesus,
because of
His life,
death,
and resurrection,
because of
His perfect
life,
sinless life,
He took on
our sin.
He took on
your sin so
that you can
be holy.
You can be
made holy.
holy.
Jesus died so
that you and
I can be
holy as God
is holy.
God is
working.
He's working
in your life.
He's working
in my life.
He's working
in everyone's
life in
here.
If you're a
Christian,
when we
gather,
we celebrate
what God
is doing
in us.
When we
gather,
we celebrate
what He's
done for
us.
We gather,
we see the
evidence of
what God
is doing
in each
other's
lives.
We see
the identity
change.
And that
encourages us.
That strengthens
us.
We gather
to rejoice
in Jesus,
to celebrate
Him because
of the slow
process of
making us
holy.
Perfecting
us for
His glory
and our
good.
He's
healing our
broken hearts.
He's
mending
marriages back
together.
He's
breaking
addictions.
He is
making the
dead
alive.
We come
together to
taste and
see this
stuff.
We come
together to
see that
He is
God and
He is
good.
We see
it among
His people.
We see
it in the
face of
the husband
and wife
whose marriage
has been
reconciled.
We see
it in the
college
graduate who
is more
excited about
serving Jesus
than any
potential job
pay.
We see
it in a
life that
has been
changed by
the gospel.
We come
to rejoice
that we
all in
Christ have
been set
free from
sin.
We've all
been set
free.
We live
no longer
under the
power of
sin but
in the
victory over
it.
And we
push one
another on.
We push
one another
forward.
Lord, we
come together
to celebrate
that death
for us is
a beginning
and not
an end.
And eternal
life is our
destination.
Eternity with
Jesus is
where we're
headed if we
know Jesus.
We come
together not
to celebrate
what He
has done,
what we have
done.
We don't
come to
celebrate that
or our
talents.
Although sin
will tell
us that's
why we
gather.
Sin will
tell you to
come and
celebrate what
you have
done.
We have
been given
victory over
that sin so
that we can
come and
rejoice in
what Jesus
is doing
and has
done.
We come
together to
lift up
Jesus so
that we can
go strengthened
and empowered
to fight the
good fight for
Him and
His name.
Listen to
these words
from Charles
Simeon in
a sermon.
He says,
For a
nominal
Christian is
content with
proving the
way of
salvation by
a crucified
Redeemer.
So a
nominal
Christian is
content with
just saying,
I am
saved because
of Jesus
on the
cross and
that's it.
But the
true Christian
loves it,
delights in
it,
glories in
it,
and shudders
at the
very thought
of glorying
in anything
else.
The
true Christian
loves it,
delights in
it,
glories in
it,
and shudders
at the
very thought
of glorying
in anything
else.
This is
who we
want CFC
to be,
to be
filled with.
This is
what we
want CFC
to be.
True
Christians
who love
Jesus,
who delight
in Jesus,
who glory
in Jesus,
and shudder
at glorying
in anything
or anyone
else.
We come
together to
rejoice in
Jesus,
as our
statement of
faith says,
to experience,
proclaim,
and display
the supremacy
of Jesus
in all
things.
Because we
have been set
free,
our identity
has changed,
and we
gather to
celebrate
that in
Jesus'
name.
We have
been set
free from
sin to
live lives
that are no
longer in
bondage to
sin,
but is
victorious over
it.
It is that
simple.
In verse
19, I
skipped over
this phrase
the last two
weeks because
I wasn't sure
what to do
with it.
The beginning
of verse
19, I am
speaking in
human terms
because of
your natural
limitations.
It's not an
insult.
He's not saying
you guys are
dumb.
And so I'm
speaking clearly
to you or
speaking in
simple tone or
simple words.
What he's saying
is I'm using
simple language
because you
understand and
you need to
understand.
So he uses
slave and
master because
the church in
Rome would
understand that
clearly.
He uses this
and he repeats
it over and
over and says
it in different
ways so that
they can
understand.
We have
been set free
from sin.
Sin no longer
has power over
us.
It's that
simple.
Jesus died on
the cross for
our sin.
It's that
simple.
Let us not
muck up the
water so that
no one can
understand it.
We have been
set free.
You have been
set free.
I have been
set free.
We have
received a new
identity and
that is why we
gather.
We meet
together because
Jesus died
for us.
We have been
justified by
faith.
we are being
made holy by
God.
We can
worship together.
We can
celebrate together
and we can
rejoice together
because of what
Jesus has done
giving us a new
identity.
Christians,
let us rejoice
over our new
identity.
Let us fight
for His name,
for His renown,
for His acclaim,
for He is
worthy of all
praise.