How To Live In Christian Victory Series

How to Live in Christian Victory

The Book of Romans

Romans 6:1-14

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - June 19, 2016

(Revised December 2, 2020)

BACKGROUND:

*Please open your Bibles to Romans chapter 6. In the first 5 chapters, God's Word lays out a compelling case that all of us are guilty of sin, and we all deserve the righteous wrath of Almighty God. But the Bible also explains the forgiveness and eternal life we can have through the cross of Christ.

*Jesus died on the cross for our countless sins. This is the central part of God's plan for mankind, and it was foretold many times in the Old Testament. One great example is Isaiah 53. This Scripture was written about 700 years before Jesus was born, and the whole chapter is about the promised Savior.

*Isaiah 53:5-6 talks about the sufferings of Christ and says, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

*Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but He's not dead! Jesus is alive because three days later He rose again from the dead! That's why Hebrews 7:25 says Jesus is "able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them."

*The boundless blessings of this salvation all come from the boundless love of God. Romans 5:8-10 explains that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."

*Jesus Christ has given all Christians everlasting victory over sin and death. Now He wants us to live in the victory He has provided for us. Tonight's Scripture shows us how. Please think about this as we read Romans 6:1-14.

MESSAGE:

*Don't you like to be a winner? Surely you do.

*Of course, some corrupt athletes throw games. Sometimes parents will let their children win a game, and I imagine some women have done the same thing for their men.

*But most everybody plays to win. You will never hear a football player going to the Super Bowl say, "Man, I hope we lose tomorrow!" No! Everybody wants to be a winner.

*So, let me ask you: How much victory do you have in your Christian life? How much victory do you want? -- More! We want more victory! And we can have it. Right here God gives us 4 keys to a victorious Christian life.

1. THE FIRST KEY IS LEARNING THE TRUTH OF OUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.

*We have to thoroughly learn the truth about our new life in Jesus Christ. Paul stressed this need three times in these verses. And God wants us to learn this truth so well, that twice He uses the same word for "know" that He uses to describe the oneness between a husband and wife.

[1] CHRISTIANS: WHEN WE LEARN THE TRUTH OF OUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST, WE FIND THAT IT STARTS WITH A DEATH AND A BURIAL.

*Paul began to explain in vs. 1-3, where he asked:

1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

2. Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

3. Or do you not KNOW that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

*God wants all Christians to know that we have been baptized into the death of Jesus Christ. But don't make the mistake of thinking Paul was just talking about water baptism here. We are not saved by water baptism. Being put into the water is an outward sign of an inward reality. So, the thing we can see with our eyes is a symbol. And the thing that we can only see by faith is the spiritual reality.

*The spiritual reality is that when we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, by His Holy Spirit, Jesus literally and spiritually comes into our spiritual hearts. But at the same time, the Holy Spirit also puts us into Jesus as part of His spiritual body, the Body of Christ.

*That's why in vs. 3, Paul says that we believers have been baptized or submerged, not into water, but into Jesus Christ.