1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,400 Good morning church. This morning our reading is from 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,400 Romans chapter 6, verses 1 to 14. 3 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:10,840 What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that 4 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:15,560 grace may increase? By no means we are those who 5 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,840 have died to sin. How can we live in it in it's 6 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,960 any longer? Or don't you know that all of us 7 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,360 who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his 8 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:27,840 death? We were therefore buried with 9 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:32,200 him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was 10 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:36,160 raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may 11 00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:39,760 live a new life. For if we have been united with 12 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,440 Him in a death like his, we'll certainly also be united with 13 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:47,520 him in a resurrection like His. For we know that our old self 14 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:51,280 was crucified with Him, so that the body ruled by sin might be 15 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,680 done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin, 16 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:58,640 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 17 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:02,960 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live 18 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,480 with him. For we know that since Christ 19 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:07,840 was raised from the dead, he cannot die again. 20 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:10,280 Death no longer has mastery over him. 21 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:16,240 The death he died, he died to sin once for all, But the life 22 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,760 he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count 23 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,400 yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 24 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,960 Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you 25 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,040 obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of 26 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:37,600 yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer 27 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,040 yourself to God as those who have been brought from death to 28 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:46,120 life, and offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument 29 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,120 of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your 30 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,960 master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. 31 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,160 So we are beginning a short three-week series this morning, 32 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,160 which follows on from the events of the first Easter this year. 33 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,720 Easter is not finishing. We're carrying on with it 34 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,160 tonight, Easter worship service in the next few weeks. 35 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,199 And in this series, you sort of want to ask the question, what 36 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:13,080 difference does the resurrection of Jesus that we celebrated last 37 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:15,680 Sunday? What difference does that make 38 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:20,520 to our lives here and now? See, the resurrection of Jesus 39 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,920 from the dead is one of the central truths of the Christian 40 00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:25,320 gospel. And it sort of goes without 41 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,440 saying, the resurrection of Jesus made a huge difference to 42 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,760 Jesus. I hope that does go without 43 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:33,720 saying, but it's always worth remembering. 44 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,400 As one church historian put it, without the resurrection we 45 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:42,520 would never have heard of Jesus. We just remember lots of people 46 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,120 were crucified by the Romans in the 1st century. 47 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,520 Probably thousands of criminals died that way. 48 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,040 Without the resurrection, Jesus would have just been another 49 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:54,080 statistic, another failed Messiah. 50 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:56,360 But instead, because of the resurrection, we're still 51 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,400 talking about Jesus today. People are still worshipping 52 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,080 Jesus today. People are still putting their 53 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,440 faith in Jesus today. See, three days after he died in 54 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:09,760 a cross, Jesus rose from the dead, never to die again. 55 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,280 And and the passage we've had read out is Romans chapter 6. 56 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,840 The apostle Paul refers to that in verse 9. 57 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:19,240 He says, For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, 58 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:24,320 he cannot die again. Death no longer has mastery over 59 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:26,720 him. So on that first Easter weekend, 60 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,480 Jesus died on a Roman cross. Three days later he rose again, 61 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:34,880 never to die again. This morning, followers of Jesus 62 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:39,160 worship a living Saviour. Jesus is alive today, and he is 63 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,960 alive forever. In that sense, the resurrection 64 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:48,040 of Jesus is the proof that Jesus is who he says he is, the Son of 65 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:52,960 God, God's king come to put things right in God's world. 66 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,080 The resurrection of Jesus is the proof that God the Father 67 00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:00,960 accepted Jesus sacrifice on the cross in our place. 68 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,800 And all that is gloriously true. But the good news, the 69 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:10,840 resurrection of Jesus isn't just good news about Jesus, it's 70 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,880 about the new life that Jesus has won for anyone and everyone 71 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,880 who puts their faith in him. And that is the focus of the 72 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,240 passage we're looking at this morning in Romans chapter 6. 73 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,280 So at the cross of the resurrection, Jesus defeated sin 74 00:04:24,280 --> 00:04:26,880 and death once and for all. And so we want to ask the 75 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:29,720 question, well, if sin and death are defeated, what will our 76 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,120 relationship be like to sin and death? 77 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,560 We're going to look at that in the next few weeks. 78 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,800 If we follow Jesus in this world, what does that victory 79 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,360 Jesus won? What has that got to do with us? 80 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:45,760 What kind of life can we now live in a world where Jesus is 81 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,520 resurrected and risen from the dead? 82 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:51,960 That's the question Paul is asking in this passage. 83 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,520 And the answer he arrives at is 1 full of hope and life for 84 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,720 everyone who trusts in Jesus. Because according to Paul here, 85 00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:03,200 the moment we put our faith in Jesus, we become one with the 86 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,960 risen Jesus. We're united with Jesus in his 87 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,440 death and resurrection. Listen to how Paul puts it in 88 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,680 verse 5 of this passage. He says, for if we've been 89 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,120 united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be 90 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,400 united with him in a resurrection like his or verse 91 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,480 8. Now, if we died with Christ, we 92 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,000 believe we will also live with him. 93 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:28,560 Now what is Paul trying to tell his readers here? 94 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,680 I think in this passage Paul is sharing a truth that is precious 95 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,760 and life changing for everyone who follows Jesus. 96 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:39,400 Because actually, I say follow Jesus. 97 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,520 We learn here that a Christian isn't just a follower of Jesus. 98 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:48,240 A Christian is someone who is in Christ Jesus. 99 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:53,160 We learn here that we are one with Christ. 100 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:57,360 Through faith in Jesus, we're united with Christ. 101 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,040 We are in Christ, and Christ is in us. 102 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:05,320 If we trust in him, we are as close to Jesus as it's possible 103 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:08,720 to be. And as a result, we are now, 104 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:13,200 Paul says, set free from our slavery to sin, and we can now 105 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:18,520 live a new life in this world for Jesus and with Jesus. 106 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:22,240 These are the huge truths that Paul is trying to unpack for us 107 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:24,760 in this passage. He's telling us the death and 108 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,960 resurrection of Jesus didn't just happen to Jesus. 109 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,520 Of course it did happen to Jesus, but it didn't just happen 110 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:32,960 to him. The death and resurrection of 111 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:37,160 Jesus happened to us too. If our faith is in Jesus, why? 112 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:41,000 Well, because when we put our faith in Jesus, we are united 113 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,920 with him, with his death and resurrection. 114 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:48,680 We are dead to sin and we are alive to God. 115 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:53,400 We have been set free from the power of sin, Paul says, and 116 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,600 that is going to change everything about our life lived 117 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,280 in faith in Jesus. We are now free to fight against 118 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:03,640 sin, and we're free to win in that fight. 119 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:08,080 Independence on the crucified and risen Jesus. 120 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:11,800 And Paul's writing this because he knows the Christians in Rome 121 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:14,880 and the Christians of every generation reading this passage 122 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:18,160 afterwards need to hear this good news. 123 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,000 Because all too often in our lives as Christians, we get to 124 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:26,880 the point where we think sin is just irresistible. 125 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:32,680 Sin is inevitable in our lives, and we are powerless to change. 126 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,680 There was a book several years ago called You Can Change by Tim 127 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:39,480 Chester. And I remember seeing at a book 128 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,400 stall I was with a friend and a Christian friend, and he looked 129 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:46,520 at the time and went, I'm not so sure you can change. 130 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,520 That sounds great, but he didn't feel sure. 131 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:54,880 And I want to suggest that the way Paul describes sin, 132 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,920 personifying sin in this passage, it's like sin says to 133 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:02,720 us, just face it, you're a greedy person and you always 134 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:06,640 will be. You're a lazy person and you 135 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,520 always will be. You're an angry person and you 136 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:11,920 always will be. You're a lustful person and you 137 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,360 always will be. That's just who you are. 138 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:16,880 Stop trying to fight it, just accept it. 139 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:21,040 That is what sin whispers at to each and every one of us every 140 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:24,240 day of our lives. And sin can even bring truth in 141 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:25,600 the Bible. And well, who in the Bible is 142 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:26,560 that? Everyone's a Sinner. 143 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,240 There you go. So no one can expect you to 144 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:31,520 change. People have to just accept who 145 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:33,640 you are. You have to accept who you are. 146 00:08:34,159 --> 00:08:40,840 This is just who you are. But the song we open with today 147 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:45,920 picks up the new identity with Christ that Paul desperately 148 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,960 wants himself and us to grasp hold of. 149 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:53,720 We are now one with Christ. If we put our faith in Jesus, we 150 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:58,680 are raised with Christ to a new life where we can say no to sin 151 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:00,720 and its desires. We can fight against sin, and 152 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:05,360 with God's help, we can change. See, every believer is now one 153 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:09,120 with Christ because Jesus died and rose again. 154 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,080 Therefore, we died to sin and rose again to new life. 155 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:15,120 And as a result, we can change with His help. 156 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,200 We can grow in our love for God and our love for one another 157 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:21,120 with his help. And we can help one another grow 158 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:26,040 as we remind one another of our new identity in Christ. 159 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,320 So that's what Paul's trying to get across in this bit of 160 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:31,480 Romans. Let's look at this passage 161 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:33,360 together. We're kind of jumping into the 162 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,680 middle of Romans here. There's quite a lot that's gone 163 00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:37,720 before. She's very briefly kind of a a 164 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,080 story so far in Romans, Romans one to five, you can sort of 165 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:45,000 summarise as what God has accomplished for us in the 166 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:46,640 gospel. Across these opening chapters, 167 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:50,040 Paul wants us to see God has declared us righteous. 168 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:53,000 When we put our faith in Jesus, he's forgiven us our sins. 169 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:55,920 When we put our faith in Jesus, he's demonstrated his love for 170 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:59,560 us once and for all at the cross all through the life, death and 171 00:09:59,560 --> 00:10:01,440 resurrection of Jesus in our place. 172 00:10:01,680 --> 00:10:03,960 Paul's clear in these chapters, the Christian life's not about 173 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:07,280 what we do. It's about what God has done for 174 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,320 us through Jesus. That is why the gospel is such 175 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:12,560 good news. God sees us. 176 00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:15,120 He knows we cannot save ourselves, so he sends his Son 177 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:21,280 in our place to rescue us. But then, as chapter 6 of Romans 178 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:26,080 begins, Paul anticipates a question his readers may be 179 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,600 asking. That's verse one of Romans 6. 180 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:32,480 What shall we say then, says Paul? 181 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,800 Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 182 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:42,040 And it seems that was a common complaint voiced against Paul's 183 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:43,520 gospel. And in fact, some people say 184 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:45,840 it's actually a question that every single person is going to 185 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:48,880 ask at some point or another. When you begin to grasp how 186 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:52,000 lavish the grace of God is to us in Jesus. 187 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:54,840 Hang on a minute. Either it comes early on or 188 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:57,040 later. But does this mean I can live 189 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:00,120 however I want? Does this mean that actually the 190 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:02,080 more I sin, the more God Forgives me? 191 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,280 Does this mean actually it just doesn't matter how I live? 192 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:08,480 And I've heard that question many times in life. 193 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,840 When I was about 10 years old, I explained this as the great 194 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:13,840 thing about being a Christian. You do whatever you want and you 195 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:16,120 say thank you Jesus, please forgive me, and you do whatever 196 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,000 you want the next day. I was a theologian even then, 197 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:22,400 just a very bad one. And actually this question is a 198 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:26,000 is a common objection raised by people from other faiths and 199 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:27,960 religions to the Christian gospel. 200 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:31,400 I got to a Buddhist friend pretty well when I lived in 201 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:35,320 Oxford about 1520 years ago. And he would say to me, I'm 202 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:38,560 attracted to Jesus, I I like his teaching. 203 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:42,840 But this grace thing, there's just no incentive to live a good 204 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:44,720 life. That's why Christians are all 205 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,800 hypocrites. So I need the rules and 206 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:51,360 spiritual disciplines of Buddhism to keep me right. 207 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:55,120 And again, some Muslims I've spoken to would voice the same 208 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:57,000 objection. Isn't God's grace in the gospel 209 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,560 just an excuse for us to keep sinning? 210 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:04,320 It's a really important question Paul is raising here. 211 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:08,760 And in verse 2, Paul responds to that question by emphatically 212 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:12,400 rejecting it. By no means. 213 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,600 That's kind of big, bold wording there. 214 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:19,440 And why won't a believer in Jesus simply go on sinning so 215 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:22,560 that grace may increase? It's because of the new identity 216 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:25,920 God has given us through faith in Jesus. 217 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:27,720 Verse two. Let me pick up the middle point 218 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,360 of verse 2. We are those who have died to 219 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:32,440 sin. How can we live in it any 220 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:34,680 longer? Or don't you know that all of us 221 00:12:34,680 --> 00:12:38,400 who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his 222 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:40,520 death? We were therefore buried with 223 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:44,120 him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was 224 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,600 raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may 225 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:52,320 live a new life. See, according to Paul here, 226 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:56,080 every believer in Jesus has died to sin. 227 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:00,520 When Jesus died on the cross 2000 years ago, so too did 228 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,200 everyone who puts their faith in him. 229 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:05,640 And when Jesus rose from the dead three days later, so too 230 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:08,120 will everyone who puts their trust in him. 231 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:13,440 We are one with Jesus, united with Jesus in his death and 232 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,440 resurrection, and so we are set free from sin. 233 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:21,520 Why would we go on sinning, Says Paul, when Jesus came and lived 234 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:26,200 and died and rose again to set us free from that slavery we 235 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:31,160 were all trapped in? See, at the heart of what Paul's 236 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:33,720 teaching here is a truth that later Christian theologians have 237 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:36,840 come to call our union with Christ. 238 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,440 And time and again, the New Testament, believers in Jesus, 239 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:45,080 disciples of Jesus, are described as being in Christ. 240 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:49,480 Actually, it's interesting that the word Christian appears. 241 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,840 I think it's three times. Yeah, in the New Testament, but 242 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:56,640 the phrase in Christ and related phrases like in him appear over 243 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,600 165 times. And that's just in the letters 244 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:04,960 of Paul, the letters of John and others that also appears in 245 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:09,080 Christ is the dominant way of describing believers in the New 246 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:10,760 Testament. And what does it mean for 247 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,440 believers to be in Christ? Well, it means a lot. 248 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:17,320 And it's, it's a huge idea that takes different pictures and 249 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:19,480 metaphors to understand it in the Bible. 250 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:23,000 So some examples of the pictures Scripture uses. 251 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:27,800 Jesus is a vine, and we are the branches connected to that vine. 252 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:29,360 That's the only way we can bear fruits. 253 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:32,520 Or we are stones being built together in a house. 254 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:37,000 But Jesus, he's the cornerstone that holds everything together. 255 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:41,720 We're a body made-up of many parts with Jesus as the head of 256 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:44,880 the body. We are the bride, loved 257 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:49,240 passionately by Christ, and Christ is the bridegroom. 258 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:55,240 All these pictures add to this picture of union and intimacy 259 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,640 every believer enjoys with Jesus. 260 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:03,400 They tell us we are now in Christ and Christ is now in US. 261 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:07,160 What happens to Jesus happens to everyone who believes in Jesus. 262 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:09,240 What belongs to Jesus is now ours. 263 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:10,840 It's like in a marriage ceremony. 264 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:11,440 What? What? 265 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:12,680 Look, what I have I share with you. 266 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:14,760 Everything I have, I share with you. 267 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:19,280 We have Christ's righteousness, and he takes all our sin and our 268 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:23,320 mess. We're connected to Jesus, and 269 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:27,080 our life now flows from our union with him. 270 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:32,000 And from this passage in Romans 6, the key truth Paul wants to 271 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:36,800 emphasize about our union with Christ is that because we are in 272 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:42,800 Christ, Jesus shares his victory over sin and death with us. 273 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,840 That is the good news at the heart of this passage. 274 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:51,520 And this is the language, it's like a representation where one 275 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:54,360 person's achievement is shared with and celebrated by the 276 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:57,280 people around them. And it's our language. 277 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:59,760 We're kind of used to when it comes to big sporting events 278 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:02,360 always when we're back in 2012, a long time ago. 279 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:05,440 So it's Super Saturday seeing Mofar and others winning gold 280 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:07,520 medals. And, and I was, I was sitting on 281 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,120 that sofa. I did not move a muscle but I 282 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:13,720 was able to say we won the gold. It's like when Noah and I 283 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:17,400 watched the Six Nations in rugby and and Ireland say do well or 284 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,360 get hammered by France. We are going, we won or we lost. 285 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:22,680 Neither of us got ourselves dirty. 286 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:26,200 Neither of us did anything except shout at a scream and 287 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:31,560 annoy the women in our family. Now actually everyone knows the 288 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:33,480 athletes. They're not just competing for 289 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,360 themselves. In a very real way they are 290 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,680 representing all of us. They're representing their 291 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,360 supporters. We don't actually run the race. 292 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:46,240 We don't win it personally, but we celebrate the win as if we 293 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,320 did because they're a representative. 294 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,600 Or take the story of David and Goliath in the Old Testament. 295 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:55,640 The other Israelites, they were all too frightened of Goliath 296 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:58,320 the giant to fight him. But when David defeated the 297 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:02,560 giant in battle, he shared that victory with all the Israelites. 298 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,839 We can say that all of Israel was in David even though they 299 00:17:06,839 --> 00:17:08,280 hadn't fought the battle themselves. 300 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,640 And Paul teaches it's the same for those who trust in Jesus 301 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:14,800 death and resurrection. In our place we are in Christ. 302 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,839 When he was crucified, Jesus took the punishment we deserved 303 00:17:18,839 --> 00:17:20,760 on himself. Even though he had done nothing 304 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,560 wrong, He acted as our representative. 305 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:26,880 And when Jesus rose from the dead three days later, we were 306 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:30,280 raised with him. We have new life in Christ 307 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:34,800 because Jesus chooses to share his victory over sin and death 308 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,160 with us. What's true of Jesus is now true 309 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:43,200 of us when we trust in him. So back to Romans chapter 6. 310 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:45,840 Paul wants to see that the death and resurrection of Jesus didn't 311 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,840 just happen to Jesus. It happened to us too. 312 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:54,120 And as a result, we are now dead to sin. 313 00:17:54,120 --> 00:17:56,680 It's an amazing statement Paul makes. 314 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:01,640 And the picture Paul uses here is that of baptism verse three. 315 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:03,800 Let me pick up there. Don't you know that all of us 316 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:07,360 who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his 317 00:18:07,360 --> 00:18:09,240 death? We were therefore buried with 318 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:12,520 him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was 319 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:15,680 raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may 320 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:19,680 live a new life. See, baptism is one of those 321 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,000 amazing pictures of our union with Christ. 322 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:24,720 Baptism tells the story of the gospel. 323 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:28,280 It tells us what happened to Jesus, that he died, was buried, 324 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:31,520 and rose again. But baptism also tells a story 325 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:34,040 of what happens to every believer in Jesus when we put 326 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:36,280 our faith in him. We die with Christ, we are 327 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:39,040 buried, and we rise again to new life. 328 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,000 Paul says if you're baptized Christian, the moment you're 329 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:46,000 baptized, that's a picture of you dying with Jesus. 330 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:50,120 The old you, the one who lived under the reign of sin, that 331 00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:54,240 person died under the water, and the new you, the one in Christ 332 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:58,280 was risen up out of the water to live a new life. 333 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:02,680 Verse five, in baptism, we remember our union with Christ. 334 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:06,800 We died to sin with Jesus and we're raised to new life with 335 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,760 Jesus. So Paul writes these Christians 336 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:11,040 in Roman. He says remember God. 337 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:14,440 Look back at your baptism. Remember what your baptism tells 338 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:17,400 you about your new identity. When you're tempted to give up 339 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,880 on following Jesus, when you're attempted to give in to the the 340 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:23,960 lies of sin, remember who you are. 341 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:27,040 Look back to your baptism. Remember what Jesus has done for 342 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:33,520 you and who you now are in him. Baptism is a picture of us being 343 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:37,440 dead to sin. And in verses 6 to 10, Paul 344 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:39,840 moves from the picture of baptism to the pictures of 345 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,840 slavery and freedom. Says now that we're in Christ, 346 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,080 we are set free from the power of sin. 347 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:50,800 Verse 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with Jesus. 348 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:54,040 So the body ruled by sin might be done away with, so that we 349 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,480 should no longer be slaves to sin, because anyone who has died 350 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:02,600 has been set free from sin. Paul wants to see that at the 351 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:04,760 cross and the resurrection, something remarkable happened. 352 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,920 We were rescued from sin and set free from its power because 353 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:11,320 Jesus died and rose again for us. 354 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,120 And it's kind of a different way of thinking about sin than we 355 00:20:15,120 --> 00:20:17,080 often think. Often we think about sin as 356 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:21,600 basically the actions we do and something that comes out of us. 357 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:23,480 And in many passage of Scripture, that's a right 358 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:26,280 understanding of sin. But here in another place of the 359 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:29,520 Bible, sin is like personified like it's almost some people say 360 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:35,480 sin with a capital S and sin is likened to a ruler who reigns 361 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:38,480 over us or who wants to reign over us. 362 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:43,760 Sin is basically a tyrant, a slave master, a bully in the 363 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:47,680 playground telling us you need to listen to what I say. 364 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,320 And Paul says before Jesus came we were all each one of us 365 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:57,560 slaves to sin and we could not free ourselves from sins grip 366 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:02,280 over us. We needed Jesus to come and set 367 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:06,120 us free. Verse 10 the death he died, he 368 00:21:06,120 --> 00:21:10,600 died to sin once and for all. At the cross Jesus defeated sin 369 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:14,960 and death once and for all and he shares that victory with 370 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:16,760 everyone who puts their trust in him. 371 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:20,200 Verse 6 Our old self was crucified with him. 372 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:23,200 So the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we 373 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,120 should no longer be slaves to sin in Christ. 374 00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:29,640 We've been set free from sin as our master, and we have a new 375 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:31,440 master now, the risen Lord Jesus. 376 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:34,040 And he is a master who is generous and chooses to share 377 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:40,080 everything he has with us. It's amazing. 378 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:43,680 But actually, notice Paul is really talking objectively here. 379 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:45,000 He's he's dealing with facts here. 380 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:49,120 He's not presuming that everyone reading this will feel this to 381 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:52,080 be true or is emotionally aware of it. 382 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:55,040 Paul's describing objective historical fact here. 383 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:57,920 That's true of every Christian sitting in this room, whether or 384 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:01,640 not we feel it to be true. The moment you put your faith in 385 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:05,640 Jesus, you died with Christ. You're dead to sin, and you were 386 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,720 raised with Christ. You're now set free from the 387 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,280 power of sin. Those are facts Paul says in the 388 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:15,720 gospel that nothing can change. And so Paul wants to go on in 389 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,840 the last little bit, verses 11 to 14, to show us the difference 390 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:22,080 those facts make to how we live in Christ here And now. 391 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:25,280 Finally, he says in Christ we are now free to fight against 392 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:30,880 sin and we're free to win. In verses 3 to 10, Paul's 393 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,200 emphasis is in what Jesus has done for everyone who trusts in 394 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:36,280 him. And now in verses 11 to 14, Paul 395 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:40,360 shows us the part we get to play in response to that. 396 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,520 See, Paul's writing all this because he's saying actually, 397 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,920 the the truth is we're free from the power of sin if we follow 398 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:52,000 Jesus, but we're still not yet free from the presence of sin. 399 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,960 Sin is still real. Sin is still active in our 400 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:57,600 lives. Again, that's probably not 401 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:01,480 something I need to prove to you if you dial back the last 24 402 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:03,760 hours. So Paul's saying sin is a 403 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,880 defeated enemy for everyone who's in Christ, but it still 404 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:10,960 has teeth, it's still raging against us. 405 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:13,200 It's like the way the the devil is describing revelation. 406 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,880 He knows his time is short, he knows he's beaten, but he wants 407 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:19,320 to bring people down with him. So sin still wants to reign over 408 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:21,720 us, says Paul. Sin still shouts it's evil 409 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:24,120 desires at us. There still exists A struggle 410 00:23:24,120 --> 00:23:26,640 with sin and selfishness, selfishness in the lives of 411 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:30,120 every Christian. And how do we fight against that 412 00:23:30,120 --> 00:23:35,520 when sin shouts out at us? Paul says here, remember who you 413 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:41,760 already are in Christ and live in the light of who you are, not 414 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:46,160 who you once were, but who you are in Christ. 415 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:49,760 That's verse 11 if you want to look at that for a second. 416 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:53,440 After reminding us of all that Jesus accomplished for us 417 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:55,440 through his death and resurrection, Paul issues a 418 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:59,040 command in verse 11. He says count yourselves dead to 419 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,480 sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 420 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:05,920 Or that could be translated, consider yourselves dead to sin, 421 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:08,240 but a lie to God in Christ Jesus. 422 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:10,880 According to Paul, it's sort of the battle begins in the mind. 423 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:13,720 It begins in how we think about ourselves. 424 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,720 The reality is we're free from the power of sin, but but that 425 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:21,120 fact and our feelings do not always go together. 426 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:26,520 So Paul urges us here, look to Jesus, remember who you are in 427 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:28,280 him and then don't listen to sin. 428 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:33,400 Listen to Jesus, consider yourselves, remember who you 429 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:39,960 are, because we all forget, because sin still sounds loud in 430 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:46,320 our ears. There was a great Welsh preacher 431 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,960 in the 20th century called Martyn Lloyd Jones and he used 432 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:52,120 to explain this passage and our struggle with sin with the 433 00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:55,600 following illustration. He says on the 18th of December 434 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,680 1865 slavery was finally abolished in the United States 435 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,320 of America. So that moment, legally and in 436 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,920 reality, slavery in America was over. 437 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:09,320 But he said, imagine you were raised as a slave. 438 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:12,360 You'd only ever known life as a slave. 439 00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:14,200 Suddenly, December 18th, it is over. 440 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:16,120 You're not a slave anymore. You are free. 441 00:25:16,360 --> 00:25:18,880 But the next day you're walking down the street and you hear the 442 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:22,680 voice of your old master. Boy, come here, pick up the sack 443 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:26,760 for me. You just you're frozen. 444 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,160 Do you feel like his slave again? 445 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:36,240 The answer is yes. She's been a slave for so many 446 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:38,760 years. You hear that voice. 447 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:40,120 I've got to listen. I've got to obey. 448 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,320 But does that feeling make you his slave? 449 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:46,000 Again, the answer is no. Legally. 450 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:50,320 In reality, you are free. You're no longer a slave. 451 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:56,920 You do not have to listen to that man anymore, Paul says. 452 00:25:56,920 --> 00:26:00,560 That's the same for everyone who is in Christ because of Jesus 453 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,800 death and resurrection in the gospel, our freedom has been 454 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,120 won. It has been declared we are not 455 00:26:06,120 --> 00:26:08,800 slaves to sin anymore. That is a reality. 456 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:11,880 It has happened, but we will still hear the voice of our old 457 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,880 master and we'll still feel the pull of it. 458 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:18,400 We'll still be tempted to obey, to listen to him do whatever he 459 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,160 says. And that's the battle of verse 460 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:24,040 11. Consider yourselves dead to sin 461 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:27,640 and alive to God in Christ Jesus, even when we don't always 462 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:31,760 feel that way. Then you're no longer my master. 463 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:33,680 I don't have to listen to you anymore. 464 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:37,520 It is not inevitable that I must do what you say. 465 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:41,880 And if the battle begins in the mind, verse 11, it carries on 466 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:43,880 how we live. Verses 12 to 13 look at all the 467 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:47,400 different commands Paul gives in 12 to 13 in light of what Jesus 468 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:49,600 has done. He says do not let sin reign in 469 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:51,880 your mortal body. Do not offer any part of 470 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:54,000 yourself to sin as an instrument of of wickedness. 471 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,480 That's if you like the negative side, that's that's the act of 472 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:59,440 repentance. Turn away from sin, but then the 473 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:03,240 more positive commands, offer yourselves to God Instead, offer 474 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:07,080 every part of yourself to him. That is faith turning towards 475 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:09,320 the living God. He knows that we don't live in a 476 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:10,720 vacuum. Don't say, well, I'm I'm not a 477 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:12,800 slave to sin, but but what do I do now? 478 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,120 I know actually. Instead you turn to God, you 479 00:27:15,120 --> 00:27:18,600 offer yourself to him. We have a genuine choice. 480 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,840 Offer yourselves to sin or offer yourselves to God. 481 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:25,160 Sin is no longer inevitable in your life. 482 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,520 We are dead to sin, says Paul through faith in Jesus. 483 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:32,240 And we are alive to God through faith in Jesus. 484 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:36,680 It's like there's a clash going on over every single one of us, 485 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,320 that sin is a power that wants to reign over us, and God's 486 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:43,720 grace is a power that wants to reign over us. 487 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:45,520 And I guess the fear is you go, well, who's going to win? 488 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:47,720 If they're both powers, they both want me to follow them. 489 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:49,440 But who's going to win? Sin or God's grace? 490 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:51,880 And that's where the good news of the resurrection comes in, 491 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:55,600 because the resurrection of Jesus shows that God's grace is 492 00:27:55,600 --> 00:28:00,800 greater than sin and death. Jesus proved that at the 493 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:04,760 resurrection, and now His grace is able to set us free from the 494 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:09,720 power of sin. Again, according to this 495 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:14,080 passage, sin is a bully and a slave master, but we do not have 496 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:19,120 to listen to him anymore. Sin may whisper at us, you're 497 00:28:19,120 --> 00:28:22,560 just a greedy person, a lazy person, a lustful person, you 498 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,440 always will be. And you say, no, that's not who 499 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:29,600 I am anymore. I am dead to sin and alive to 500 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,480 God in Christ Jesus. I am not a slave to sin. 501 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:35,880 Sin is no longer my master. Verse 14 I'm not under the law, 502 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:37,880 I'm under grace. I am in Christ. 503 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,520 Christ is in me. All of me is connected to all of 504 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,080 Christ. That is why I can fight and by 505 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:49,880 God's grace I can win. But again, the reason Paul's 506 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:51,800 writing here is he's he news. We don't win every time. 507 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:56,520 There's so many objective truths up to verse 10. 508 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,520 You might think, well job done, the battle's over, but actually 509 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:02,000 we still have a part to play. Verses 11 to 14. 510 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:05,080 And in a war, there are skirmishes and battles, and we 511 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:10,120 might not win everyone, but the response when we lose is to keep 512 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,680 fighting. And the response when we win is 513 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:17,880 to keep fighting because we know ultimately the victory has been 514 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:22,160 won not by us, but by Jesus at the cross and the resurrection. 515 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:27,680 So when sin says just give up, you're never going to change, we 516 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:33,680 say, no, I am alive with Christ, I am in him, He is in me. 517 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:38,880 And we can change as a result. We can grow in our love for God 518 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,880 and our love for each other, and we can fight in light of all 519 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:49,560 that Jesus has already won for us, the Christian life. 520 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:52,720 We're not fighting on our own. It's not like all we've got is 521 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:56,720 discipline and rules. You're fighting with with Christ 522 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:01,400 and with his Spirit on your side, and he's already won the 523 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:04,160 victory. And he calls you to fight here 524 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:07,440 and now in light of what he has done for you. 525 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:14,680 What difference does the resurrection make to us today? 526 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:20,320 Well, we are one with Christ. We are alive in Christ. 527 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:24,280 We are in Christ as close to Jesus as it's possible to be, 528 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:28,000 and it's as we rely on his strength, not our own. 529 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:33,120 We can live the new life Jesus has won for us as we rely on his 530 00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:36,000 grace when we win a battle. And when we lose a battle, we 531 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,040 rely on his grace going. Ultimately, the war is won, so 532 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:41,160 I'm going to keep fighting. I'm going to pick myself up. 533 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:43,160 I'm going to help other believers around me pick 534 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:46,360 themselves up, and we are going to keep fighting in light of 535 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:49,600 that victory that Jesus shares with us. 536 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:55,120 And to fight that battle, Paul urges us, remember who you 537 00:30:55,120 --> 00:31:00,400 already are in Christ. Offer yourselves to God, not to 538 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:04,440 sin, and live the new life Jesus now shares with you in this 539 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:09,760 world, a life you live for Jesus and a life you live with Jesus, 540 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:14,800 a life you live amazingly in Jesus, him providing you with 541 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:18,280 all the strength and the grace and the help that you need. 542 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:26,760 Here again, how Paul finishes this passage, verse 14. 543 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:33,000 For sin shall no longer be your master because you're not under 544 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:38,640 the law, but under grace. And the resurrection shows us 545 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:43,920 God's grace is stronger than all the forces of sin and death. 546 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:48,720 And Jesus shares his victory with everyone who puts their 547 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:53,200 faith in him. We are raised with Christ. 548 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:58,240 Let's live in the light of that. Let's pray together. 549 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:08,160 Let's let's pray. Father God, we want to thank you 550 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:14,520 that you know our hearts better than we do, Lord, that when you 551 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:18,280 open our eyes to great truths of the gospel, Lord, it's not just 552 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:21,360 to add to our understanding. It's because you know we need to 553 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:25,640 know these truths day by day as we live for you in this world. 554 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:29,440 We want to acknowledge that that sin and death, the devil, they 555 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:33,480 are defeated enemies, but they are still active and we still 556 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,600 need to fight well. Lord, thank you that we don't 557 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:39,880 fight in uncertainty, not quite knowing what the outcome will 558 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:43,200 be. We fight our battles here and 559 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:46,920 now in light of that greater, greatest battle that has already 560 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:52,440 been won for us, for everyone here who is struggling with 561 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:54,720 whatever aspect of sin in their lives. 562 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,480 We pray, Lord, that you would remind us of who we already are 563 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:03,280 in Christ. For everyone here tempted to 564 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:06,920 give up or give in, you would strengthen us with all that 565 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:12,640 Christ has already won for us. For everyone here feeling lonely 566 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:16,880 or weary, would you remind us we do not live in this world on our 567 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:23,280 own, that we are in Christ. Christ is in us, He is the Vine, 568 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:29,400 we are the branches. Keep us coming to Him, keep us 569 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:34,280 trusting in Him, and help us to rejoice in the new identity, one 570 00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:37,680 for us by Him at the cross and the resurrection. 571 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:42,320 We ask it in the name of Jesus, Amen.