Title: Once, for all!
Scripture: Romans 6:9-14
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Do you remember “The Three Musketeers,” by Alexander Dumas? It was set in the 1600’s and was about three young swordsmen who meet a fourth that persuades them to search for his wife. I remember a movie that was based on that story, and was made many, many, years ago. In the movie, the cry of the three musketeers was one for all, and all for one!
An admirable cry! A cry that means we are together, and will act together as one unit. The Christian family could use that in this terrible world today. But, there is another cry. There is another exclamation that we can fall back on in those times of trouble. Paul points it out in our scripture reading, once, for all!
It is indeed a joy to know that you’re saved. It is a joy to go to church. It is wonderful to meet and fellowship with people who have the Spirit of God active in their lives. But, then you meet the other side [drum roll: duh, duh, duh, duuuuuh.] You meet those stragglers, those backsliders, those malnourished Christians and it makes you think about that old cliché, they’ve got juuuuussssttttt enough of Jesus in them to make them miserable.
What’s that mean? It means they’ve got one foot in the world and one foot in Christ. They’re not willing to let go of everything. They want some of their old life in their new life. they want to put the new wine in the old wineskin. They want to put the new patch on the old clothes. And, well, it just doesn’t work that way.
People like this are kind of like that monkey that put his hand in the vase to take out the shiny object. Every time he grabbed the object he couldn’t pull it out, but when he let the object go, it would drop back into the vase and his hand could slide right out.
Many Christians are like that. They see the shiny object out there in the world and they put their hand around it. Oh, it looks good, just like that fruit did to Eve. Oh, it may sound like it will help us, just like that fruit did to Eve. And, oh, it may taste good, but it’s not of God. We reach out and put our hand around it but we are unable to pull it into His will for our lives. We finally realize through many trials and errors, that the only thing we can ‘slide’ into His image is US! We finally realize that Christianity is based on HIS shiny objects and not ours.
I. Dead and Alive?
II. Who’s your King?
III. God’s Donor Program
I. Dead and Alive?
In 1958, there was a western series that was on TV. It was called “Wanted – Dead or Alive.” It starred Steve McQueen as a guy that went around the wild west bringing in bad guys for reward money. They called him a bounty hunter. Every bad guy that he went after was always wanted either dead or alive, and of course always had a big reward.
It didn’t make a difference, either way, they would give him the money no matter what the condition of the outlaw.
Sometimes I look at people at work in the world and wonder to myself. Is that person dead or alive? Just a few days ago I watched a very large person get out of their car. Though they could not see me I watched intensely. And I wondered at the amount of energy expended in that one act. By the time the person had got out of their car, they had to take a rest! Now, are they dead or alive? Really, are they dead or alive?
Sometimes I look at Christians at work in churches today and wonder to myself. I watch them going through the motions of doing things on behalf of Christ and Christendom, but their heart is not in it. One could venture to say that their ‘spiritual heart’ is dead. If this is so, then anything they are doing is not glorifying God! Are they dead or alive?
Sometimes I look at Missionaries at work in the world today and wonder to myself. I watch them going to “work” then going home to watch a movie, or something else just as selfish. Their priorities are all messed up. They want to call themselves missionaries, but at the same time…well, it’s like calling yourself a rich person without the money! Are they dead or alive?
Paul gives us some great scripture verses in chapter six of Romans. And, I can tell you that it will take you several readings just to understand the general theme of some of these chapters in Romans, and this is one of them!
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Christ was alive on this earth. We know that from the Gospels and the adamant stance of the Apostle John in 1st John, chapter 1. But, Paul gives us the amplified version! Jesus died and was raised from the dead, and since He was raised from the dead, He cannot die again. He tells us that He was raised to a glorified body and a glorified body cannot be destroyed.
That’s God’s handiwork on that one, by the way. You’ll be there one of these days. You’ll receive your glorified body, and you’ll never die either.
But, Christ was alive on this earth, He died on this earth, and the death He died, He died to sin. HOW? …ONCE…FOR ALL. He died once, just like you and I will do, unless Christ comes before then. Jesus died once, but now, what’s going on? He lives! And, not only does He live, He lives a life to God. Dead and Alive!
We, too, need to become like Him. We need to realize what Paul is saying here for us:
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Paul tells us to count ourselves dead to sin. We need to be out of reach, we need to be beyond the grasp of sin, we need to be dead to sin. If we are dead to sin, then that means that sin has no hold on you, it has no grip on you. Sin can’t do anything with a dead body! How about you? Can you do anything with a dead body? Be a dead body to sin, and count yourself dead to sin. But allow God to resurrect you to Himself in Christ Jesus. Dead and Alive!
We are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus! It can’t get any better than that!!!
II. Who’s your King?
I remember watching Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr in the 1956, movie version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Broadway Musical the ‘King and I.’
I remember Anna as she and her son sailed to Siam, now known as Thailand. They were going to Siam for her to take up a job as an English teacher, as well as teaching English customs to the sons and daughters of the King of Siam. One of the things that I really remember about the movie, even though I’ve seen it probably six times over the course of the last 35 years, was that when anyone came into the king’s presence they had to bow to the floor. It was not a casual head nod, or even a deep bow. The person had to lower themselves to their knees and bow all the way to the floor. This was to not only acknowledge the king, but to say that he is the one in control.
Romans 6:12 says,
… do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master,
When we bow to sin the first time, it is just a casual nod. We ask for forgiveness and go on our way. Then, a second time we bow, but this time it’s a deeper bow. It’s harder, on our part, to ask forgiveness for our sin. Then a third time we bow even deeper to sin. It’s harder to straighten up now, and we begin to let that sin take hold of us. We begin to let that sin reign in our life. That means it has control in you life. That means it has sovereignty in your life. It’s in control and your not.
But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Paul tells us to offer ourselves to God. We need to bow to HIM and acknowledge that He is supreme in our life, that HE is the SOVEREIGN of our life, as if we had been brought from death to life.
Paul tells us in verse 14 of Romans 5, For sin shall not be your master…” We don’t have to put up with those nasty habit any longer. We don’t have to belong to those questionable clubs any longer. We can quit saying bad things, because sin is dead in us and is not our master any longer. It has NO REIGN in my life.
One of my favorite songs is Lord, Reign In Me
Lord Reign in Me
Over all the earth You reign on high
Every mountain stream, every sunset sky
But my one request, Lord my only aim
Is that You reign in me again
Lord reign in me, reign in Your power
Over all my dreams, in my darkest hour
You are the Lord of all I am
So won’t You reign in me again
Over every thought, over every word
May my life reflect the beauty of my Lord
Cause You mean more to me than any earthly thing
So won’t You reign in me again
Words and Music by Brenton Brown, Vineyard Music
III. God’s Donor Program
On the back of my Texas Driver’s license is a place for me to sign up for the donor program. What this means is if I happen to be found somewhere along the road, and I’m dieing, then they can take me to the hospital and put me on a cutting board and take various parts for those people that need them. Now, I know I’m making that sound a little more gruesome than it is, but there has been at least one case of someone forging the signature of the person so they can take an organ or two. There has been at least one case of taking an organ, when it wasn’t authorized by the owner.
Now, I’m not against the donor program, I’m just not sure it’s being run according to the original intentions or purpose statement. Which, now that I think of it kind of sounds like the devil in the Garden of Eden and what he did to Adam and Eve. Or, maybe it kind of sounds like how he got to Samson, and to Saul, and to Judas Iscariot, and to Simon the Sorcerer, and the list goes on right up until modern times, right on up until now, with you and me.
There have been countless instances of Satan using the parts of people’s body as instruments of unrighteousness in history. Hitler used the arm in a salute to acknowledge his wickedness. People curse, or cuss, and we see how the mouth is used in wickedness. There have been countless instances of Satan using people’s body parts as instruments of wickedness.
There is just one answer for that, and that answer comes from the Bible. Jesus told us:
(Matthew 18:8-9)
If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
Jesus’ words sound a little extreme, but they’re necessary. Because Satan’s subtle donor plan is to take away a little piece of you at a time. Bit by bit, he’ll get this piece or that piece. One time he’ll get your hand, then your eyes, your feet, your stomach, your brain. Piece by piece, until there is nothing left that has not been offered to sin. Piece by piece, until there is nothing left that has not been a part of wickedness.
God’s donor program is a little different. You get to keep all of your pieces, most of the time anyway.
Romans 6:13 says,
…and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
Each one of us has the wonderful opportunity to serve the Lord. One can offer their voice as an instrument of righteousness. One can offer their typing fingers as an instrument of righteousness. One can offer their teaching, or their cleaning, or their cooking, or whatever God has given them, as an instrument of righteousness.
This can work in conjunction with your spiritual gift. Maybe your spiritual gift is teaching, and you use your hands to teach sign language. Offering the parts of your body to him as instrument of righteousness is one way to cleanse the body piece by piece. Offering yourself to read scripture to the children [your mouth], offering yourself to watch the children in the nursery [your eyes], offering yourself to clean up after church [your hands]. There are many different ways you can offer the parts of your body to HIM as an instrument of righteousness. And, the good thing that this does? It brings us to life. We become alive in God when we offer the parts of our body to HIM. He’ll take’em, and He’ll use’em. Just step forward.
Conclusion:
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Paul has some thought provoking words in Romans chapter six. Words that are designed to cut to the heart of the listener. He uses some very compelling words. Words that are well chosen to solicit a quick response from the heart of the Christian and the backslider. Paul’s whole desire is to save those who have stepped back into their old way of doing things. He wants them to turn that step back toward God. Paul’s whole desire is to get the attention of those that have turned their back on God. Paul wants them to turn their attention back on God.
Paul is sincere in reaching out to us, he is essentially saying,
Jesus died, you can’t kill him again, and again, and again!! Tthat death he died, he died ONCE, FOR ALL.
[Romans 3:23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
But now, He’s alive and He lives to God as you should live to God.
[Romans 8:34]
Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
He’s interceding for you, Paul says. He’s at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, making intercession for you. Surrender you body to God, as an instrument of righteousness.
