The sermon emphasizes the need for Christians to consistently choose righteousness and godliness in their daily lives, likening the Christian journey to a marathon that requires sacrifice and commitment.
Welcome to week three of our 5-week series out of the book of Romans. So far we’ve talked a lot about sin, Jesus, and the power of the gospel. As you know, God has saved you from sin and death through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. But God didn’t just save you from sin only to have you wait patiently for His eventual return. No, you are saved from sin to a life of freedom in the pursuit of righteousness.
Freedom to walk away from the old ways of life and enter into the new life of Christ. Freedom to pursue the Kingdom of God. Free to live a righteous life.
If you’ve got a Bible with you or you use the Bible App on your phone, turn with me to Romans 6. We are going to start reading in verse 1.
In this passage, there is a lot to unpack. So this morning, I want to focus on the image Paul paints about how we relate to Christ, and offer some biblical guidance when it comes to living a righteous life.
The Bible makes it clear God loved us enough to send His Son Jesus Christ to earth to be on our level, to experience the same temptations as we do (yet without sinning), and ultimately sacrifice Himself for our sins. And because of this sacrifice, Paul says we are united with Christ in His death.
But what does it mean to be united with Christ in His death?
One of the keys to understanding this passage lies in verse 6:2 which says, “We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” Paul is making the point that when we repented of our old life we turned our backs on sin and death.
Obviously, a life of sin isn’t exactly a fulfilling way to live, but many of us have spent years and years walking in that darkness. And for those in the room today who have turned from sin, you already know that you can no longer live in it, as Paul says in verse 6:2.
Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” Which brings further clarity to the point Paul is making. A life of sin is no way to live. In fact, the only payment accepted for sin is death. You could “work” your entire life and the only wage you’d receive in the end is death.
But the good news is that’s where Jesus comes in. Because of His sacrificial death, the curse of sin has been broken. Again, as Paul says; “...all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:3-4
Now, I know what you are probably thinking: “This is kind of confusing.” You certainly would not be alone. But, here’s the key I think Paul needs us to understand from all of this: because we are united with Christ, we are dead to sin which means we are no longer slaves to sin.
And because we are no longer slaves, we know we are free ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium
The pursuit of righteous living is not a sprint, but a marathon. It takes time to rewire our old ways of thinking, acting, and speaking. But ultimately, the Holy Spirit is our guide and our power! A power stronger than any energy drink or motivational speech.
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