Well, good morning. Let me invite you to take your copy of God's Word and join me in Romans chapter 6.
Our text for today is Romans chapter 6, verses 11 through 14.
And this morning's text is the application of the previous 10 verses, which we will review and consider to help us understand verses 11 through 14.
But this morning, I would like to begin with a reading of our text and a presentation of the outline for our study.
And then we'll back up and get to the text itself.
So Romans chapter 6, this is 11 through 14.
Let me remind you before I read it, beloved, that this is God's Word to us.
It was written for His glory and for our good.
And so we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.
Paul writes,
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions.
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for 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 law, but under grace.
This text presents to us four exhortations toward holy living.
These four exhortations or urges to do something will serve as our outline for today.
So the outline is as follows.
Four points.
Number one, no.
Number two, consider.
Number three, do not present your members to sin.
And number four, present yourself to God and your members to God.
So if you want to shorten that, you can say, no, consider, do not present, and present.
So number one, no.
The very beginning of verse 11, Paul says, so you also.
So the first exhortation is implied.
You can find the words, consider, and present for the other three exhortations.
But you will not note the word no.
But I assure you that it is there.
As Paul begins verse 11 with the phrase, so you also.
This phrase is similar to a therefore.
Therefore, in light of what I have just said, you should.
So we must begin with what we ought to know if we are to live holy lives.
What is it that Paul would have us know?
Let's spend a bit of time looking at the previous ten verses of chapter 6 to find out.
And this will be very brief because last week we addressed it at greater length.
Throughout the letter thus far, Paul has been making the case that we are justified or declared righteous.
Morally perfect is what that word means.
I hope that phrase is not growing tired for you.
It is the gospel justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
In the previous chapter, Paul explains how the first Adam, as a representative of all humanity, brought sin into the world.
And humanity inherits his sin nature.
And then he goes on to talk about how the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, if we are in him, serves as our representative before God, as our federal head.
At every step of Paul's writing, he is anticipating objections.
He asks questions and he gives answers, which is what we find him doing at the beginning of chapter 6.
So let's read those first ten verses.
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 at the beginning of chapter 6, Paul anticipates a question that may be reworded something like this.
If Christ has paid the penalty for my sin and given to me his perfection, then can't I live any way I want to?
And he responds emphatically, absolutely not.
Then he proceeds to tell us why.
Having been justified before God by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone,
we have been baptized into Jesus' death and resurrection,
which means that we identify with him and have been set free from the power of sin.
So this is what Paul would have us know for the sake of holy living.
If you are in Christ, have believed in his person and his work for the salvation of his soul,
you have been fundamentally changed.
This is the doctrine of regeneration.
You went from dark to light.
You were dead and now you are alive.
You have changed in kind.
You are a new creation.
Your old nature has been replaced with a new nature.
Before the fall, Adam and Eve were both able not to sin and able to sin.
The Latin phrase for this, which I just really like,
I don't share Latin to sound smart.
It helps us remember things, I think.
And I want you to read people who use Latin,
so maybe it won't be strange to you if I introduce it to you.
But the Latin phrase for Adam and Eve's state before the fall was
passe non pecare, able to sin, and passe pecare, able to sin.
Passe non pecare, able not to sin, and passe pecare, able to sin.
After the fall, the nature of humanity changed fundamentally,
and mankind became passe pecare, able to sin, only able to sin,
apart from the intervening work of God.
But now, having been given a new nature, by grace alone, through faith alone,
in the personal work of Jesus Christ alone, right?
This is not a new nature that we have earned.
It's a new nature that's been granted to us.
Christians are now passe non pecare, able not to sin,
and still passe pecare, able to sin.
And this is the state in which we live until one day
we'll be entirely liberated from sin,
and then we will be, at that point, only passe non pecare.
This is a thing to look forward to, a glorious future for us.
But now, living in that in-between, sin no longer has power over us.
We are able not to sin.
Until our terrestrial lives are concluded, however,
we're going to find that our old nature still tugs at us from the past.
Temptation begins with forgetful unbelief.
And if this temptation is not met with the truth,
it will give way to sin.
So, we can't emphasize this enough.
Knowing who you are in Christ
is the very first step in living a holy life.
If you have sinned,
when you find yourself wrestling with sin,
it's because you've forgotten who you are.
You're in the midst of an identity crisis.
You have suddenly begun to think
that sin now has power over you
when it does, in fact, have no power over you.
You've been buried with Christ,
and your old nature is dead,
and you now have a new nature.
This is the thing we're supposed to know,
and it brings us to our second exhortation,
is that we are to consider this knowledge.
Paul says, continuing in verse 11,
must consider.
So, you also must consider yourselves dead to sin
and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
There is a distinct difference
between knowing something to be true,
giving some measure of mental assent to it,
just saying, yeah, I believe that that's true,
and actually understanding that thing to be true.
This exhortation to consider means
that we will continually think on this truth
and affirm it to be true,
regardless of whether or not we experience it
to be true.
We could be such fickle people
pushed around by our emotions,
and the response to that
is not to ignore emotions altogether.
They can be helpful,
but to see if those emotions line up with the truth
and to let the truth reign in our lives.
John MacArthur does a really good job at this point,
and I often read things,
and I think, I need to say that in other words
and just go, I should just say it in their words.
So, I'm going to read to you something brief
from MacArthur's commentary on this passage,
where he says,
to help us consider,
it is advantageous to note
that there are a number of reasons
believers often find it difficult
to comprehend
that they are now free from sin's bondage.
Many of them do not realize
that marvelous truth
simply because they have never heard of it.
They assume,
or perhaps they've been wrongly taught,
that salvation brings
only transactional holiness.
That because of their trust in Christ,
God now regards them as holy,
but that their basic relationship to sin
is the same as it always was,
and that it will not be changed
until they go to be with Christ.
That view of salvation
often includes the idea that,
although trust in Christ
brings the believer a new nature,
the old nature remains fully operative,
and that the Christian life
is essentially a battle
between his two resident natures.
This makes salvation addition
rather than transformation.
A second reason Christians often find
it hard to believe
they are actually free
from the tyranny of sin
is that Satan does not want them
to believe it.
If the enemy of our souls
and the accuser of the brethren
can make us think
he still dominates
our earthly lives,
he weakens our resolve
to live righteously
by making it appear hopeless.
A third reason Christians
often find it difficult to believe
they are free from sin's compulsion
is that the reality
of the new birth in Christ
is not experiential.
It is not physically observable
or verifiable.
Redemption is a divine
spiritual transaction
that may or not be accompanied
by physical or emotional experiences.
A believer cannot perceive
or experience
in any humanly verifiable way
the moment of his dying
and resurrection with Christ.
A fourth and perhaps
the most common reason
why Christians find it hard
to believe they are freed
from sin's tyranny
while they are still on earth
is that their continued
battle with sin
seems almost constantly
to contradict that truth.
If they have a new
holy disposition
and sin's control
has been truly broken,
they wonder
why are they still
so strongly tempted
and why do they
so often succumb?
But all of that
doesn't negate
the truth
that if you are
in Christ
then you have
been set free
from sin.
It's an accomplished
reality,
a once for all thing
that Jesus has done
for all those
who believe
in him.
And so we not only
need to know it
to be true
but we need to be
considering it
to be true
and considering it
to be true
again and again
and again
because we are
slow learners
and we are quick
to forget.
The Christian life
is a mindful
life.
You do not have
to be educated
to be a follower
of Jesus.
Praise God.
But you will find
that being a follower
of Jesus
will require
your mental
faculty.
He asks of us
to engage
our brains
that we might
live
holy.
Let me give you
a couple of other
examples from this
from the book
of Romans
which we will
look at in greater
detail in the future.
Paul writes in
Romans chapter 8
verse 5 and 6
For those who live
according to the flesh
set their minds
on the things
of the flesh.
There is this mental
activity
on the things
of the flesh.
But those
who live according
to the spirit
set their minds
on the things
of the spirit.
For to set the mind
on the flesh
is death
but to set the mind
on the spirit
is life
and peace.
And without
robbing a bunch
of attention
from that text
when we get
to it
if we think
about the types
of things
we should be
setting our minds
on the things
of the spirit
I just want to
draw your attention
to John 16
13
where the spirit
is called
the spirit
of truth.
So this text
these 66 books
that we have
canonized
these are the
things of the spirit
and
in Philippians 1
19
and many other places
the spirit
is called
the spirit
of
Jesus
Christ.
So as this text
illuminates for us
the person
and work
of Jesus
these are the things
we are meant
to be occupying
our minds with
considering
who we are
in Jesus
dead to sin
and alive
to God
in Christ
Jesus.
One other place
in the book of
Romans
chapter 12
and verse 2
here Paul says
do not be
conformed
to this world
don't be looking
like this world
but
be transformed
and he doesn't
insert there
by
your emotions
by experience
he says
by the renewal
of your mind
the engagement
of your mind
considering
the truths
of God
so we are
to consider
and consider
to continually
apply
these gospel
truths
in our life
that we might
give ourselves
to God
and Paul
summarizes
the first
ten verses
of chapter 6
by saying
this
we are to
consider
ourselves
dead
to sin
and alive
to God
in Christ
Jesus
dead to sin
alive to God
if you are not
in Christ
then you are
alive to sin
it is the only
thing you can
do
and you are
dead to God
but if you are
in Christ
Jesus
then you are
dead to sin
and alive
to God
fundamentally
changed
an entirely
different nature
all together
so
having known
and having
considered
he goes on
to exhort
us
so thirdly
do not present
your members
to sin
verse 12 and 13
he says
let not sin
therefore reign
in your mortal
body
to make you
obey
its passions
do not present
your members
to sin
as instruments
for unrighteousness
now the word
present
can also be
translated
yield
or
offer
think
don't
offer
your members
to sin
in verses
12 and 13
Paul seems
to personify
sin
as a ruler
on a throne
that desires
to control
you
but cannot
unless
you offer
yourself
to its
service
you notice
that
let not
sin
that was a name
there
reign
in your
body
do not present
your members
to sin
do not offer
yourself
to sin
as an instrument
as a tool
to be wielded
for unrighteousness
!
for the believer
sin
is a
dethroned
ruler
but it is a ruler
that still has
power
if
and only if
power is granted
to it
you see that distinction?
sin no longer sits
on that
figurative
throne
it has been
dethroned
in the life
we've been set free
from the tyranny
of sin
but we at times
and quite too often
grant power
back
to
this personified
sin
to reign
over us
Peter makes a
similar
exhortation
in 1st Peter
chapter 2
verse 9
and following
there he says
you
hear the
fundamental
difference
set apart
difference
are a chosen
race
a royal
priesthood
a holy
nation
a people
for his
own
possession
that you may
proclaim the
excellence of him
who called you
out of darkness
into his
marvelous light
then verse 10
once you were
not a people
but now you
are God's people
different
fundamentally
changed
once you had
not received
mercy
but now you
have
received
mercy
fundamentally
changed
different
and then verse 11
he starts with
beloved
those loved
by God
beloved
I urge you
as sojourners
and exiles
to abstain
from the passions
of the flesh
which wage
war
against your soul
similar exhortation
rooted in
who we
are
we then are
to
resist
abstain
from the
passion
of the
flesh
we are
no longer
subjects
of this
cruel
ruler
so
we should
not present
our members
to sin
as instruments
for unrighteousness
if we rightly
recognize
to whom we
belong
and we have
been set
free
from sin
then it
follows
that we
will not
offer up
our feet
our hands
our eyes
our mouths
our minds
or hearts
as tools
or weapons
for unrighteousness
and this is
going to be
an activity
in your life
in the negative
do not offer
it up
but in the positive
we're to do
something else
number four
present yourself
rather than
instead
present yourself
to God
and your
members
to God
notice verse 13
and 14
the last half of verse 13
and 14
but
rather
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 law
but under grace
so adversely
we are to
yield
or
offer ourselves
all of us
to God
as tools
or weapons
in his hand
for
righteousness
presenting yourself
and your members
to God
for righteous
purposes
takes
work
and hear that
it takes
some effort
on our part
but I want to be clear
it is
a
rested
work
I had a helpful
conversation with my father
about this
yesterday
it is a
rested work
it's a work
that comes from
and is fueled
by
the rest
that we have
in the gospel
accomplished
truth
on our
behalf
let's be
absolutely sure
to get this
order
right
we do not
present ourselves
to God
and our
members
to God
as instruments
for righteousness
hoping that God
will accept
our sacrifice
this is not what
Paul is talking
about here
but we do
this activity
as those
who have
been brought
from death
to life
he roots it
in that very
identity
Paul is so
careful here
he's already
said it
at the beginning
of chapter 6
but he does
not want us
to forget
the order
in which
this
happens
right
we present
ourselves
we present
our members
as those
who have
been already
brought
from death
to life
already
have been
made new
by
God
our
natures
changed
by God
we already
belong to him
because when we
were dead
he made us
alive
so because
we belong
to him
because this
is true
we should
willingly
gratefully
present ourselves
to him
and our lives
to his service
we see this
as a great
good
and it's when
we don't realize
who we are
when we start
to flip the order
around
that we
are given
to sin
on this side
of glory
we will not
arrive at
sinlessness
but we are
by the power
that God
provides
to strive
for it
and we will
find that
incrementally
from one degree
of glory
to another
2 Corinthians
3.18
we will
look more
like
Jesus Christ
we're being
conformed
into his
image
bit
by bit
and this will
find its
full completion
in glory
Paul says
in Philippians
I'm confident
of this
he who began
a good work
in you
will bring
it to
completion
at the day
of Christ
who's at
labor
in that text
God
himself
is at labor
he will
bring it
to pass
beloved
this work
ought not
be
laborious
it ought to be
fueled by
joy
because
of the
status
that we
have
because
of the
completed
work
of Christ
on our
behalf
let's
remember
Jesus'
words
from
Matthew
chapter
11
verse
28
and
following
come to
me
all who
labor
and are
heavy laden
and I
will give
you
rest
take my
yoke upon
you and
learn from
me for
I am
gentle
and lowly
in heart
and you
will find
rest
for your
souls
for my
yoke
is easy
and my
burden
is light
the Bible
has lots
of language
for those
who are
wicked
never
finding
rest
but those
who are
in Christ
are at
rest
and the
work we
do
comes from
it proceeds
from that
settled
position
in him
no longer
working for
our salvation
but rather
working because
we are
saved
this is an
incredibly
important thing
to have
clear and
right
in your
mind
for
verse 14
sin
will have
no
dominion
over you
since you
are not
under law
but under
grace
look again
that the
re-emphasis
of this
right
sin
has no
dominion
over you
it does
not reign
over
you
if you
are
in Christ
because you're
not under
law
but under
grace
and I think
I think
that we could
see
under the
reign of
law
or under
the reign
of grace
you see this
the submissive
position
being under
law
and contextually
I think
this is a
fair
assumption
to make
that what
he's trying
to communicate
to us
is that we're
not under
the reign
of the
law
that exists
to point
out our
sin
but we're
rather under
the reign
of grace
right
this accomplished
work having
been done
for us
who did
not deserve
it
but it has
been done
nonetheless
right
because God
is gracious
toward us
we're under
the reign
of
grace
and so
we willingly
gratefully
with joy
seek to
obey
his commands
now I want
to take a
brief glimpse
at Paul's
struggle against
sin to get
some idea
of how
our rested
work
should be
characterized
so turn with
me just
slightly to
Romans chapter
7
it'll take
us some
weeks to
get to
this text
but remember
it really
comes on
the heels
of what
he's saying
here
in verses
11 through
14 of
chapter 6
Romans 7
beginning in
verse 21
he says
so I
find it
to be
a law
that when
I want
to do
right
evil
lies
close
at hand
for I
delight
in the
law of
God
in my
inner
being
but I
see in
my
members
another
law
waging
war
against
the
law
of
my
mind
and
making
me
captive
to
the
law
of
sin
that
dwells
in
my
members
wretched
man
that I
am
who
will
deliver
me
from
this
body
of
death
now
there
are
varied
views
on
what
this
text
means
and
I
just
want
to
in
brief
we'll
get
to
it
later
but
I
want
to
say
to
you
I
think
this
is
his
post
conversion
experience
walking
in
this
life
and
still
committing
sin
having
been
set
free
from
it
I
think
it's
in
that
state
that
he
says
wretched
man
that I
am
who
will
deliver
me
from
this
body
of
death
who
will
finally
and
fully
set
me
free
where
sin
is
no
longer
an
encumbrance
on my
life
anymore
and
he
says
verse
25
thanks
be
to
God
through
Jesus
Christ
our
Lord
so
then
I
myself
serve
the
law
of
God
with
my
mind
but
with
my
flesh
I
serve
the
law
of
sin
and
then
these
uninspired
chapter
breaks
don't
help us
at this
point
I
don't
think
into
chapter
8
he
says
verse
1
there
is
therefore
now
no
condemnation
for
those
who
are
in
Christ
Jesus
right
so
even
when
we
sin
we
recognize
that
we've
been
set
free
from
the
penalty
of
that
sin
and
the
power
of
it
and
so
we
keep
on
with
joy
and
gratitude
and
levity
because
we
can
keep
on
because
there
is
no
eternal
condemnation
because
of
our
sin
verse
2
of
chapter
8
for
the
law
of
the
spirit
of
life
has
set
you
free
in
Christ
Jesus
from
the
law
of
so
grateful
motivation
overflowing
joy
because
of
who
we
are
in
Jesus
we
identify
with
him
if
we
have
been
buried
with
him
and
raised
with
him
we
have
been
set
free
from
the
power
of
sin
and
we
are
now
liberated
to
live
lives
that
are
pleasing
to
our
God
and
so
we
press
on
so
we
press
on
we
work
out
our
salvation
with
fear
and
trembling
for
it's
God
who
works
in
us
both
to
work
for
his
good
pleasure
we
seek
to
honor
him
with
our
lives
but
not
to
earn
his
favor
because
it
is
ours
in
Jesus
so
let me
read
the text
to you
one more
time
and I'll
close
in
prayer
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
for
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
law
but
under
grace
let's
pray
together