Flames Of Righteousness

Flames Of Righteousness Romans 6:9-12NKJ

Over a hundred years ago, a dignitary of France visited America. Upon his return home he wrote: “I sought for the greatness of America in her harbors and rivers and fertile fields, and her mines and commerce. It was not there. Not until I went into the churches and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the greatness of her power. America is great because she is good; and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.

knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Christ died to sin in two senses:1) In regard to sin’s penalty- He met its legal demands upon the sinner. 2) In regard to sin’s power- forever breaking its power over those who belong to Him. Paul’s point is that believers have died to sin in the same way. Remember this, scripture always identifies knowledge as the foundation for one’s practice.

Again, Our union with Christ secures not only our pardon, but also destroys the power of sin that was our old master and allows us the opportunity to serve God and live under the reign of the Gospel.

If we have died with Christ to sin and been raised by resurrection power that enables us to walk in new life, we can determine whether acts of sin or acts of righteousness will come from our life. (Man cannot serve two masters.)

Romans 6:9-10TM We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word.

Charles Layhton starred as the villain in the classic movie, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." He said that he had to strap himself in a harness and tie himself hunched over in order to look like a genuine hunchback. But as the days of the films stretched into weeks, Layhton found that it took longer for him to stand up straight after the day’s filming. His body was getting used to being bent over.

Hear this, this happens morally, too. A person can choose to stay bent over morally instead of standing up straight in Christ. One can choose the darkness and live more like an animal than a human being made in God's image.

Four valuable questions to ask yourself:

“First, presently, what’s your Spiritual condition?” Don’t lie to yourself. (Stormy weather, damaged, frail, broken, all shook up?) Do you react from your external or flesh (anxiety), which is the way of the world, or do you respond internally which is the way of Christ, faith, trust and rest?

Romans 6:11TM You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.

In olden times, if a man was murdered the accusers strapped the dead body onto the back of the murderer until deadly diseases from the corpse diseased him.

Second, “What are you holding onto?”

Romans 6:12NLT Do not let sin control the way you live do not give in to sinful desires.

Romans 6:12TM That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day.

Thirdly, What’s of value to you?

“Stop picking up what doesn’t work; Sin won’t work!”

A minister, a Boy Scout, and a computer expert were the only passengers on a small plane. The pilot came back to the cabin and said that the plane was going down but there were only three parachutes and four people. The Pilot added, “I should have one of the parachutes because I have a wife and 3 small children.” So he took one and jumped.

The computer whiz said, “I should have one of the parachutes because I am the smartest man in the world and everyone needs me.” So he took one and jumped.

The minister turned to the Boy Scout and with a sad smile said, “You are young and I have lived a rich life, so you take the remaining parachute, and I’ll go down with the plane.”

The Boy Scout said, “Relax, Reverend, the smartest man in the world just picked up my knapsack and jumped out!”