Well, good morning. It is my great privilege this morning to open God's holy word with you and be able to preach this morning.
You know, we're in a transition week for the last six weeks we've been in Daniel.
We're at a good point in Daniel to put a pause on it.
We're heading into the Psalms. We will preach out of the book of Psalms during the summer.
But this transition week allows me the opportunity to preach from whatever passage I want to preach from.
You know how it is. You tend to go where your passions are.
And that's exactly what I looked at this week.
And I would say this. My passion is this.
Is that I deeply desire to live for Christ.
I deeply desire to be committed to him, to be surrendered to him, to know him more,
to be more intimate in my relationship with him.
That is very real for me.
And so I look at the scripture.
You know, there's a bunch of passages that say that.
And so it was a little bit hard to land on a passage.
But this morning we will look at Romans 6, the whole chapter of Romans 6.
And we'll look at it as an overview of what's said in chapter 6 of Romans.
Romans 6.
And I just acknowledge before you that God's powerful word is my prayer that it speaks to our hearts this morning.
And that it spurs us to live for him.
So if you would, if you're able, I would ask that you would stand with me this morning
as we read from the book of Romans chapter 6.
And we will read again the whole chapter.
So read with me.
Hopefully you've got the Bible in hand in some form so that you can read along with us.
And as we look at it this morning, I will ask you to turn back many times and look at certain verses.
So I encourage you to keep it open this morning.
Chapter 6, verse 1.
And what shall we say then?
Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
By no means.
How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
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.
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.
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.
For one who has died has been set free from sin.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again.
Death no longer has dominion over him.
For the death he died, he died to sin once for all.
But the life he lives, he lives to God.
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions.
Do not present your members to sin as instruments of 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.
For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under the law but under grace.
What then?
Are we to sin because we are not under the law but under grace?
It's by no means.
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,
you are slaves of the one whom you obey,
either of sin, which leads to death,
or of obedience, which leads to righteousness.
But thanks be to God that you were once slaves to sin.
I'll say that again.
I missed a word.
But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart
to the standard of teaching to which you were committed.
And having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
I'm 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 those 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 its end, eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death.
But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Let's pray.
Father, how powerful your word is.
The truths here are amazing to me, Father,
that you've done an amazing work in each of our lives,
those of us who are born again who know you as Lord and Savior.
God, I pray that whatever words would come from me this morning, Father,
they would just fly away and not land anywhere.
But Father, I pray that your word would cement itself deep in our hearts this morning.
And I pray this in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Y'all can have a seat.
As Paul speaks to the Roman church,
I just want to remind us he's speaking to Christians.
And Paul has spent five chapters talking about this thing, this topic,
justification by faith alone.
And now as we step into chapter 6, it transitions.
And he asks a question that I think is needful for us to ask as well.
And here's the question that Paul would ask and ask of them.
Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
Christian, Roman Christian,
are we to continue in sin in order that we would cause the grace to rise?
How would you answer that?
It doesn't seem right that we would even consider walking in sin, does it?
Yes, Christians, as those who have been made aware of our sin,
you know, as part of the process of coming to Christ,
we became aware of the sinfulness in our life
and the need for reconciliation,
the need for redemption,
the need for forgiveness.
How is it that when God showed us how ugly our sin was
and how our sin separates us from a holy God,
why is it that we would continue in it?
Why would we continue to live in sinful ways?
Why would we allow it a place in our life?
And so Paul here addresses this question.
Should we sin more
in order that the grace of God would be elevated,
his forgiveness would be elevated?
And Paul says this,
by no means.
By no means.
You know, I would ask this question of us,
do we struggle at times with sin?
Are we even drawn to it?
Are we even drawn by our culture or by our flesh?
Are we drawn to walk in sin?
Do we know sins that are in our life that are habitual?
Are there things that we've allowed to reside in our lives
that we know should not be there as Christians?
And Paul shares these truths with him.
This morning, I want us to focus on three words
out of this text.
Here are the three words.
Know, consider, and present.
These three words.
To know, consider, and present.
And we see those words here in the text.
In this first word, to know,
it's interesting how Paul makes his case
in answering this question about sin.
Should we, Christian, continue in sin?
No, no, no, he would say.
By no means should we continue in sin.
It's not compatible with who we now are.
As Christians.
It makes no sense that we would walk in sin
and allow sin to reside in our lives.
And so Paul makes this statement.
He actually asks a question,
then he makes a statement.
How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Do you not know, Christian?
Do you not know?
Know what, Paul?
He's about to share with us
these five things,
these five items,
these five truths
that he is about to share
in reference to this word know.
Christian, do you not know
that you were baptized into Christ?
Do you see it?
In verse three,
do you not know
that all of us
who were baptized into Christ
were baptized into his death?
Christian, do you not know
that you were baptized into the Christ?
What does that mean
to be baptized into Christ?
Well, one thing it might mean
is that when someone comes to faith
in this body of believers,
then we'll put a pool,
we'll just call it a pool,
outside,
we'll fill it with water
and we will baptize a new believer.
And when we baptize them,
what we're doing is,
in a sense,
we're symbolically saying
that that person,
as he goes under the water,
dies.
And he's buried under the water
and then when we're bringing back
out of the water,
then he is raised in newness of life.
Now, that phraseology
would come from this very text.
The concept of being baptized into Christ
is this concept
that we're baptized into communion
with Jesus.
We're baptized into fellowship
with Jesus.
We're baptized into relationship
with Christ.
And so Paul says,
do you not realize
that you're now in Christ?
Do you not realize
what has happened,
what has transacted in your life?
Do you not realize now
that you're a part of Christ?
That you're in communion with Christ?
He goes on to say this,
do you not know,
and that's number one,
do you not know you've been baptized?
Number two,
do you not know that you died?
Now, we would understand
that he's not saying,
do you not realize
that you died physically?
That's not what Paul's saying.
He's speaking to the church.
But he's saying,
do you not realize
that you have died,
past tense,
done act?
For those of y'all
who understand
the tenses of the verbs
in the original language,
the tense of the verb here
is an aoris tense,
meaning it's not something
that continues on,
it's something that was done,
it's a one-time act
that was accomplished
and finalized.
Do you not realize,
Christian,
that you died?
What is he saying?
What is Paul saying?
Well, we get a glimpse of it
if we look into verse 5.
And he says this,
we know that our old self
was crucified.
So in what way,
Paul,
did we die?
Well,
it's the guy we were before
who has died.
What guy?
The guy who was enslaved to sin.
The guy who couldn't do anything
but sin.
And we see that truth
again at the end of verse 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.
Do you catch that?
We would no longer be.
You know what it implies?
That there was a time
when we were enslaved to sin.
You know what it means
to be enslaved?
That means you can't do anything else.
If you're enslaved to something,
that's what you do.
If we glance ahead at verse 17,
Paul makes this statement,
you who were once slaves of sin.
Verse 20,
you were slaves of sin.
Do we see ourselves like that?
Christian?
Do you understand
that there was a time in your life
before you came into the kingdom
where you were absolutely enslaved to sin?
every act,
every thought
was self-focused and not righteous.
God says when he views sin,
anything that's not righteous is sin.
And as an unbeliever,
we are not able to do one righteous act.
Romans 3 declares
there's none righteous,
no, not one.
And so Paul is declaring
that that man,
that old self,
the guy we once were,
died.
Now it's a beautiful picture
in the book of Ezekiel
about the changed person that we are.
In Ezekiel,
and I won't read the whole context,
I'm just going to read this verse.
Y'all will recognize this verse.
God's saying,
I will give you a new heart
and a new spirit
I will put within you.
I will give you a new heart
and a new spirit
I will put within you.
When,
God,
will you do that?
Here's when.
When we recognize our sin,
our separation from a holy God,
our need for salvation,
our recognition that Jesus died
in our place on the cross.
When we accept that truth by faith,
we embrace it with all of our being
that we have no hope
apart from the resurrection,
the life, death, burial,
and resurrection of Jesus.
Apart from what Jesus did on the cross,
on our behalf,
in our place,
we would have no hope.
And by faith,
we embrace that truth.
And when we do,
the word of God says,
you will be changed.
That I will put my spirit within you
and you will be a different person.
The desires you used to have,
you will no longer have.
Those temptations,
you will still be subjected to,
but the heart is different.
Christian,
is that true for you?
Do you recognize
that there's different desires
within your heart?
You know,
there's a time in my life
that I walked in sin
in such a way
that it didn't bother me.
Some of the things I did
didn't bother me.
You know those same things
now bother me?
There's conviction that happens.
The Holy Spirit whispers in my heart,
in my spirit,
He says,
no, no, no, no, no.
Don't walk that way.
That's not the way to honor God.
That's not the way
I want you to live.
You'll never experience
my joy
and my peace
and my contentment
and my love.
You'll never experience that
if you walk in those sinful ways
because those sinful ways
separate you
from the joy
that I desire
to fill you with.
I don't want you
walking like that anymore.
And you know,
our heart,
our new heart
desires different things.
Is that true for y'all?
Do you acknowledge
that you're a different person?
Do you see things
happen in your life, Frank?
I remember you saying
in Sunday school
how I'm not the same guy I was.
There's something amazing
that has changed in my life.
God has given me a desire.
He's changed the way
I interact with people.
You know why?
It's because your old man died.
Your old man was crucified.
In a sense,
your old man,
the person you were,
was crucified
on the cross with Jesus.
There's a link
between our new life
and Jesus
that's inseparable.
And Paul says here
this second truth.
We've been baptized
into Christ.
We have died.
The old man has died.
And we go on
and we look.
It says,
Do you not know
that all of us
who've been baptized
into Christ
were baptized
into his death?
We were buried
therefore with them
by baptism
into death
in order that
just as Jesus
was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might walk
in newness of life.
Do you hear
the identification
of the believer
with Jesus?
We know
as we've studied
scripture
that Jesus lived
a godly,
holy,
sinless life.
And he willingly
went to the cross
as a criminal
in the eyes of Herod
in the Jewish nation.
He was elevated
on a cross.
He was crucified,
dead.
He was buried
in the tomb
of Joseph
of Arimathea.
And on the third day
what happened?
The stone was rolled away.
Jesus was resurrected
no longer
to fight
the flesh.
No longer
to be tempted
by the flesh
into this newness
of life.
Died,
he was buried,
he was resurrected.
Do you know
that Paul
is saying
that we
have been
identified
with Christ
in this very way?
He's saying
that you have died,
this old man
has died,
the old person
you were
has been buried
and the new person
you are
has been raised
to newness
of life.
Look at it.
Verse 4,
just as Christ
was raised
from the dead
by the glory
of the Father,
we too might walk
in newness
of life.
You know
we're no longer
slaves to sin?
do you realize
who you are?
Do you realize
who you were?
Let me just
flip over
to Ephesians,
Paul speaking
to the church
at Ephesus.
I want you
to hear
who we were
and I wonder
if you embrace
this truth.
Do you know
Christian
who you were?
Do you know
Christian
who you are?
That's so
important
in order
to live
in a godly way.
Listen to the words
of chapter 2
in Ephesians
that says this.
He's speaking
to Christians
in Ephesus
and he says
you Christian
were dead
in the trespasses
and sins
in which
you once
walked.
following
the course
of this
world.
You hear
what he's
saying?
Christian
you used
to walk
just like
the worldly
ones.
You used
to walk
or live
in a worldly
way.
You used
to live
for worldly
pleasures.
That's who
you were
and he goes
on to say
this.
Following
the prince
of the power
of the air.
Who is that?
Satan.
Christian
you used
to live
like the world
in a worldly
way.
You used
to honor
and follow
Satan
as your
leader.
As the
one who
moved you
to chase
after worldly
things.
Following
the prince
of the power
of the air
the spirit
that is now
at work
in the sons
of disobedience
among whom
we all once
lived
in the passions
of our flesh.
Christian
do you realize
that's who
you were?
have you
yet embraced
the depth
of our
sinfulness?
Have we
recognized
who we
were that
we were
enemies
of God?
We were
following
the ways
of Satan.
We were
walking
in worldliness.
That's who
we were.
That is
the old
man.
For every
single one
of us.
He goes
on to say
this.
Carrying
out the
desires
of the
body
and the
mind
and were
by nature
children
of wrath.
What do
you mean
children
of wrath?
We were
in rebellion
against a
holy God.
In a sense
we were
saying I
don't care
what you
think.
I don't
care who
you are.
I don't
believe in
you at
all.
I'm
living how
I want
to live
and I
could
care
less
who
you
are.
Now
some
of us
went to
church
and some
of us
had a
religious
bent
but do
you realize
they're still
in the
heart of
hearts
the old
man
desires
to
satisfy
and
please
and
gratify
self.
We might
put on
this image
that says
yes I'm
a religious
person.
I'll just
share about
me is that
I grew up
going to
church
and from
the time
I was
born I
don't ever
remember a
time when I
wasn't
regularly
attending
church.
I go to
college and
I find a
church.
I regularly
attend
church but
it wasn't
until I
finished
college at
22 years
old that
I realized
I was
in trouble.
That I
realized I
was separated
from a
holy God.
That I
realized that
I still
don't know
the depth
of my
sin but
I saw
it in
a way
that I
was shocked.
I thought
I was a
moral good
guy and
God says
your morality
that you
so trust
in you
look
underneath
it and
what you'll
find behind
it is
a motive
that is
pointed right
back to
you.
You want
people to
clap for
you.
You want
people to
applaud.
You want
people to
pat you
on the
back.
You want
to impress.
Do you
see Treg
how sinful
that is?
Do you
see how
ugly that
is in
my eyes?
Do you
see that
all your
motives are
underneath
this umbrella
of pride?
You think
you're good.
You think
that you
honor me.
You think
that you're
doing spiritual
righteous
things.
You're
not.
Because
everything
you're
doing is
pride-filled
self-filled
and it
doesn't do
anything for
my kingdom.
You know
in an
interest
in a
moral
person
thinks
that
they're
in
right
standing
with
God
I'm
good.
Some
would
say
I'm
okay.
God
will
surely
let
a
good
person
into
his
kingdom.
We
don't
have
the
eyes
of
God.
He
sees
through
what
we
think
is
goodness
and
he
looks
at
the
motive.
He
looks
at
the
heart
and
he
sees
sin,
sin.
You know
what he
sees?
This
person
enslaved
to sin.
Like
Paul
is sharing
with the
Ephesians
that we
in truth
were
enemies
of God.
But
now I
ask you
who are
you now?
Who
are you
now?
Have
you
experienced
the life
change
that God
gives
when we
bow our
knee,
when we
accept
him by
faith,
when we
say I
see who
I am.
I see
now my
sinfulness
away I
never
knew
before.
God
thank you
that you
would
open my
eyes,
but now
I see
I'm in
trouble.
I
entrust
myself
to you.
I
entrust
myself
to the
work of
Jesus
in my
place,
his
substitutionary
death
for me.
I see
the gift
that you
offer,
and I
reach out
to you
and say,
God,
I'm not
worthy,
I don't
deserve
any of
it,
but by
your
grace
would you
love me,
would you
forgive
me,
would you
change
me,
would you
be my
God,
would you
be my
king?
Who were
we?
Sinners
separated from
the holy
God.
Who are
we?
Those
whose lives
have been
transformed.
We actually
have died,
we've been
buried,
and we've
been raised
to walk
in newness
of life.
What does
that look
like?
we go
back to
Paul's
question.
Are we
to continue
in sin
that grace
may abound?
What?
What are
you talking
about?
Who would
even think
that it
would be
okay to
walk in
a sinful
way before
a holy
God who's
forgiven us
a debt
that we
couldn't
repay?
Who's
given us
life,
who's
made us
a son,
who's
caused us
to be
an heir
of his
kingdom?
Who's
listen,
church,
do you
understand,
do we
understand
that we're
children of
light?
We're
children of
the king.
We've
been adopted
into the
family of
God.
We've
been forgiven
completely.
We've
been given
a hope
of heaven.
There's a
place for
us in
heaven.
Christ
is going
to prepare.
He will
return,
and when
he returns,
he will
take us
to that
place as
the bride.
he's
purifying.
We're
now this
person that's
no longer
enslaved.
The old
man was
enslaved,
but when
the Holy
Spirit came
to live in
our life,
you know
what happened
is he
transformed
who we
are.
He put
a new
spirit
within
us.
And that
new spirit
doesn't
desire to
pursue sin
anymore.
the new
spirit
desires to
honor and
worship God.
We see
him in a
growing way,
his holiness.
I love
what Moses
said.
Show me
your glory.
Show me
your glory,
God.
You know
what he
said?
He said,
you can't
see all
my glory.
I'm glad
that you
desire to
see my
glory,
but you
don't
understand the
greatness of
my glory.
But I
will allow
just a
remnant of
my glory to
pass by and
allow you to
see it.
And the
effect on
his life
was dramatic.
So we
follow the
train of
thinking that
Paul is
sharing here.
He says,
don't you
know,
don't you
recognize who
you now
are?
And he
says this,
if we look
down in
verse 11,
verse 10.
You know,
I can't do
that.
I'm going to
have to go
back to
nine.
We know
that Christ
being raised
from the dead
will never
die again.
Death no
longer has
dominion over
him.
Do you
know that,
Christian?
It's done.
He conquered
the grave.
He conquered
the devil.
He conquered
sin.
He conquered
death.
It's done.
He is a
conquering king.
It says,
for the death
he died,
he died to
sin.
He died,
why?
Because he
took on our
sin.
And he
carried it
to the
cross,
and he
died in
our place.
That that
sin would
not be
counted on
our account.
And it
goes on,
the death
he died,
he died to
sin once for
all,
but the
life he
lives,
he lives
to God.
So you
also must
consider,
Christian,
you must
consider
yourselves
dead to
sin.
and alive
to God
in Christ
Jesus.
So the
first word
we talked
about is
to know.
Do you
know who
you were?
Do you
know who
you are?
The second
word to
consider this
morning is
this word
consider.
Consider.
What does
it mean to
consider?
Paul says,
do you
know who
you are?
And then
he's saying,
consider
these things.
Let me
just share
an illustration
if I can.
Some of
y'all might
know that
I used
to play
golf.
I don't
know if
he would
call it
golf anymore,
but I'll
try to
still play.
But in
the earlier
days when
I was
young and
I was
chasing
that dream
of playing
golf
professionally
one day,
that I
would spend
hours upon
hours practicing
chipping,
practicing
putting,
getting on
the range
and just
hitting ball
after ball,
playing as
often as
much as I
could in
order to
get to the
place where
I'd be good
enough.
On occasion,
I would
often go to
tournaments,
but on
occasion I
would be in
a tournament
and I would
play horribly.
And I'm like,
what is going
on?
That's something.
I ought to be
able to show
up and just
play consistently
every time I'm
out, but
sometimes I would
show up and I
would play and
the ball's just
flying left and
it's flying right.
I'm hitting the
ground when I'm
trying to chip.
I'm like, what in
the world is going
on?
And I get
home and you
know if you're
like me and
you play tournament
golf, these
things just spin
around in your
head.
And so I get
home and I'm
like, what in
the world?
Good grief.
I'm going over
my swing.
I'm saying, how
did it happen?
And I'm thinking
about, wait a
minute, okay, my
arm's got to be
straight.
I've got to go
back.
I've got to put
my weight here.
And I'm thinking
about all these
little factors in
the golf game are
important.
I'm saying, okay,
here, I've got to
go.
Oh, that's
what I wasn't
doing.
I was letting
that knee move.
Well, of course I
was going
everywhere.
I knew how to
do it.
I had trained my
body how to play
golf.
I played at a
high level of
golf.
But that day, I
wasn't playing
well.
There was a
reason.
I had to bring
all of that up to
the forefront of
my mind and say,
oh, yeah, that's
why I didn't play
good.
I had to
consider what it
might have been.
I had to bring
the truths.
To me, they were
so seeded in my
life and my golf
game that I didn't
think about a lot of
these basics anymore.
I just went out and
just played.
But every now and
I have to bring the
basics back and
remind myself what
the basics are.
Christian, you know
that that's important
as we live for
Christ, that we
have to take every
thought captive to
the obedience of
Christ?
Do you know that
we have to remind
ourselves who we
are?
When temptation
flies at us and
we are tempted to
think, oh, man,
that would be great.
You know, if I go
do that, oh, man,
it's going to be so
fun.
I think if I could
just do that, it's
oh, we're enticed
by sin.
And sometimes we
forget who we are.
Why would we, who
have died to sin,
why would we go out
and participate in
it?
It makes no sense.
And in those
moments when the
temptation comes, or
in those moments when
our flesh is stirring
and wanting to do
something for self,
we have to remind
ourselves, no, no,
that doesn't make
any sense.
the old man died.
The guy who wanted
to sin died.
God, forgive me for
even contemplating
that.
You've called me to
live for your
kingdom and to seek
your righteousness.
God, forgive me.
Give me strength to
say no.
You know there's no
sin such as common
to man, according to
Corinthians, where God
has not given us a
way of escape.
Do you know that God
always gives us a way
of escape, even in the
most difficult of
temptations?
Sometimes we just have
to remember who we
are.
We have to consider the
basics.
No, that's not me.
That's not who I am.
I'm a son of God.
I'm an ambassador of
his kingdom.
I'm a saint.
Let me ask this,
church.
Do you see
yourselves as saints or
do you see yourselves as
a sinner?
You know, I ask that
question to many people
and they say, I'm a
sinner.
I've got sin that
happens on a regular
basis.
I mean, I just find
myself failing and
failing and failing and
failing again.
They say, I know the
Bible says I'm a saint,
but I don't feel like a
saint.
Because I trip up all
the time.
These things that I do,
let me just clarify for
us, church.
You're not a sinner.
The essence of who you
were was a sinner.
The old man was a
sinner.
The old man was
enslaved to sin.
That guy died.
You're not a sinner
anymore.
You know what?
You're a saint.
You're in Christ.
You're born again.
You bought with his
blood.
You're changed.
Inside of you is a
desire to honor and
worship God.
Do you know it?
Do you experience it?
Does it move you?
Does God give you this
desire to live for him?
Christian, I sure hope
that's true.
Doctrinally speaking,
it's absolutely true
because you've been
raised in union with
Christ.
You've been united with
Christ.
You've been baptized.
You've died.
You've been buried.
You've been resurrected
in Christ.
You've been given a new
heart by God.
And that new heart
genuinely desires to
honor him and serve him
and worship him and
enjoy him.
You're not a sinner.
You're a saint.
Now let me just say
this.
Saints sometimes sin.
Is that true for you?
Yeah.
Well how do we deal
with this thing?
How do we deal
with this plague?
This constant barrage
from Satan and the
dark kingdom,
from the worldly
ways, the ways of our
world, from the fleshly
cravings of our body.
How do we deal with
those things?
Here's how you deal
with it.
Look with me in verse
12.
Starting in verse 12.
This is our third word.
Present.
Verse 12.
Let not sin therefore
reign in your mortal
body.
I'll talk about that
word reign in just a
minute.
Let not sin reign in
your mortal body to
make you obey its
passions.
Do you hear that?
There's an influence
that's pressing itself
in your life that wants
you to obey that
influence.
let it not happen.
Let not sin reign in
your mortal body that
you would obey its
passion.
Rather do this.
Do not present your
members to sin as
instruments of
unrighteousness but
present yourselves to
God as those who have
been brought from death
to life and your
members to God.
Present yourselves to
God.
Present your members to
God.
Christian.
Know who you are.
Know what has changed
in your life.
Know that you walk in
newness of life.
And consider it in the
moment when these
passions, these urges,
these outward forces
come at you to entice
you into sin.
To entice you to walk
after the world and
after the enemy.
Consider in those
moments who you are
and resist it.
Don't present yourselves
to sin to live that
way.
The word of God says
present yourselves to
God.
Present your members to
God.
What does that look like?
Church?
How do you present your
members to God?
Here's my hand, God.
I don't want to do
anything that's going to
offend you or that's
going to be self-motivated,
that's going to be
self-seeking.
I don't want to do any
of that.
God, I don't want to
look at anything that
would bring dishonor to
your kingdom.
I don't want to look at
anything that's going to
cause me to lust.
God, I don't want to
walk in places I
shouldn't walk.
I don't want to say
words I shouldn't say.
I don't want to listen
to things I shouldn't
listen to.
I want to present every
bit of who I am to you
for your kingdom.
You know, he talks about
that in the Sermon on the
Mount.
One of the verses that
has meant much to me
through the years is
Matthew 6.33.
Seek ye first the
kingdom of God and
his righteousness.
Seek ye first his
kingdom and his
righteousness.
You know that's where
our heart should be.
We should present our
members as instruments
for his kingdom, for
his glory, for his
honor.
That's the call, the
high call of God in
Christ Jesus is to not
live like the world.
God is to live like
Christ, empowered by
Christ.
You know, Paul says in
Galatians, it's no longer
I who live, but Christ
Jesus who lives in me.
And the life I live, I
don't live by my own
strength, but I live by
his power.
Do you know he's given
us everything we need for
life and godliness?
Everything we need for
life and godliness.
He's already given it to
us.
There's no temptation
that's going to overtake
you.
He's provided a way of
escape.
You know we need each
other to be faithful?
Have you ever been
inspired by someone who's
in the kingdom to walk
more faithfully?
Have you ever been
blessed by somebody in
times of pain that comes
up and wraps their arm
around, doesn't say a
word, they just care for
you.
They just love you.
You know, the
accountability that comes
would be in communion
together, to be in
fellowship together, to be
in a church body
together, to be involved
in each other's lives.
You know that's an
accountability for us, it's
a blessing for us, it's a
benefit.
We need the strength of
this body to be faithful.
Left on our own on an
island, Satan's gate, it
just takes one gun, doesn't
it?
Boom, I'll get him this
time.
You put us all together
and we're doing life
together, and somebody that
knows me well knows that
that's a weak area of my
life, and Brother Bill
says, hey man, don't do
that.
What do you mean?
Dog, yeah, okay, thanks.
Come on.
And you help me in the
blind spots and the weak
spots in my life to be
faithful in my walk to
God.
You know we need each
other.
That we might be faithful
to do what?
To do this, to present our
members as instruments to
God.
Christian, know who you
are.
Consider it at the moment
of temptation, the moment
of struggle, and then
make a choice to present
your life to God as a
living sacrifice.
You know what Romans 12,
1 and 2 says?
Listen to it.
And this is the same
book.
This is Paul, after he's
talking about all these
truths, he gets to chapter
12 and he says,
therefore, in light of
everything I've just shared
with you, in light of this
truth that you've been
justified by faith, in
light of this truth that
you've been united with
Jesus in a way that is
amazing, to even consider
that we're in Christ,
united with him, in
relationship with him, we've
received everything that
was accomplished by his
death, we've received.
We've been imputed as
righteous.
He said, in light of all
this, church, listen to
verse 12.
I appeal to you,
therefore, brothers, by
the mercies of God, to
present your bodies as a
what?
As a living sacrifice.
If you ever in your mind
seen yourself climbing up
on the altar that Isaac
was placed on, you know,
Abraham took Isaac and God
said, you need to give
away your son, you need to
sacrifice him to me.
So he goes way out in the
wilderness and God says,
I want you to sacrifice
your son.
Why?
His son potentially was an
idol in his life.
And he said, I want you
to sacrifice him.
And Isaac did what?
He willingly laid on a
cross and said, if that's
what it takes, I'm
willing.
Have you ever seen
yourself as stepping up
onto an altar and laying
yourself on the altar and
say, here I am, God.
I'm all yours.
I sacrifice myself to your
kingdom.
I present myself to you,
God, in heart.
I present myself to you as
a living sacrifice.
Today, I'm going to be
lived for your kingdom.
Tomorrow, I'm going to
live for your kingdom.
Next week, I'm going to
live for your kingdom.
God, by your strength and
your grace and your power,
I can't do it myself.
But I know you've given me
everything I need for life
and guidance.
And God, I cling to you to
help me be faithful because I
can't be faithful on my own.
I see my weakness.
And what did Paul say?
He said, when I'm weak, then
am I strong.
Why?
Because I recognize that in
my own strength, I can't
accomplish anything that
honors God, anything that's
faithful.
When I'm weak, then I'm
strong.
Why?
It's because then I turned to
God and said, help.
Help me, Lord.
Help me to be faithful.
Help me to say no to sin.
Help me to present my life
to you.
Help me not to turn away.
Help me not to walk after
the ways of the world.
God, I need your help.
I'm weak.
And it's not until we see
ourselves as weak that we'll
understand John 15 that says
this.
It's apart from me, Jesus
speaking, apart from me, you
can do nothing.
Apart from me, you can't add
anything to my kingdom.
You can't benefit my kingdom.
You can't do anything that is
righteous.
Even as a Christian, I can't do
anything apart from the indwelling
power of God in my life.
We need to quit living for self,
and we need to present our lives
as a living sacrifice, which is
spiritual worship.
worship.
You know, we come on Sunday
mornings to sing, and it's my
hope that we're singing from the
heart and just not from the
mouth.
When we sing these words, and we
are very careful to pick out
songs that are doctrinally sound,
when we sing those, are we singing
from the heart?
Are we worshiping?
Are we recognizing the truths of
those songs?
What is real worship?
You know what worship is?
Say, God, I so worship you that I
desire to do your will and your
will alone.
Here I am.
Use me in any way you choose.
You empower me to be faithful to
live for your kingdom.
Church, that's what he's called us
to.
Is it a high call?
Does that make you nervous?
Do you feel like you're going to be
successful tomorrow living for him
in that way?
Know, consider, and present.
By his power, present yourself to
him that he might be glorified, that
he might be exalted, that he might
be worshiped.
Let's pray.
Father, as I share these truths this
morning, the thing that strikes me at
this moment is my weakness, God.
I just confess to you that I often
run after, and I'm sure it's true for
us this morning, many of us, is that we
often run after selfish things.
We often try to live this Christian life
in our own strength, by our own ability.
And God, I just confess to you that I
recognize the weakness more now than
ever before.
And I hope that's true for all of us.
God, I pray that you would show us our
weakness.
And God, we desire to cling to you.
We desire to latch our hands on to you,
knowing that, God, if you don't do it in
and through us, we'll never honor you.
We'll never live for you.
So, God, do a work in our life that would be
powerful.
God, help us to live for you, to present
our members as instruments of righteousness,
to offer ourselves as living sacrifices,
that we might live fully for you.
Do that work in our life, I pray in Christ's name.
Amen.