"Remember Who You Are." Series

Romans:6:15 – 23. “REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!”

ON THE 28TH MAY 1972 THE DUKE OF WINDSOR, THE UNCROWNED KING EDWARD 8TH DIED IN PARIS. THE SAME EVENING A TELEVISION PROGRAMME REHEARSED THE MAIN EVENTS OF HIS LIFE. EXTRACTS FROM EARLIER FILMS WERE SHOWN, WHICH HE ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS UPBRINGING, BRIEF REIGN AND ABDICATION. RECALLING HIS BOYHOOD AS THE PRINCE OF WALES, HE SAID “MY FATHER WAS (KING GEORGE V) A STRICT DISCIPLINARIAN. SOMETIMES WHEN I HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG, HE WOULD ADMONISH ME SAYING, “MY DEAR BOY, YOU MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE.” ITS MY CONVICTION THAT OUR HEAVENLY FATHER SAYS THE SAME TO US EVERY DAY: MY DEAR CHILD REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE.” JOHN STOTT THE MESSAGE OF ROMANS IVP P187.

IN BECOMING THE NEXT KING CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS WERE PLACED UPON EDWARD, AFTER ALL HE WAS THE SON OF A KING , CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS WERE MEANT TO FLOW OUT OF HIS LIFE ASSOCIATED WITH HIS KINGSHIP,BUT SADLY EDWARD THE 8TH FAILED TO BECOME KING BECAUSE HIS LIFE WAS NOT FITTING FOR SUCH AN OFFICE.

DO YOU CALL YOURSELF A CHRISTIAN THIS MORNING? IF SO YOU NEED TO REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE. YES WE ARE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD, WE ARE ALSO SLAVES WITH A DIFFERENCE ( WE HAVE VOLUNTARY BOUND OURSELVES) TO GOD. AS A RESULT WE HAVE A NEW MASTER WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO LIVE AND SERVE HIM. IF OUR LIFE DOESN’T MATCH UP TO THE POSITION WE PROFESS, YOU NEED TO ASK YOURSELF “DO I BELONG TO GOD AT ALL?” BELIEVERS ARE CALLED NOT CALLED ONLY TO TALK THE TALK, BUT ACTUALLY WALK THE WALK.”

EVIDENCE OF A TRUE BELIEVER IS NOT ONLY FOUND IN OUR WORDS, THE ORDINANCES WE PARTAKE IN, THE BIBLE WE TRUTHS WE UPHOLD - BUT IN THE VERY OUTWORKING OF OUR DAILY LIVES..... BEING A CHRISTIAN IS MORE THAN SOME DECISION YOU MADE ONE NIGHT (MANY PEOPLE ARE BEING DUPED TODAY THAT THEY ARE CHRISTIANS ) YET THEIR LIVES SIMPLY CONTRADICT IT!

MATT 7:21 JESUS SAID , NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS TO ME LORD, LORD, WILL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, BUT ONLY HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN. SO LET’S REMEMBER WHO WE ARE... BECAUSE WE NEVER WANT TO FALL FROM GRACE..... TO HELP US WERE GOING TO LOOK AT THE CHARACTERISTICS FOUND IN A TRUE BELIEVER. WHOSE IS DOING THE WILL OF THE FATHER?

1. A TRUE BELIEVER WILL NOT USE THE GRACE OF GOD AS A LICENCE TO SIN V15 – 17

PAUL HAS JUST PUSHED THE REWIND BUTTON , MEANS THIS IS TERRIBLY IMPORTANT HE IS REAFFIRMING ONCE AGAIN THAT GODS GRACE IS NOT A LICENCE TO SIN . REMEMBER THE QUESTION HAS ALREADY BEEN ASKED AND ANSWERED .... 6:1 - 14 SHALL WE GO ON SINNING .... CERTAINLY NOT! EARLIER HIS ANSWER POINTED TO THE FACT WE ARE NOW UNITED TO CHRIST IN HIS DEATH, AND DEAD TO SIN AND HIS RESURRECTION RAISED US TO NEW LIFE. IN CHRIST WE ARE RECKONED TO BE DEAD TO SIN AND ALIVE TO NEW LIFE SO ITS A COMPLETE ABSURDITY BECAUSE WE DIED TO IT IN CHRIST.

HERE ROM. 6: 15 -23 THE EMPHASIS SHIFTS FROM WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US IN CHRIST. TO WHAT WE ARE DOING, IT INVOLVES OUR CONVERSION, OUR CONVERSION INVOLVES OFFERING OURSELVES AS SLAVES TO OBEDIENCE V16 TO GOD AS HIS SLAVES V16 V22 . AS A RESULT OF OFFERING OURSELVES AS SLAVES TO WHO ARE COMMITTED TO A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE, PAUL IS STIPULATING HOW CAN WE CLAIM FREEDOM TO SIN - AS WE ARE SLAVES TO GOD, WE HAVE A NEW MASTER AND ARE NO LONGER SLAVES TO SIN... SO HOW CAN WE CARRY ON SINNING? WHEN WE ARE NOW SLAVES TO GOD! (A SLAVE SERVES THE ONE HE/SHE IS SERVITUDE TO ) V16

LAST WEEK PAUL HAS STRONG WORDS: A PERSON WHO IS USING THE GRACE OF GOD AS A COVER TO HABITUALLY SINNING IS CONTRARY TO GODS WORD AND IS FAILING TO PUT SIN TO DEATH WILL BE CONDEMNED ROM.3:7-8. AND THERE CONDEMNATION IS DESERVED. THE EARLY CHURCH WAS RIDDLED WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD NOT DIED TO SIN AND THOUGHT THAT GODS GRACE WAS A LICENCE FOR THEM TO SIN.... JUDE: V3 - 4. READ WHOSE CONDEMNATION WAS WRITTEN ABOUT....

WE ARE CALLED TO 2COR 13:5 EXAMINE YOURSELVES TO SEE WHETHER YOU ARE IN THE FAITH; TEST YOURSELVES.

ITS A HEALTHY THING TO EXAMINE YOURSELF.......JUST AS WE GET PHYSICAL CHECK UPS AT THE DOCTORS FROM TIME TO TIME THEY CAN BRING TO LIGHT PROBLEMS WE MAY HAVE (ARTERIES – HEART – LUNGS - BOWELS) IF LEFT UNCHECKED THEY CAN BECOME MAJOR PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE TO OUR WELL BEING. WE TOO NEED TO GIVE OURSELVES A SPIRITUAL CHECK UP, AND ASK OURSELVES: AM I LIVING BY THE SPIRIT, AM I READING,MEDITATING UPON HIS WORD? DO I SPEND TIME IN PRAYER AND REFLECTION? AM I MEETING WITH OTHERS FOR PRAYER , FELLOWSHIP AND WORSHIP? AM I APPPLYING WHAT I HERE WEEK TO WEEK FROM THIS PULPIT? AM I WITNESSING TO OTHERS ABOUT JESUS?