Connected #3 - "Connected to Jesus' Death" (Romans 6:1-14)

Romans 6 and the Grace That Saves

Chapter 6. Romans chapter 6 and I'm gonna read from verses 1 through to 14. Romans chapter 6. From verse 1 through to verse 14. Brothers and sisters, these are God's very words to us. What should we say them?

Should we continue in sin that grace may multiply? Absolutely not. How could we who died to sin still live in it? Well, are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.

Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death. In order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. So we too may walk in newness of life. But if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death.

We will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. Well, we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless. So that we may no longer be enslaved to sin.

Since a person who has died is freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him because we know that Christ Having been raised from the dead will not die again death no longer rules over him for the death.

He died he died to sin once for all time, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you to consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey his desires and do not offer any parts of it as weapons.

For unrighteousness, but as those who are alive from the dead offer yourselves to God. And all the parts of yourself to God as weapons for righteousness. But sin will not rule over you. Because you are not under the law but under grace.

Pray that God will bless that reading of his word and give us understanding of it as we come to it. Allow me to pray ask for God's help as we come to his work as we do need that to understand his word.

So let me pray ask for his help and we'll come to the Bible. Well, Heavenly Father as we come to your word, we ask that your spirit would help us to understand the truth that is written here. That lies before us.

Father help us that in the words of the psalmist would open our eyes. We would see wonderful things out of your Lord. Pray with Paul that the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened so that we would know the hope to which you've called us.

Help us that as we think about the death of Christ think about the Benefits we receive because of that death help us father to worship.

Help us to.

Turn our eyes to you in wonder and praise and thankfulness. Independence. You with us as we open your word. And father as we pray that for us. You pray that for our friends just up the street. Community Bible Church pray for Pastor Kevin as he Begins to wrap up a series in the letter to the Ephesians.

Pray for the body there their elders the members who are there. Pray that you would bless them with growth not just numerical but spiritual as well.

May they be.

Equipped for the works of service that you've called them to do. May your word have its full and free reign over there. And we pray that for us even now as we come to the preaching of your word. We ask all these things in Jesus name and for his sake.

Amen. Please be seated. For the benefit of those of you who are visiting with us We are in the middle of a series here at Redeemer for this month. Called connected our usual habit is to work our way through books of the Bible section by section allowing the points of the book and the passage to shape the messages.

Each week, but every now and again, we also take some time to Think a little bit more topically about themes that appear in the Bible and for this series that we're doing for the month of April We've been thinking about a biblical teaching that's called union with Christ Union with Christ on the study guide that you hopefully grabbed on the way in.

There's a definition that we've been kind of working with in this series for what union with Christ is. That definition is that union with Christ is the biblical truth that by faith If you're here today and you're a Christian God has joined us to Jesus in his life death and resurrection.

So that all the benefits of Jesus's work for us become ours through the Holy Spirit. Maybe that again Union with Christ is the biblical truth that by faith God has joined us to Jesus in his life death and resurrection.

So that all the benefits of Jesus's work become ours through the Holy Spirit and. And what we're doing and what we're trying to I should say through this series is to see how this truth this truth that By faith God has joined you to Jesus in his life death and resurrection so that all of the benefits of his work For us become ours through the Holy Spirit we're trying to see how this truth answers three important questions that all of us have as Human beings Christian or non-christian.

Those three questions are questions of identity. Just who am I? Questions of purpose just why am I here and questions of our destiny just where am I going. And my contention if you will in this series is that This truth of our union with Christ the fact that we have been as I've called this series connected to Jesus this truth answers all three of these questions.

So that's what we've been up to the last couple of weeks as we've been Preaching the Word of God here last week we looked at the life of Jesus and how the life of Jesus answers the questions of identity and purpose and Destiny and this morning.

We're moving a little further on in our journey as we think about how Jesus's death Answers questions of identity Identity Purpose and destiny. To help us in that we come to Romans chapter 6. Romans is for many people their favorite book in the New Testament and see why I think I said last week Hebrews is mine, but Romans I think is definitely a Worthy competitor if there was a competition for the best book in the New Testament.

16 chapters of Explanation of the good news of Jesus Christ. In fact, you can trace the theme in the book of Romans because Paul tells it to you in the first chapter for a moment. Turn back if you will to Romans chapter 1 a couple of pages.

I think it's page 999 in the Bible as we give away Romans chapter 1 and look at verse 16 with me for a moment. Paul gives us the theme to the letter right here Romans chapter 1 and verse 16 Paul says but I am NOT ashamed of the gospel.

Because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. First to the Jew and also to the Greek. Here's a theme for in it in what the gospel. The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.

Just as it is written the righteous will live by faith. That's the theme of the letter to the Romans the righteousness of God that is revealed by Faith, that's the theme that ties this whole letter together and it's it's like a golden thread that runs from chapter 1 right through to chapter 16 and The way that Paul does is it's very clever.

He kind of starts from first principles and kind of builds. You can kind of view this like a multi-story building that he lays a foundation and then he starts to build on top of that foundation. So in Romans 1 1 to 17 you have his just introduction to the letter and even that's got a lot of truth in it.

And then from chapter 1 verse 18 through to 320 you have the problem of God's righteousness because if God is righteous. Well human beings aren't. And so if God is righteous and human beings aren't that creates a problem.

The problem is that we are all deserving of God's judgment. So he spends two chapters the best part of two chapters laying out the fact that all of us Have a problem which is that God is righteous and we are not.

But then that sets up chapter 3 from verse 21 through to the end of chapter 5 and.

Where.

Chapter 1 and chapter 2 and chapter 3 show us the problem of God's righteousness. Chapters 3 4 5 show us the provision of God's righteousness. How is it that if we are unrighteous people if we are unholy people, but God is holy and God is righteous.

Well, how is it that God can save people? Well, that's the theme that Paul takes up in chapter 3 4 5 and Then we come to the section that we're in. It's the third major section in Romans Chapter 6 right through to the end of chapter 8 that deals with the product of God's righteousness.

So if God gives us his righteousness, which is the answer to the problem that we don't have righteousness. So God has to give us righteousness in Christ if God gives us righteousness. What does this righteousness produce?

What does this righteousness? I know some of those churchy words. What does this right standing with God? That's what that word means. What does this right standing with God? produce. That's what he deals with in chapter 6 7 8 the technical term that Christians use is sanctification that we are being made more and more like Jesus as.

One old confession of faith puts it. Sanctification is the work of God's free grace by which our whole person is made new in the image of God. And we are made more and more able to become dead to sin and alive to righteousness.

That's what Paul's tackling in this section that we are coming to the beginning of this morning. But Paul you can't separate the grace that saves us. From the grace that makes us holy. The fancy way that theologians and those who know the Bible better than me put it is that you can distinguish Justification, which is the provision of God's righteousness the fact that we're declared righteous by God.

You you can distinguish that from sanctification that we're being made holy, but you can't separate them and say well one is true. But the other can't be true. Paul gloriously brings them together and says no the grace of God that saves is the same grace that makes you Holy if you're here today, and you're a Christian.

And the way that Paul does this it's so beautiful it's almost as though he has this wonderful diamond in his hands and.

He.

Lifts this diamond and he just turns it it puts it in the light and he turns it and you see all the beautiful facets of the diamond as he keeps on turning and in lifting up the grace of God as God makes us more and more like Jesus before Paul can do all of that Paul recognizes that He's raised the question.

It's kind of a good teacher. A good teacher knows when they might have lost the class for a moment. Paul has to answer one big question. If the grace of God is so freeing if the grace of God is so Liberating if the grace of God is so wonderful if all of that is true everything He says in chapters 3 4 5 if all that is true.

But Paul seems to understand that somebody might hear that and say well if God is so gracious I Can keep on sinning. So look at chapter 6 and verse 1. What should we say then in light of this glorious good news that Paul has just shared.

What should we say then should we continue in sin that grace may? Multiply now let's be good. Paul didn't say that. But there's no doubt that that's what some people would have heard when Paul said what he did say so Paul doesn't say that.

But he doesn't answer the question anyway because he knows people are going to ask it. And that's really the question that is being answered in the text that we want to look at this morning. There's a lot of rich truth here.

This is a lot for us to kind of wrestle with and get down deep into our hearts. I will do my best to make it as simple as possible. Hey family, how is it that Christ's death? Let's bring it back to the theme.

We're talking about of union with Christ. How does Christ's death shape our understanding of again think about those three three main questions? We've been thinking about. Those questions of identity those questions of purpose and those questions of destiny.

How is it that the death of Jesus? Answers those questions. Well, I think the answer comes to us as Paul is. Seeking to answer this question of if grace is true, then and I live how I want. Here's my big idea for this message.

I try in every message to summarize what I'm gonna say in one sentence if you don't remember anything else try to remember this. Is my big idea. Jesus's death saves us makes us holy and Changes our perspective on life.

Jesus's death saves us. Makes us holy and Changes our perspective on life. That's the heart of what Paul's gonna share with us here this morning. That we have union with Christ. We are connected to Jesus in his death and as a result that death saves us.

It makes us holy and it changes our perspective on life. One more time Jesus death saves us makes us holy and changes our perspective on Life. I can prove that point. I want us to consider for transforming benefits of Jesus's death for transforming benefits of Jesus death that Paul gives us in this passage.

Benefits that I'm convinced will give us a better understanding of identity purpose and destiny so. Real simple for transforming benefits of Jesus's death. Looking at the clock I have a little more time as one than I normally do so I will Still try and get to my point as quickly as I can.

Of course, if you're a regular here, there are no guarantees. For transforming benefits of Jesus death. Benefits that can be ours when we are connected to Jesus. Number one, let's start right at the top in Jesus.

You have died to sin. The first transforming benefit of Jesus death is that in Jesus you have died to sin. So I said Paul raises this question in verse 1. What should we say then should we continue in sin that grace may multiply?

But Paul starts to give us his answer really the whole answer is 1 to 14. But he starts in verse 2 so verse 2. What should we say then should grace continue that we may multiply verse 2. Absolutely not.

It's an emphatic no room for argument. No, maybe it's a no. It's a really long no it's gonna cover verses 2 through 14. But really why is it a no? Well Paul starts by saying it's a no because the Christian has the same relationship to sin.

That's a dead man has to life. Let me say that again. It's a no that a Christian can be saved and yet keep on sinning willfully. Because the Christian has the same relationship to sin. That's a dead man has to life.

Let me ask the question. What relationship does a dead man have to life?

None.

They did have a relationship to life at one point, but one day something happened. And then they didn't. Just this morning I heard that I'm from Ghanian parents consider myself Ghanian. I Found out this morning one of my favorite Ghanian musicians went home to be with the Lord this morning completely out of nowhere.

And he went to bed last night. I imagine he was very much alive. This morning he's not. And Paul uses that analogy that we all understand and He brings that analogy and says that's what happened to you when You became a Christian.

But the believer has had a decisive Break with sin that something has happened where we were once identified by our relationship to sin and now we aren't. So Paul says that the Christian has died to sin.

And Paul seems to be of the understanding that if you're a Christian, you know this. Well, at least you should look at verse 3. This is absolutely not verse 2. How can we who died to sin still live in it or are you?

Unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. What is Paul talking about? Why is he talking about baptism all of a sudden?

Well.

Christians baptism is something that hopefully You should all be familiar with because we were all baptized at one point. It's an easy reference point for Paul to use. Now I need to get technical for just a moment.

I'll try and keep this as simple as I can. But there's some debate as to what Paul means here when he says that we have been baptized into Christ Jesus. But really the debate boils down to one question is Paul when he talks about baptism here, is he talking about typical baptism, which is the act of Burying someone in the water and bringing them up.

Is he talking about our water baptism? What is he talking about a more spiritual reality? And the reason why there's a base because when you read the Bible baptism can mean one of two different things.

It can literally mean to plunge to dip to wash to baptize with water. But it also can have a more Figurative meaning and have a bit more of a and a meaning that's more of an analogy if you will. To really carries this idea of identifying with identifying something with something else one fancy dictionary puts it like this quote.

Baptism can refer to the introduction or placing of a person or thing into a new environment or into union with something. So as to alter its condition or its relationship to its previous environment or condition and all that fancy language means.

Baptism can mean Taking something that was over here and putting it over here. So that once it's over here its relationship changes to what was over here. Does that make sense? So it baptism the Bible can mean either of those things.

It can mean the literal act of baptizing someone. Or it can mean this more Figurative meaning so which one is Paul talking about here. Some of you might find this disconcerting but my view actually changed this week as I was studying this.

So I've preached this passage before and I've typically taken the view that when Paul talks about baptism here He's talking about the figurative kind of baptism, and I think he will later on in this passage.

But I actually think the more I've studied it this week, I think he's actually talking about their water baptism. Allow me to explain. Let me actually start by saying what I'm not saying if that makes sense Paul is not saying that your baptism has the power to save you.

Let's be clear salvation is a work of God's grace. Please see Romans 321 to 521. He spent three chapters more or less making that exact point. So baptism doesn't save anyone so let me let me be clear I'm not saying that Paul is saying that here but Paul is Basically pointing them to an event that they all knew which was their water baptism in the early church.

There was no such thing as a Christian who for long wasn't baptized. Baptism was something they did a lot quicker than sometimes we do in our churches. That's a whole other conversation for another time.

Let me know jump on that salt box. But in the New Testament baptism Was something that every Christian experience they were all baptized. So if Paul wants to make a point what better way to do it than to point them to a reality that they had all experienced.

Now if you've grown up in church, you've typically heard and it's not wrong. You know, at least in our sort of evangelical side of things We typically say that baptism is a public testimony that we are Christians.

You know, how many of you have heard that so something to get you know. When we baptize baptism is a public testimony that we're Christians and I'm not gonna say that that's not true. Actually it is. But the question is is that all it is.

Is that all that baptism happens to be? I'm gonna say no. You see baptism is more than just a public testimony that we are Christians. It is that but it's far more than that. You see baptism in water is a sign given by God a sign that is designed To point us to that spiritual reality.

I was talking about that we have been identified with Christ that we have received all the benefits of his work.

For us.

So baptism doesn't save you and it doesn't give you the work of Christ, but it is a visible sign and seal. That's the language that our fathers in the faith used to use. It's this visible picture that God has given of the fact that we have been identified with Jesus that we have received the Benefits of his work.

I mentioned our fathers in the faith is how they described it. There's a very old document called the 1689. It's a Baptist confession of faith. It says this Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ to those baptized it is a sign of their fellowship with him in his death and resurrection of their being grafted into him of Remission of sins and of submitting themselves to God through Jesus Christ to live and walk in newness of life.

Baptism is designed by God to point to this reality that you have been identified with Jesus and you have fellowship with him in all Of his benefits. That's why water baptism is so important. I just give a shameless plug here if you are a Christian and you have not been baptized.

Let me put it clear. I mean, maybe let me make it clear I am NOT saying you are not a Christian. But I am saying you are missing out on something that God has designed as a means of grace for you. And I would encourage you if you've not been baptized if you are believer and you are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ if you have turned from your sins and Turned to him in faith.

If you are a Christian, can I encourage you to get baptized? Because baptism is a picture Of the work that Christ has done for us. Okay, God, what does this have to do with death to sin? Well, one of the realities that's being played out in our baptism is the fact that you died and were buried with Christ.

That's not me saying that look at verse 4. 4 says. Therefore we Believers were buried with him by baptism. Now the baptism. I think he's talking about here is the spiritual kind. I Told you he kind of flips meanings.

Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. So we too may walk in newness of life. If you ever seen a baptism at least one that's done the right way that's a whole other conversation for another time.

If you've seen a baptism, we typically Take the person we submerge them under the water. We take them down in the water. Not permanently not for very long. It's figurative. They go down symbolizing death and Then they come out of the water symbolizing resurrection.

Our symbolic death if you as we go down into the waters of baptism that death points us to Christ's death for us. We are connected to his death in such a way in such a way that his death in A sense is our death, but it also means that his life is our life.

Christ died so we died in him and Christ rose so we rise to newness of life and Since that is true. Notice, I didn't say if it's true. So since that is true. You know what? That means. Since that's true.

That means that sin is no longer a controlling reality for the Christian. The Christian is no longer identified by his relationship to sin, that's who he was. I'll say more about that later. But no, he's identified by his relationship to Jesus.

The thing that makes a Christian a Christian is not whether they sin. What makes a Christian a Christian is whether they believe in Jesus. If I can say something as a pastor real quickly. I've often wondered that's the thought I have.

Especially in our sort of theological camp our camp of Christian beliefs. You know all Christians are agreed in the essentials. But there are lots of things that Christians disagree on in our sort of part of the Christian neighborhood if you will.

I've often wondered if sometimes we do ourselves a disservice. Emphasizing just how much we are sinners as much as we do. Now, let me be clear. I'm not saying Christians don't sin. The writers of the prophets is clear.

He says there is not a man who doesn't sin. Let me be clear. I'm not saying Christians don't sin. In fact, Jesus taught us to pray Luke 11 for to the Father forgive us our sins as we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

1 John 1 9 Apostle says to Christians if we confess our sins if we say the same thing about our sins that God does. He is faithful to and faithful and righteous gives me to forgive us all our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So, please don't hear what I'm about to say is saying Christians don't sin. Christians will sin and we should be open about our struggle with sin. So that we can help one another in the fight against sin.

I think it's a tragic thing if I can just park it for just a moment. I think it's a tragic thing when you go to a church and people have to pretend like they don't have problems and issues. Like they don't have sins that they're still working through.

So let me be clear. I am NOT saying that Christians don't sin. What I'm saying though is this. There's a healthy way to recognize that reality and an unhealthy way. And can I put it to you an unhealthy way of thinking about our sin is to only Dwell on the fact that we sin.

If I can put it like this. Can I encourage you to not just talk about being a sinner or not? Just talk about the fact that you are struggling against sin. Do what Paul does here talk about how Christ's death is your death to sin.

Because if you're here and you're a Christian, I have good news for you. Sin is not your identity. Jesus is. Can I put it to you that the fight against sin is not helped by us wallowing in sin all the time.

It's helped by remembering that even when we do sin. One of my favorite verses in the Bible 1st John 2 1 Apostle says I'm writing to you that you may not sin. He said but if you do sin We have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous One.

We fight our sin by remembering that Christ died for us. And as a result, we are dead to sin and alive in him in Christ. You are dead to sin that benefit alone. If you think about it that benefit makes the world of difference.

If Paul had just parked up shop right there We could all go home very happy. But Paul doesn't. Paul has more because yes in Christ you have died to sin. But point number two this morning in Jesus you are freed from sin.

Not only are you dead to sin you are freed from it. Christian used to live in sin. But now he is dead to sin and with that Paul presses deeper into the reality of why again. His answer in verse 2 absolutely not.

But now he's gonna press a little bit deeper into why a Christian cannot just sin freely. So we're in verse 6 Romans 6 6. But we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin since a person who has died is Freed from sin.

Paul essentially says that when Jesus died we were crucified with him. And as a result who we were. That's us who we were. It's not who we are now who we were. It's not who we are now. Did you notice that in verse 6 Paul uses this language of an old self?

He says this is what you once were that the old you Was crucified with him by the way when Paul uses this language of old. He's not referring to old in terms of age. He's actually referring the word here is used for old in terms of it's obsolete.

It's no longer fit for purpose. I'm a tech nerd. One of the things about technology is that all technology will go into a phase that they call a phase of obsolescence. So for example if I've seen one of these.

You've ever seen one of the original Apple computers. It was great for its time and you can't do a single thing with it in 2024. Why. Because the time where that was useful has long past technology has so moved on That it's obsolete.

It's a nice museum piece. Can't do much else. I'm so old enough to remember when I was in school and I wanted to do Certain kinds of homework. I had to carry around a floppy disk. Some of you might not remember a floppy disk.

I mean I start to feel old every day and one of the ways I feel old is Sometimes I'll mention I'm people like what's a floppy disk. Oh my heavens. I don't have to carry that around anymore. Now if I want to send myself a file I can do it from a computer and you know through a bunch of really complicated Algorithms and stuff I can find that file on another computer without having to carry a single thing now.

Why. Because the technology of a floppy disk is now obsolete. It's no longer fit for purpose and Paul says the you that you once were. When it comes to God you on that old you is now not fit for purpose.

You became a Christian the version of you that was governed and controlled and ruled by sin. God said yeah, no more of that. It's like one of my favorite movies Black Panther seen in the first one where.

The guy that played by Martin Freeman who was for the FBI he gets picked up and He's about to he's so afraid of where he is that he tries to like kneel down to Chadwick Boseman's character and Chad Boseman says we don't do that here in a very real sense.

When you became a Christian God said to you also We don't do that here and Paul says that the death of this old self this unfit for purpose self means that we are no longer enslaved to sin. Enslaved to sin that's an interesting way to put it, isn't it?

It's interesting because if you think about it our culture doesn't view sin as slavery. Does it? I mean our culture you might even argue doesn't even believe in the concept of sin anymore. Our culture view sin primarily as freedom.

I could do what I want never forget being in college and trying to share the gospel on a Friday night with someone with our Christian Union and someone Looking at me dead in my eye and say well, I'm not like you Christians who are just so repressed.

I'm free.

Really?

Is it is the person who sins free? Jesus might want a word. John 8 34. He says everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. Peter the Apostle in 2nd Peter chapter 2 verse 19. He says that Both teachers are slaves of corruption.

It's interesting. He says they're slaves of corruption since people are enslaved to whatever Defeats them. I'm sorry. Our culture lies to us when it says that sin is Liberating because sin is far from liberating.

It's enslaving. Sin is not freedom and if I can put it bluntly it's a lie hot from hell to say otherwise. Our culture desires freedom more than anything else and yet it can't find it. But for the one who is in Jesus They have experienced being freed From sin as Christians.

We celebrate the good news that a man came and that this man came and he lived and not only did he come and live. But he died for us and not only did he come and live and die for us. He rose again with all power in his hand and that that man didn't just do a good thing or some good things.

That man beat death and hell and sin all by himself. I can imagine. Question gets raised though. Okay, Kofi. Didn't you just say a second ago that Christians still sin? I don't feel very free from sin sometimes.

You can't really say you're free from something that you still do. Well, this is where distinctions matter. Once again, let me get technical for a moment we have to separate the power of sin From what the Bible describes as indwelling sin, those are two very different things.

The power of sin is the domination that sin has that's why the slavery language is so good. It's you're a slave to it. You can't say no to it. It is your master Bible makes us to understand that Christ breaks the power of sin.

Paul describes it here. We are free from sin because of what Jesus does.

However.

The day you became a Christian God didn't just take you up to heaven. Did he know he left you here. And you still live in a body and the Bible makes us to understand that this body this physical thing that you still have is Home to the remnants of sin.

Years ago. I heard one of my favorite preachers Joe McArthur put it like this. He said we've been raised and Yet we still stink. We've been raised to new life. We were dead and God made us alive and yet We still stink.

Now that might not sound like good news. But actually if you think about it, it is good news. So what are you on about? Real simple. Again, let's contrast what we think as Christians with what the world tells us.

The world tells us we can't control our sin. We can't help it. Let me think about it. What are the messages that our culture tells us? I was born this way. I can't help myself. My background makes me prone to this.

Phrase has become really popular in the last 10 -15 years. I'm living my truth. Again, if that doesn't sound like slavery, what is slavery? But here's the thing for the Christian. The Christian isn't bound by those kinds of claims.