The New You In Jesus Christ Series

1. v1 - Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound?

• It’s an interesting question and unfortunately it comes up all too often among Christians.

• The thought that we can continue in sin and bring about some heavenly benefit through earthly means.

SOMEONE ONCE SAID that if you ‘truly understand the message of grace in Romans, then this question will eventually come up.’

• Being the ‘gospel of Grace’ Romans has really blessed us!

• Whether we learn of how Augustine was changed, or Martin Luther, or John Wesley, or just me & you, Romans message of God’s wonderful & powerful & glorious grace is overwhelming.

• 5 times so far in Romans the word “GRACE” has been used…

• 1:5, 1:7, 3:24, 4:4, 4:16

• Romans is teaching us to relate to God by what He has done for us, NOT what we do for Him.

NOTE: We’ve learned of our liberty in Jesus apart is from the Law.

• 1:16-17 - The Righteousness of God revealed in the gospel

• First to the Jews and also for the Greek.

• Men are born into spiritual slavery. No one is born free.

• Every human being comes into this world a slave to sin.

• So we need to be set from sin and become a slave of Jesus.

• And that is the message of Romans, really it’s the message of God through the gospel! You can be free, forgiven, & right!

• It’s absolutely LIFE CHANGING & LIFE GIVING!

NOW Look back for a moment in CH5:18-21

We’ve seen that SIN & LAW & DEATH once reigned.

• Adam’s sin plunged the entire human race into a freefall of sin.

• Every human being became a sinner because of Adam! Thanks!

• But before we blame Adam, we need to realize that given the same circumstances, we would have made the same decision.

• But v20 really jumps out doesn’t it?

Romans 5:20 (NKJV) 20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

NOTE: That’s a glorious truth…

• Yes, so sin abounded and was out of control.

• It was destructive and devastating to everyone it touched.

• BUT… GRACE ABOUNDED MUCH MORE.

• Jesus came & provided a way out, forgiveness, blood to save

• Now in Him, GRACE IS REIGNING and RULING & LOVING!

NOTE: Paul knows there will be THOSE people who will twist the grace of Jesus Christ around to their own destruction…

• The argument goes something like this:

• “Well, since sin when it abounds, is covered with God’s abounding grace, THEN we can go out now and do whatever we want and sin to our heart’s content.”

• “Thanks Paul for teaching us that it doesn’t really matter how we live since God’s grace is going to cover it anyway!”

Well… Paul opens up with Romans 6:1-2 dealing a final death blow to any of that kind of thinking in the Christian’s life!

I. (6:1-2) YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT LIFE NOW

1. (6:1-2) How can we continue to live in sin?

a. So even if the question comes up, what we’ve learned so far leads us to the strong, emphatic answer: CERTAINLY NOT!

b. By no Means (NIV), Of Course Not (NLT), God Forbid (KJV)

c. The Greek could be translated, “MEGA-NO!”

d. The grace of God is not & never will be God’s permission to live a life that is disobedient & rebellious.

e. Turn to 1 Peter 2:16 as he too handled a similar attitude.

(1 Peter 2:16-17) Using our freedom not for ourselves!

• Yes, you’re free in Christ… oh what wonderful freedom!

• BUT don’t use your freedom to stumble someone else or to enslave yourself! It’s not for a cloak!

1 Peter 2.16 (NLT) You are not slaves; you are free. But your freedom is not an excuse to do evil. You are free to live as God’s slaves.

FREEDOM is not to be used for ourselves, but for others.

• It’s not to be used as an EXCUSE for our sin, but as an EXAMPLE.

SO ALTHOUGH we have this tremendous freedom in Jesus Christ.

• It’s not a freedom that we can use to sin, to hurt, or to harm.

• It’s not a freedom to rebel or resist…

• It’s a freedom we exercise to express our love and adoration of God through obedience and submission.

• Look at Titus 2:11

SO we’ve been saved from the penalty of sin: Justification.

• And now Paul will begin to teach us how are also saved from the Power of Sin: Sanctification.

Justification, remember is an act. It’s a judicial pronouncement that your sins and mine are forgiven and we are saved!