Personal Holiness: Freedom From Sin
Romans 6:1-10
June 26, 2005
I. Introduction
A. The text today, Paul is addressing what it means to live a life of personal holiness
1. Paul addresses this issue because of the curse of Original Sin
a. Original sin has come to mankind because of the headship of Adam
b. Because of Adam and original sin that we are born into, it is necessary for us to receive grace
2. Grace comes from God thru Christ Jesus
a. Christ brings life and righteousness
b. Christ removes the guilt of sin from us
B. The scripture deals with more than justification. It introduces us to the theological term of Santification
1. Big difference between justification and sanctification
a. Difference between being merely saved and being transformed into the servant of righteousness
2. However the two are not mutually exclusive
a. Justification is the foundation on which all the superstructure of sanctification rests
b. Justification is an act
c. Santification is a work
d. Justification occurred at the moment you accepted Christ
e. Sanctification is the work of God’s grace that continues throughout your life. It is the “relational position” the Christian finds themselves in.
C. How do we recognize our position as it relates to God?
1. Four items are mentioned for our consideration in the scripture
a. The Christian and the question of Grace vs. Law
b. Knowing that by our position we are placed into Christ through our acceptance of God’s grace
c. Knowing that by our position, our old self was crucified with Christ
d. Knowing that by our position, we live with Christ now and forever.
II. Sermonic Points
A. Grace vs. Law
1. We must all recognize that we are sinners and fall short of God’s glory.
2. It is only through our faith in Christ Jesus that we receive God’s measure of grace.
a. To understand God’s grace, we must understand the meaning of grace
1) Grace is God’s undeserved and unmerited favor
2) Grace means that God freely accepts and forgives our sins
3) Grace is the means by which God begins to restore our falleness due to original sin.
b. Grace does not give us the license to continue living in sin
1) However, sadly, this is how a lot of Christians look at grace
2) They see it as “permission” to continue living their lives in sin while using the reason that God will forgive.
3) This is a dangerous mistake that is made by so many
4) Personally, I question ones commitment to Christ when they continue living in sin
c. Don’t misunderstand me on this point?
1) We can not live totally free from sin
2) Our position in Christ however, will keep us from continuing in or going on in sin.
3) By living in sin, we are habitually practicing sin in our lives.
3. One who finds themselves practicing personal holiness, living out God’s sanctification no longer practices sin or yields to sin.
a. Personal holiness means that we are dead to sin and a dead man can not speak, think, or do anything else
b. Positionally, the true Christian, has died to self and been placed into Christ to live for Him.
c. Positionally, the true Christian is dead to self and alive to God
4. God’s grace does not bring a person to God so that he can sin more; rather God’s grace brings a person to God so that he can be free from sin and the guilt and judgement it brings.
B. We are placed into Christ through our acceptance of God’s grace
1. When we accept Christ, we are placed positionally into the body of Christ
a. We become identified with the death and resurrection of Christ
b. Through this identification with Christ’s death, we too die to sin and are set free from sin.
2. Through our acceptance of Christ, we become active participants into Christ’s death
3. Now here is part of the Good News of this text today. Through Christ the desires of sin no longer have control over our lives. We are free from sin and free from
a. Sins habits
b. Sins control
c. Sins bondage
d. Sins rule and reign
e. Sins guilt
4. Christ Jesus liberates us from the curse of original sin and moves us towards sanctification and perfection in love
C. Our old self was crucified with Christ Jesus
1. Original Greek text uses the past tense
2. this was a once-and-for-all act that Christ went through
a. Acceptance of Christ Jesus through faith is all that is needed
b. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me.
c. Our old self means
1) our old life without God,
2) our old sinful self
3) our old sinful nature
d. All Crucified with Christ
3. The old self was crucified to enable and empower the Christian to renounce sin
4. For by the power of the cross, Sin is not to be served, but rather
a. renounced
b. refused
c. repudiated
d. rejected
e. denied
f. and conquered
5. Please notice here that the Word of God is telling us that our salvation and freedom from sin is not through our own good works but rather, through the death of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
D. We live with Christ now and forever
1. We know and possess absolute assurance and confidence that we will live with Christ
2. Christ has conquered sin and death once and for all
3. We affirm Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection when we recite the Apostle’s Creed
4. We are proclaiming that even sin and death could not conquer our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
5. Christ now lives forever to God. We are to know that
a. Christ died to sin once for all
b. Christ lives in the presence of God forever
c. Christ lives to God; that is, Christ lives in an unbroken devotion and service to God
6. As Christians we are called to live to God through all eternity
7. Physical death has no more dominion over the Christian
8. Praise God!! This is a promise that we can take to the bank and know that our return will be the greatest of all—Freedom from sin and Eternal Life with our heavenly Father
III. Conclusion
A. Are you free from sin?
1. Don’t leave here today without that assurance
2. Walk confidently knowing that God’s grace is greater than anything that you may have done.
3. Walk knowing that God’s love is so great that God sent Jesus to die so that our sins would be forgiven
B. Freedom from sin only comes from faith in Christ. Salvation can not be earned for it is a free gift for a loving Father, God creator of heaven and earth.
