#27 HCBC 6-03-07 AM
The Lord’s Table
“In Christ” -- Dead to Sin – Alive to God
“In Christ” -- Part IV
Romans 6:11 – 14
I. Count Yourselves Dead to Sin but Alive to God vs 11
Count = logidzomai (40) credited – consider – think – count – realize – regard
Rom 4:4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as
an obligation.
Rom 4:9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?
We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as
righteousness.
Rom 4:10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was
circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
Rom 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the
glory that will be revealed in us.
Php 3:13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one
thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
Php 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is
excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
When Paul says: “Count yourselves dead to sin” he is saying: “Consider yourselves
dead to sin” or “think saved!”
When we face difficult decisions, do we consider the fact that we are saved?
When sin is knocking at our door, do we think about the fact that we are dead to sin?
II. Do Not Let Sin Reign vs 12
Rom 6:16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to
obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—
whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience,
which leads to righteousness?
Pro 25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks
self-control.
Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
2 Tim 3:1-3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful,
proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control,
brutal, not lovers of the good,
2 Pet 1:5-6 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith
goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge,
self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance,
godliness;
When we face difficult decisions, do we refuse to let sin influence those decisions?
When sin is knocking at our door, do we refuse to let it reign?
III. Do Not Offer Your Body to Sin vs 13a
Rom 6:19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your
natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery
to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in
slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
Whether it be our hands, feet, eyes, or some other part of our body;
When the opportunity knocks, and the opportunities are many;
Do we refuse to offer our body to sin?
Do we reckon ourselves to be dead to sin in those moments?
IV. Offer Yourselves to God vs 13b
Rom 6:17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin,
you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were
entrusted.
Do we make conscious decisions to offer ourselves to God?
Life is full of so many choices:
Where we will go;
What we will do;
How we will spend our time;
How we will spend our money;
Who we will hang out with;
In all of these decisions , do we choose to offer ourselves to God?
V. Offer Your Body to God vs 13c
Rom 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to
offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this
is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Cor 5:14-15 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced
that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all,
that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him
who died for them and was raised again.
1 Pet 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we
might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have
been healed.
What about the things that we offer our bodies to?
What about our recreational activities?
What about our work activities?
What about the relationships that we have?
In all of these can we say that we offer our bodies to God?
VI. Sin Shall Not Be Your Master vs 14
Rom 6:9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he
cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
When Paul said that he would not be mastered by anything, he was
talking about control of his body!
Who is the boss of your life?
Illustration:
The Vicious Cycle of Folly and The Gracious Cycle of Wisdom
We have come this morning to celebrate The Lord’s Table.
Paul’s instruction to us this morning is: Regard yourself as saved!
Do not off yourself to Sin!
Offer yourself to God!
Make Him the boss of your life!
Celebrate being “In Christ!”