Give Me The Hammer Series

Introduction:

A. One of the best things about the grace of God is that, once we are under grace, it doesn't matter how much we sin! Since all our sins are forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ, we can go ahead and commit as many as we want, and we will still be saved! If there's something we want to do, even if we know it is wrong, we can go ahead and do it, and it won't make any difference.

C. The answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT! This whole way of thinking is a terrible perversion of the grace of God. But unfortunately, this is exactly how some people want to interpret God's grace. The apostle Paul knew there would be such people, and so he wrote Romans 6 and 7.

Talked about part of it last week. Romans 6:1-2. First objection to the grace of God.

E. The second is started in vs. 15. We are not under law so forget about any laws. No law under grace. We are free in Christ to sin even more. But I say, 'How could we say such a thing? How could we even think of doing such a thing? After Jesus has died to provide for our forgiveness, HOW COULD We want to commit even one more sin? What's wrong with us? Don't we have the least idea what grace means?'"

It is true that we are forgiven by faith in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law" (Rom 3:28). Some translators put in this verse “Faith Only.” Only is not in the original.

we must realize: the faith that justifies us under God's grace is NEVER ALONE. James puts it like this: "We see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone" (Jas 2:24).

H. Some people have the idea that faith can exist in our hearts all by itself. But this is not true. Wherever there is true, saving faith, some other things will also always be present along with it. Faith is never alone. And all the things that exist alongside faith are the enemies of sin.

Thesis: What are the things that must accompany saving faith?

I. SURRENDER TO JESUS AS LORD

A. Faith in Jesus as Savior is first of all accompanied by surrender to Jesus as Lord. Scripture teaches that the Jesus who gives us grace through faith is "our Lord Jesus Christ."- Romans 5:1. Rom 6:23 identifies the source of grace as Jesus our Lord: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

B. We cannot believe in Jesus without confessing Him as our Lord. Rom 10:9-10, 13: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

C. Jesus is our Savior and Lord. These twin roles of Jesus cannot be separated in our relationship to Him.

D. What is the meaning of "Lord"? In its most basic sense it refers to the owner of something. When we confess Jesus is our Lord, we are thus acknowledging Him as our owner. This means we are confessing to be His slaves.

E. Romans 6:15- 23 is talking about this aspect of Jesus Christ. Paul says that transferring from law to grace is like being transferred from one slave owner to another! Under law we were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to God, to righteousness, and to obedience (vv. 18, 19, 22).

The point is that we are still under absolute obligation to obey every commandment of our Lord; Why? Because we are his slaves.

We are like the slaves that are talked about under the OT. Deuteronomy 15:16-17: But if your servant says to you, “I do not want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, then take an awl and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your maidservant.

But what about those verses that say we have been set free through Jesus Christ. This is true, but when we are set free we are like the slave who stays with his new master who sets him free. He refuses to leave the one who has set him free. Jesus is now our Lord. We do have freedom but we take our freedom and lay it down for Jesus Christ, our new Master.