“SIN” Romans 6
INTRO – Begin a series today entitled “Power Points.” Purpose for this series is simple. Over the next 7 weeks, we are going to look at 7 subjects & topics that the world has taken & twisted & distorted to fit into its mold, & try to discover or rediscover what the Word of God says about them & the power of G’s Word over the lies of our day. We’re going to see the power of the Bible’s authority over the voices of our day that seem to scream so loudly at us from all sides. I hope that this series is a wakeup call to all of us of the importance of being able to discern the truth from the lies of our day. I pray that those of us who are parents will realize the incredible importance of knowing the truth & passing that truth on to our children. I pray that children & teenagers will come to understand the importance of reading & studying the Bible, realizing that there is no other source of truth other than God’s Word & that they must build their lives upon its principles. I pray that adults of all ages will come to see the dangers that lie in listening to the voices of our day that encourage us to compromise our convictions & our core beliefs, & will stake our lives on the truths of the living Word of God & hold on to the truth of G’s Word with a fierceness that we’ve never had.
John Piper in his book, A Godward Life, Book 2, gives 10 reasons to love biblical truth:
- Biblical truth saves.
- …frees from Satan.
- …imparts grace & peace.
- …sanctifies.
- …serves love.
- …protects from error.
- …is the hope of heaven.
- …will be resisted by some.
- …rightly handled, is approved by God.
- …Continue to grow in it!
“I pray that the effect of these biblical words will be a strong conviction that there is such a things as truth in a world of ‘vulgar relativism,’ & that the Bible is the all-decisive Word of the One who is Truth.” (A Godward Life, Book 2, pp. 111-113)
This morning, we begin this “Power Points” series by looking at a subject that anyone here could preach about today. It’s a subject with which we are all intimately acquainted. We’re all experts. Subject is “SIN.”
First, let’s look at what the world says about sin:
“No consequences.” – The world would have you believe that you can do anything you want to do without any consequences. And if there are some unwanted consequences, then all you have to do is figure out some way to find someone else to blame, or find one of the many ways that the world offers to take care of the consequences. World would simply have you believe that there are no consequences of sin, or that the consequences are just not that big a deal.
“No responsibility.” – World would have you believe that you don’t have to take responsibility for your actions. “Hey, it’s your life, so live it any way you want to live it. Don’t worry about anybody else; just worry about yourself. If somebody gets hurt, that’s their problem, not mine.” What a great, carefree way to live!
“No rules.” – There is a fast food restaurant in NYC called “Kool Bloo.” Motto – “No rules. Just good food.” That’s the way the world would have you view sin. There are no rules, just good times, good feelings, good experiences. There are no rules. But if there are rules, they are rules that I make up to fit my life. I don’t have to worry about anybody else’s rules except the ones that I make up, or the ones that I want to keep.
“No problem.” – World would have you believe that sin is just not that big a problem; that it’s just something that narrow-minded, conservative Christians use to beat up those folks who don’t see things their way. The world would have you believe that WE are the ones who are making a big deal out of sin.
“Nobody’s business.” – This view is extremely popular, even inside the church. Doesn’t this statement sound right to you: “How I live my life is nobody’s business but my own”? The world would say to me today as I preach on this subject – “You mind your own business!”
We’ve seen a little of what the world says about sin. What was your reaction to those statements about sin? Did you find yourself agreeing with them? Is there some turmoil within your heart right now as you consider where you stand? Keep listening as we discover what God says about sin.
“Sin can master us.” – v. 14-16 – Not only CAN sin master us, but sin WILL master us if we allow it. Whatever you yield to becomes your master, & if you yield to sin, it will become your master & you will be its slave. And that is a BIG problem, no matter what the world says.
When you think of a slave, what picture comes to your mind? Probably that of a pre-Civil War person in chains who is the property of someone else. This person does not have any possessions, does not have any rights, does not have any say-so about their life. They are in shackles & chains, & are totally controlled by their master. They are abused & mistreated & do not have any life of their own. Def. of slave – “one who is bound in servitude; one who is dominated by some influence or habit; someone entirely dominated by some influence or person.”
This is exactly what sin will do to us if we continue to give in to its pull in our lives. May seem exciting at the time, even pleasant & acceptable. But soon we find ourselves enslaved to some habitual, besetting sin. We find ourselves being attacked from all side; hemmed in & surrounded; enslaved & mastered by the sins that we have given in to.
“Sin has tremendous consequences.” – v. 23 – In spite of what the world says or thinks about the consequences of sin, the Bible is extremely clear that there are tremendously horrific consequences when we sin. Let me make this perfectly clear: Sin is terrible – every time, in every way, for every person! There is NEVER a time when it’s OK, never a time when it is acceptable, never a time when it’s not destructive, never a time when there are no consequences. There is never a time when sin does not bring death to our lives. Verse 23 is a verse we use to help unsaved people see that the ultimate payment for a life of sin w/out X is spiritual death, being forever separated from God. If we continue to live in sin & never yield our lives to X, we will die & go to hell (another thing the world would have you believe is stupid to believe!). This is the truth of verse 23.
But there another truth in v. 23. The truth is that even for a saved person, sin brings death. Something will always die as a consequence of sin. Take the sin of adultery. What dies when one spouse chooses to have sex w/ someone other than their mate? Trust dies; love dies; relationship w/ mate dies; w/ kids; w/ other family members; w/ friends; w/ church family; intimacy dies; the marriage vows die; commitment dies; peace dies; contentment dies; self-esteem dies; one’s witness & testimony dies; and the list goes on & on. The consequences will ripple on for years & years. There are tremendous consequences when we sin, no matter what the world says.
“Sin can be defeated.” – v. 1-7 – There is good news today. There is hope. There is a way out. God has made it possible for us to experience victory over sin. And that victory comes through Jesus Christ. He defeated sin on the cross & passes that victory on to us when we surrender to Him as Savior & Lord. When we look at these powerful verses, we can be certain that:
- Sin’s power is broken – v. 2-3
- The sin-loving nature has been buried – v. 4 – We’ve been raised to walk in a X-loving life now! – v. 8
- We are no longer under sin’s control – v. 6-7
How do we defeat sin? First, in spite of what the world says, we must take responsibility for our sin. We must own up to our sin, confess it to the Lord & repent. And if our sin has adversely affected others, we must confess it to them as well. If it is a public sin, there needs to be a public confession & repentance. Tough things to consider, but absolutely necessary if we are going to defeat the sin in our lives. Only as we bring them out into the light can they be defeated. “Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light b/c their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, & will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he done has been done through God” (John 3:19-21).
Second, we must constantly believe what God says in His Word about what is really true in our lives as His children. If He says we are dead to sin, but alive to Him in X Jesus (v. 11), we need to believe that & live accordingly. Sin serves a purpose in our lives – to show us our total dependence on Jesus!
Finally, we can only defeat sin when we fall at the feet of Jesus in total surrender. We must want to be enslaved, but only enslaved to Jesus & living for Him. “You have been set free from sin & have become slaves to righteousness” (v. 18).
