VALUE CHRISTIAN FREEDOM (Outline)
July 4, 2010 -
Pentecost 6 -
ROMANS 6:1-11
INTRO: Today we celebrate the countless freedoms that every individual enjoys in our blessed land of endless liberty. When we look at our freedoms on this Independence Day we appreciate how much our freedom means to us every single day. Thank God for believing, faithful founding Fathers of this nation. In our freedom of worship we gather together to celebrate the valuable Christian freedom that God has given to every believer. Our Christian freedoms are spiritual and eternal. "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’" (JOHN 8:31,32). We worship together today around the truth of God’s word. It is the truth of the living and active word of God that sets us free!
VALUE CHRISTIAN FREEDOM.
We value our precious Christian freedoms by being: I. Dead to sin, and; II. Alive to God.
I. DEAD TO SIN
A. Paul is writing to believers living in the city of Rome. They (like all believers) struggle with sin.
1. Verse 1. Paul previously wrote that God’s grace abounds in the midst of sin.
a. These believers thought more sinning meant more grace. b. Absolutely not!
2. Verse 2. Sin was no longer to rule the lives of these believers. They could say no to sin.
B. Verse 3. Through baptism these believers were closely connected to Christ. Their sins were buried.
1. Verse 4a. The believers were united with Jesus in his death. In Jesus’ death was power.
2. The connection of these believers with Christ is what gave them strength to be dead to sin.
C. Paul describes that power that these believers have because of their faith given to them by God’s grace.
1. Verse 6. By the death of Jesus they were no longer slaves to sin. They were dead to sin.
2. Verse 7. They died with Christ through baptism. They were set free from the power of sin.
D. Freedom from the power of sin is a valuable freedom that you and I and every believer can celebrate. Now, this does not mean we have freedom from sinning. Make no mistake sin is still very much alive. Sadly, sin still thrives in our wicked world today. Worse there is a widespread blurring of lines between what is right and what is wrong. None are exempt from sinning. The world would try to deny sin. "Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one" (PSALM 53:3). Our sinful natures are corrupt from the moment of conception (Psalm 51).
E. The power of sin can no longer hold us captive. Believers recognize what is right and what is wrong (sinful). Today’s society is extremely challenged in this aspect of life. Unbelievers do not recognize (or believe) in sinfulness. The worldly only look out for themselves. This is our great problem today. None would take responsibility for their actions. It is “politically incorrect” for anyone to take the blame for anything, whether bad or good. Not so with believers. We recognize sin. We know our own sinfulness. In doing so, we can do something about our way of living. "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires" (EPHESIANS 4:22).
F. How do we or can we turn away from sin? We need to recognize first and foremost that we are given faith purely out of God’s free grace. It is the grace of God that works faith in our hearts. With faith in our hearts we are given the very power of God to say no to sin. God’s grace comes to us in spite of ourselves. God’s grace is given to us in spite of our sinfulness. This is a valuable freedom that we celebrate every day of our lives. "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst" (1 TIMOTHY 1:15). We come before God’s throne of grace with absolutely nothing at all to offer Him. We come before God’s throne of grace as sinners. To recognize our sins is a valuable freedom. We are the worst of sinners. Christ is the best as our Savior.
VALUE CHRISTIAN FREEDOM by being dead to sin. As believers we are made alive to God.
II. ALIVE TO GOD.
A. In their struggle with sin Paul reminded these believers that by God’s power they could say no to sin.
1. Verse 5. Jesus’ death was powerful because he rose again. Jesus’ power was their power.
2. Verse 8. By faith through grace these believers were joined with Christ. They were united.
B. Verse 9. Paul understates the obvious. Death was not the master. Christ mastered death (and life).
1. Verse 10. Christ lives for God! This is profound. Christ is God but still lives for God!
a. Jesus came to do his Father’s will. b. Jesus came to bring glory to his Father’s name.
2. Verse 4b. By the power of Christ’s resurrection, these believers had power to live for God.
C. Verse 11: “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
1. Only in Christ and by Christ could these believers count themselves dead to sin.
2. \Only in Christ and by Christ could or would these believers live lives for the glory of God.
D. Our Christian freedom comes by Christ alone. We are the worst of sinners. We are the worst of sinners saved by God’s grace. We have no merit or worthiness on our part to deserve God’s free grace and favor. We can never, ever earn enough to begin to make a down payment for one single sin. It is only by the Holy Spirit’s gracious gift of faith that we can and do believe. God chose us. We did not choose him (John 15:16). "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (GALATIANS 2:20). This is our strength and valuable freedom that we are able and even want to live for God’s glory.
E. By grace through faith we are no longer the enemies of God. The fact is that now the Lord God Al-mighty looks at every believer as his own, dear child. This means absolutely everything for our lives of freedom. By saying “no” to sin we are not longer slaves to sin. It is only by our unity with God that we have any strength to say “no“ to sin. We recognize sin and can turn away. We can live lives dead to sin and alive to God. "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God" (1 JOHN 3:9). We still sin. But we do not have to keep committing the same sin over and over. By grace we live lives to the glory of God.
F. The holy, precious, and innocent blood of Christ Jesus sets us free from the power of sin, the devil, and even death itself. We celebrate that valuable, eternal freedom that God graciously gives to each and everyone of us through Jesus Christ, God’s own Son, our Savior. Such is the depth of the love of God for each one of us, even as the worst of sinners. This love of God is what moves us to live lives to God’s glory. "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 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" (2 COR. 5:14,15). Christ died for us that we might live for him: freedom!
CONC: We enjoy a great number of freedoms in our blessed nation known for freedom. As believers, we celebrate the valuable Christian freedom God gives to each of us by grace through faith. What are we to do with this valuable freedom? How can we truly value our Christian freedom? "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners" (ISAIAH 61:1). Celebrate our nation’s freedoms. VALUE CHRISTIAN FREEDOM. By God’s grace we will live lives that are dead to sin but alive to God. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENT. 6 rdgs:
1 KINGS 19:14-21;
GALATIANS 5:1,13-25;
LUKE 9:51-62;
(PSALM 62)
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min. (Sat)/12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun)
/ 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun) / 7:00pm @ Hays (Sun)
BIBLE STUDIES: 10:55am @ Redeemer (SUN) / 6:00pm (Min) + 7:30pm (Med) @ NCF (TUES.)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM, www.kqnkradio.com
