Why Christians Do Not Continue In Sin (2of 3)

He responded by saying that he was not feeling good. He went on to say, “In fact. I felt so bad this morning, that I looked in the obituary column to see if my name was there.”

He said this as a joke, but the fact is, many Christians have not yet come to understand that their name is in the spiritual obituary column. That is, when they were born, they were born into the human race, of which Adam is the head.

That means, when Adam sinned, we sinned because we all were in the loins of Adam when he sinned.

But, praise the Lord, that is not the end of the story. THERE IS THE GOOD NEWS for all who have placed their faith in Christ.

Though we once were IN ADAM, we are now IN CHRIST.

That means:

• When Christ died for sin, we died to sin.

• When Christ was buried, so were we.

• When Christ was resurrected SO WERE WE!

When The Lord saved us, He justified us. That is, He declared us righteous because of what He did for us on Calvary.

However, after He justifies us, (declares us righteous) He starts the process of sanctification to make us righteous.

Illus: The perfect picture of ourselves as believers in Christ, can be seen in the ordinance of baptism by immersion. The symbolism represents everything that has happened to us as believers. The symbolism shows the death, burial and resurrection that takes place in our lives when we accept Christ.

The question arises then, IF WE HAVE DIED TO SIN, AND NOW HAVE THIS RESURRECTED LIFE, WHY DO WE STILL FIND SIN IN THE LIVES OF CHRISTIANS?

Even though every one of us who has received Christ has been declared righteous, we still find sin in our lives.

IlIus: The Corinthian church was one of the most sinful churches that Paul wrote to.

• The people argued

• They had divisions among themselves

• They were irreverent in the house of God

• They abused the Lord’s Supper

• They abused the gifts of the Spirit

In that church, as in many churches, you could find about every kind of sin imaginable.

Probably anyone observing those Christians would not even have thought they were Christians, except for the fact that they professed to be.

Paul, who knew them well, recognized they were Christians, even though they had a great deal of sin in their lives.

But look what he says to them in 1 Cor. 6:11, “And such WERE some of you: but ye are washed. BUT YE ARE SANCTIFIED, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God.”

Paul recognized that the Corinthians were Christians, but he did not overlook the fact that they had sin in their lives.

Look at 1 Cor. 6:9,10 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

But as soon as he recognized their sins, he states these astounding words in verse 11, “And such were some of you…”

Notice, this is past tense. They are no longer this.

Illus: AA does a good work with alcoholics in many ways. But one thing we Christians disagree with them about, is that those who have this problem, stand up and say, “I am an alcoholic!”

But listen, when the Lord saves us, we can say, “I once was an alcoholic!”

• Paul said, “And such were some of you…”

• But then he tells them what they are now. He said to them, “Ye are sanctified.”

That is, they were POSITIONALLY SANCTIFIED.

Illus: Their life was once set aside for the devil’s use, but now God says, “I have saved you, and have POSTIONALLY SET YOU ASIDE FOR MY USE.”

The moment they had received Christ, they had been placed IN CHRIST.

We are justified instantly, but sanctification takes a lifetime. That is why Paul could say that those sinful people were POSTIONALLY SANCTIFIED.

There are two more phases of sanctification in the lives of the believers.

Paul starts this chapter off by stating in verse 1, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”

Then Paul answered his own ridiculous question, in verse 2, with another question, “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

The answer to the question Paul asked, is found in Paul’s question. Look at the word, “Continue.” Notice how he uses that word, “...shall we continue in sin...”

Before the Lord saves a sinner, THAT SINNER’S LIFE IS A CONTINUANCE OF SIN.