“Death and Life”
(Romans 6:1-14)
Series: Romans – United in the Gospel [on screen]
Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD
First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida
April 10, 2021
Introductory Comments:
We are continuing our series in the book of Romans and we coming today to one of the most powerful sections of the entire Bible, Romans 6:1-14.
Today’s sermon is entitled, “Death and Life.” [on screen]
This section of Romans is a response to questions that may have been raised regarding what Paul has previously said regarding grace, particularly this verse: Romans 5:20, which says, “ . . . where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more.” [on screen]
Some questions may arise from this statement, so let’s see what Paul has to say. Before we do, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us.
(prayer)
So, in light of Paul’s statement that where there is a lot of sin, there is more grace, some questions may develop. Paul addresses the main question in verse 1 of chapter 6. Look at your Bibles. Paul says in verse 1, “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?”
More than likely this question would have come from two different types of people.
The first group would have been those who were skeptical of Paul’s claim that grace covers sin. These people would not have believed what Paul said and would have tried to poke holes in Paul’s argument by taking what Paul said to the extreme.
This would be like the sarcastic person who is told to be quiet for just a moment and they respond, “Well I guess that I can never speak again for the rest of my life.”
So, Paul is addressing this first group who are trying to cripple Paul’s claim that grace covers sin.
The second group would be those who would take the truth that Paul shared in a direction that Paul never meant by actually believing that the grace of God means we have a license to sin freely.
This error would come to be known as antinomianism, which means “against the law.” [on screen]
They would say, “Yes, Paul; let us sin more and more; let us live it up because Jesus’ blood covers all of our sin!” The idea here is that the more we sin, the better Jesus looks.
Paul certainly does not hold to that view and he will address that in just a moment.
So, let us see these distinctions that Paul gives us so that we can better understand the grace of God and its relationship to sin.
First, Paul would want you to . . .
I. Consider yourself dead (1-11) [on screen]
As we read Paul’s words here, listen to how many times he says death or died or something along those lines. Look at verses 1-11:
1 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Here’s the answer to the question: “Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not!”
Paul offers an emphatic response to this question: No way; by no means; God forbid!
Here’s the main reason we should not try to sin so that the grace of Jesus may increase: we are dead to sin!
Choosing to live in sin when we are dead to it is like choosing to turn the air conditioner off in July. It’s like splitting up with your wonderful wife and going back to your ugly mean ex-girlfriend. It’s like someone who hasn’t smoked in 25 years going out and buying a pack of Marlboros. It would be like a school student getting a holiday at school and saying, “I think I’ll go to school anyway.” It would be like the University of Alabama firing Nick Saban and hiring a coach with a losing record. It would be like a church wanting to go back to a spirit of deadness and turmoil. It would be like a toddler saying she didn’t want to walk any longer after learning how to walk. It would be like a rescued slave saying they would rather go back to slavery. For us to willingly go back to sin is foolish and nonsensical.
We have been set free from sin! We are dead to sin! How can we live in it any longer?
You see Jesus died to pay the consequences of sin. We don’t have to suffer a spiritual death because Jesus died in our place. Rather, because of the death of Jesus, we are no longer dead because of sin we are dead to sin.
Paul says we are united in the death of Jesus. By dying, Jesus paid the penalty for us. Sin no longer holds power over us.
Before Jesus, we were indebted to sin. It’s sort of like my house. You see, when people ask me if I own my house, my reply is “Well, I sort of own my house.” My house is really owned by the bank. The bank has power over me in that the house really belongs to them. I am indebted to the bank.
Before Jesus died for our sins, sin had power over us; we were slaves to sin; we were indebted to sin. However, now we have died to sin. Sin no longer has power over us, we don’t owe it anything at all!
Can you imagine after I paid off my house (hopefully at some point) if I went to the bank and said, “Why don’t you just have it, I don’t really want it anyway?” That would be ridiculous! So also and so much more, it is ridiculous for us who have died to sin to go back to it.
Church, consider yourself dead to sin.
Second, . . .
II. Consider yourself alive (1-11) [on screen]
Of course, when Paul points out that we are dead to sin he also points out that we are alive in Jesus. Listen again as I read:
1 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
You see we didn’t just simply die to something, we were also set free to live for something. We were made alive in Christ Jesus! We were made children of God! We were given new life! We had chains taken off of us and robes of nobility placed on us!
As Paul says in Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” [on screen]
There are so many blessings that come from Jesus making us alive that are now available to us:
As Jesus was raised from the dead, we have been raised from the death of sin and we will also physically one day be raised from the dead.
As Jesus is holy, we can now pursue holiness because the weight of sin has been removed from our shoulders.
As Jesus is not ruled by death, we shall no longer be ruled by death.
As Jesus lives for God, we can now live for God.
As Jesus demonstrated love, we can now demonstrate love.
Paul also makes this connection between the reality of deadness to sin and life in Jesus and the reality of baptism.
Paul says that we were baptized into the death of Jesus and then raised to new life. Well, what does this mean?
Were any of you actually killed physically when Jesus was crucified? No (it’s not a trick question). Were any of you killed physically when you were baptized? Again, not a trick question. The answer is no. So, Paul is clearly talking about a spiritual reality.
Baptism is a symbol of the spiritual miracle that takes place when Jesus rescues us from sin. Baptism does not rescue us and make us new; Jesus rescues us and makes us new!
Baptism is a picture and a symbol of the work of Jesus by His death, burial, and resurrection; and it is a symbol of the spiritual work that Jesus does in our lives when we die to sin and we live to new spiritual life.
That’s why we celebrate baptism (in addition to the fact that Jesus instructed us to); because baptism is a picture of the beautiful work of Jesus on the cross and in our lives.
So, church: consider yourself alive!
Now, let us take two actions as a result of being dead to sin and alive in Christ.
First, . . .
III. Consciously rejectsin (12-14) [on screen]
Look at what Paul says in verses 12-14:
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.
Notice what Paul says “Therefore.” In other words, Paul is saying, since we are dead to sin and alive to Jesus, do these things.
First, he says to, “ . . . not let sin reign in your mortal body.” Further, we should not, “ . . . obey its desires,” and we should not “ . . . offer any parts of [our bodies] to sin as weapons for unrighteousness.”
Listen, church: this is a conscious, on-purpose decision to not let sin have any power in your life. Remember, sin is dead to those of us who have been changed by Jesus, so the only time that it has power in our lives is when we allow it to have power in our lives.
Therefore, we must choose to reject sin. Do not let it reign, do not obey evil desires, do not offer your body to be used for sin as a weapon for unrighteousness.
As Paul said in verse 14, you must decide that sin will not rule over you.
Finally, . . .
IV. Consciously chooserighteousness (12-14) [on screen]
Look again at verses 12-14:
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.
Instead of offering yourselves to sin, offer yourselves to God.
Paul says in verse 13, you “are alive from the dead.” So, live that way! Live for God! Don’t go back to death, run to life. Don’t go back to evil, run to holiness. Don’t go back to sin, run to Jesus!
Paul says to offer, “all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.”
Be at war against sin in your own life and offer yourself to God to be able to fight the good fight for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, on mission for the glory of God!
We must reject the negative (sin) and we must pursue the positive (Jesus).
Always remember, church: as Paul concludes in verse 14, you are under grace. You are covered by grace. You are under grace not so you can sin but so that you can be set free from sin and live alive in Jesus for the glory of God.
So, consciously reject sin and consciously choose righteousness.
Concluding Thoughts:
Now, as we conclude I think it’s helpful to point out that sin is very much a part of our lives. Some of you might be wondering, “Pastor, what are you talking about? I don’t get what Paul is saying. I’ve sinned many times since I’ve become a follower of Jesus.” Well, here’s the difference: before Jesus, we couldn’t help but sin. In Jesus, we no longer have to sin; we are no longer slaves to sin.
If we can realize the victory that comes in Jesus then we can realize that we can say no to temptation and we can live for him. We can live with life.
Let this bottom line summarize the truth of Romans 6 for us:
Bottom Line: Live your life with livinglife. [on screen]
(repeat)
There’s a lot of life in that bottom line, isn’t there?
Just as Jesus doesn’t ever need to worry about dying again, so also you don’t have to worry about sin having power in your life again. You have victory and life in Jesus Christ. Live in that victory. Live your life with living life.
Challenge yourself this week to live out this passage in the following ways:
Weekly Challenge: [on screen]
1. Determine if you are dead or alive. [on screen]
Some of you right now look as if you might be dead (perhaps you’re sleeping).
However, check this week to see if you are spiritually dead. Are you still in slavery? Are you still in darkness? Are you still in death?
Or, are you alive in Jesus!
2. Identify sins that you must put to death. [on screen]
Sin will still do everything it can to destroy you. However, in Jesus, you have the power to put sin to death. So, identify sins that you need to put to death.
Put pride to death, put lust to death, put gossip to death, put greed to death, put envy to death, put fear to death, put selfishness to death, put arrogance to death, put lack of forgiveness to death, put hate to death, put racism to death, put lying to death, put addiction to death, put any and every sin to death.
Identify those sins that you need to put to death this week.
3. Consideracts of righteousness that you should pursue. [on screen]
If you’ve ever eaten at a buffet you’ll see that once in a while they will throw food out and then bring in fresh food. They’re getting rid of the bad and offering the good. We were at Cici’s Pizza the other day and I watched throw away over half a pizza and it broke my heart. But then they brought out a new fresh pizza and it filled me with joy! Listen, church: the fresh pizza is better than the old pizza!
Put away the bad stuff and consider acts of righteousness that you will pursue this week! Pursue love, pursue forgiveness, pursue purity, pursue gentleness, pursue truth, pursue patience, pursue generosity, pursue service, pursue selflessness, pursue courage, pursue self-control, pursue Christlikeness!
Closing:
In Jesus, you are not under the law and you are certainly not under sin, you are under grace. So, live in the power of the grace of God. Live the way you were created and called to live, pursuing Jesus and His ways, filled with the Holy Spirit of God.
If you are not under grace, come be filled and covered with the grace of God today.
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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