This week, I read about a man who was selling an old warehouse. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Gangs had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and thrown trash everywhere. As he showed a prospective buyer the property, he took pains to say that he would replace the broken windows, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the garbage. The buyer smiled and said “Forget about the repairs. When I buy this place, I’m going to build something completely different. I don’t want the building; I want the site.
As I read this story, I thought about this week’s text and the message which God has for us. Why? Because too often we tend to think when we trust Jesus and restore our broken relationship with God, that He just kind of puts His stamp of approval on “who we are.” Sometimes we think God is getting a pretty good deal when in point of fact, God doesn’t care about the life we have built, the plans we have made, or what assets we have. He doesn’t want the OLD BUILDING we have created with our hands, rather, He wants our LIVES (the site, as it were) to build something entirely new upon. He intended to give us a NEW WAY OF LIFE. Let me sadden some of you just a little, “God is not into the OLD, God is “into” the new.” But the good news is this; He intends to make our life NEW in Jesus.
• Turn with me to Romans 6:1-14 and let’s continue our study. (Read V4) Paul is teaching us about “new life.” Watch how:
1. PAUL EXPOSES – The word expose is a strong word. It is a word that is used both positively and negatively. It is used in health as in “my child was exposed to measles.” It is used in education, “In college or church, I was exposed to his or her teachings.” You can even expose a crime, mistake, failure, fault, sin or even an attitude (This can be painful). Here Paul is exposing possible attitude which may come out of the doctrine he has just written.
a. Paul begins with a question which seems to indicate that everyone doesn’t “get it.” They don’t understand what having a new life means, so possibly, they are making it up as they go.
b. Paul has just said, “Where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more” and seems to have a hint of know how his Romans readers are going to respond. So he asks the question, “So what shall we say?” or “What is our conclusion?” or even “What do we think?” Possibly, “What is the story that WE should be telling?” Let’s get our stories straight and understand the truth.
c. If it is true that “Where sin is multiplying, even more so is grace abounding” the human mind logically says, “So let’s go and have a party with our sin so as to give God an opportunity to extend more grace” which segues into the next question, “should we sin, so grace may multiply? WRONG! This almost sounds like it was born in the 21st century. Like much of what is believed today, this is a silly, crazy, even asinine thought. Truth is, the author of this brand of thinking is the “Father of lies.”
d. Paul follows with a question which should separate the wheat from the chaff and the sheep from the goats. He asks, “How can we to die to sin still live in it?” It takes no “Rocket Scientist” to see this question for what it is. It is a rhetorical question which, by definition, requires no answer BECAUSE it leads to one inescapable conclusion, “WE CAN’T.” In a fast paced questioning the master communicator, which we know Paul to be, is communicating the futility, flaw, and fallacy, of this thinking.
e. In case we are feeling really good about ourselves and thinking that Paul is doing “good to straighten out those immature and unspiritual Romans,” I’ll submit that Paul’s words can expose much in us. It is common to “say” we are Christian and then live contrary to the commands, claims, and character of Christ.
• Paul courageously speaks words of confrontation and exposure only to help them carry them forward, then;
2. PAUL ENLIGHTENS – in verse 4 by beginning with “are you unaware?” More to the point, he asks, “Have you not learned?” or “do you not know?” The KJV translates this, “Know ye not?” In reading this, it seems that Paul is attempting to teach his readers an elementary issue which he feels they should know. And he begins by centering on baptism.
a. He speaks of the symbolism of Baptism. For clarification, baptism is the outward expression of an inward transition.
b. Baptism has huge symbolic implications for us. To look at this passage honestly is to admit that Paul subscribes to what is known as “believer’s baptism.” This is not infant baptism or is it re-generational baptism, it is for the one who has already believed and takes a public step to let the world know. In days past this WAS the “public professions of faith” for a new believer and not a walk to the front of the church. Did you realize that coming to the altar at the end of the service is a relatively new additional to the church. By new, I’m not suggesting in the last 20 years, but rather, in the last 200 years.
c. When we go under the water we demonstrate our decision to follow Christ in several ways. First, we follow Him in His death. That is, death to sin, self, and the old way of life. Think about the death process. When you die what can you do? Nothing. For 2 years I worked in a funeral home and made close to 100 pickups. Guess how many of those I picked up made an offer to help get on the gurney? None. Death can be described as the inability to perform any independent action. (Hold this thought and we’ll come back to it).
d. When we come UP out of the water, we show our commitment to walk in a new way of life. (Just like HE did). Watch how this works: Christ died for our sins in our place. In and through His death, we can be forgiven of sin. The only way Jesus can die for our sin is “IF” God made it happen. You say, “Well I believe that.” Additionally (and as is written in verse 5), the only way any one can be “raised from the dead” is through the power and glory of God. If we don’t die to our sin, there is no way to be raised to a new life. If we are not “raised” to live a new life (which is dead to sin) then we are not “Christian” at all.
e. Watch this; Paul has enlightens his readers, but he doesn’t stop there, there are more critical issues about a “New Life.”
3. PAUL EXPLAINS – In reading scripture, there are several words which always catch my attention.
a. One is the word “but,” another is the word “if”. Think with me about the latter and let’s find it in our text.
b. In Verse 5 Paul writes, “If we have been joined with Him.” (It sounds like Paul might not be so sure). Think about the implications, “if” (maybe so, maybe not, but IF) we have been joined, united, or planted with Him, think about that condition and then move to verse 8 where it says, “IF (that word again) we died with Him.” Here is the explanation every reader must get their hands around. “IF” (this is a huge if because there is so much at stake), IF we have been joined with Him in His death, then we can count on many things being true.
c. If we are joined with Him in death, then we will share with Him in the resurrection and if we died with Him then we will live with Him. Why? Because He has defeated death, conquered the grave, and won the victory over sin. He died that we can live and have a new life.
d. This new life is dependent on our being joined to Him by Faith. Through this faith we are dead to sin, but alive in Christ. This comes through our salvation experience. (Now Paul tidies up)
4. PAUL EMPHASIZES - He begins verse 12 with “therefore.” For our purposes it might carry more notice if he said, “Because of all of this” as living a new life is a direct result of understanding, believing, receiving, and responding to the gospel.
a. “Do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies.” Here we find a couple of issues worth noting. First, sin has the ability to control you. Even Paul says, “What I want to do I don’t do and what I don’t want to do, I do.” Satan is always on the offensive bombarding us with temptations to sin because sin has a way of taking over. Don’t let sin reign (rule) your MORTAL bodies. Just as surely as drugs are addictive, so is sin. This began in the Garden of Eden and continues until today. Be on guard.
b. The way you do this is to not “offer your body as a weapon for unrighteousness.” Later in this letter Paul will write these words (Romans 13:14), “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.” No plans or provisions.
c. How can we do this? Offer yourself, not just TO righteousness but as a weapon FOR righteousness. If I am truly a born-again child of God, I am alive to Christ & dead to the world. I am not under the law which condemns me, but I am under grace which saves me. But I am only under grace “IF” (that word again) I have been joined with Him in death, life, and focus.
d. A noted evangelist: Peter W. Philpott, of Hamilton, Ontario tells this story:
The toughest; roughest blacksmith in the shop was Tom - "Big Tom", everybody called him. He was not only the strongest man in the shop, he was also the most wicked. He was feared by every man and by his own family, and he in turn was afraid of no one or nothing.
His fellow blacksmiths learned to give him a wide berth on Monday morning when he came to work without having fully recovered from weekend of drunkenness, or on any morning, for that matter; because he light be in a bad humor.
One morning Tom came into the shop with a smile and a word of greeting for all. To his astonished fellows he made the announcement that he had gone to an evangelistic service the night before and had received the Savior as his own.
"Men, I am now a Christian," said Tom. "I intend to be different from that you have known me to be. I want be loyal and true to the Lord Jesus." No one dared dispute his statement but the men looked at one another with knowing glances. "So Big Tom got religion! That won’t last long!"
Among themselves they began to lay wagers that Tom’s Christianity would not last until noon, but it did. He was diligent in his work, kind and gracious to all.
Then there were bets laid that he would not be able to go past the tavern on the way home, but he did. As the marvel of Tom’s new life continued to be shown to them, the other blacksmiths shook their heads in amazement but secretly they made further wagers that Saturday night would find Tom dead drunk in some saloon. They were wrong. The big blacksmith took his pay envelope and his dinner pail and walked past every den of iniquity straight to his home and his happy family. On Monday morning he witnessed to all in the shop about what he had heard the preacher say during the Sunday services, morning and evening.
Every man and boy in the blacksmith shop began to believe that Big Tom had really become a Christian. Then one day it happened!
Tom was fashioning a piece of red-hot iron, and in striking a blow he hit his thumb as well as the iron. A tremendous oath such as only Tom could swear turned the air blue.
Said Peter Philpott, "Every one of us stood stark still in amazement, and also in sorrow, I am sure. Every eye was on Tom.
"He paid no attention whatever to any of us. He could have made light of the matter and laughed it off, and we might have joined timidly in that laughter. He might have glowered at us or shook his fist in warning at us, but he did nothing of the kind.
"He fell to his knees immediately and, bowing his massive head upon anvil, he buried his face in his hands. We heard the deep sobbing from the depths of his heart and saw the heaving of that great chest and the bitter tears that flowed between his grimy fingers.
"For several minutes he remained in prayer. Then he arose from knees and, wiping the tears from his cheeks, he smiled at us and said
’Fellows, I want you to forgive me. I didn’t mean to swear. The Savior has forgiven me, and please forgive me men, everyone.’
"In subdued silence we nodded… to Big Tom, and then solemnly we went each one to his task. It was the sight of Tom on his knees publicly asking the Lord Jesus for forgiveness that touched my heart so deeply that I could not rest until shortly afterward … I too accepted the Savior."
