Abiding Discipleship: Dead to Sin
How do you overcome temptation? How do you get set free of habitual sin?
Review
Abiding Discipleship Series
Abiding in Jesus
Abide in His Life
Abide in His Death
Abide in His Resurrection
“Romans 1 through 5 tells us we are dead in sin. Chapters 6 through 8 tell us we are dead to sin. Chapters 1 through 5 tell us we are free from the penalty of sin. Chapters 6 through 8 tell us we are free from the power of sin.” - Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 920.
“All too often, Christians try to fight sin by preaching, “No, no, no.” Paul’s method was to teach, “Know, know, know.” He said, “Know you have a new identification with Jesus Christ (verses 3–5); know you have liberation through Jesus’ Cross (verses 6–15); and know some things about Jesus’ cause” (verses 16–23).” - Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 920.
Romans 6:1–4 (ESV)
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans is like an amazing steak dinner, yet most Christians don’t have the tools or utensils to cut it up and chew it.
1. Now that we have been saved by grace, can we continue to sin so that we receive more grace? NO WAY!
1 John 3:4-6; 9 (ESV)
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him… 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
Practice sin – we practice to get better; get better at being bad. IF A BELIEVER, WE CAN’T!
SEED ILLUSTRATION - v. 9
If born of God, then God’s seed has been planted and will continue to grow until it takes over.
VIRUS ILLUSTRATION: We are all infected with the sin sickness; the GOSPEL is God’s antibiotic. Initially taking the antibiotic, the sickness is still in control of the body; but over time, the antibiotic begins to kill the infection until the sickness is gone.
1 John 3:9 (ESV)
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
“There is therefore simply no such thing as justification without sanctification. There is no such thing as divine life without divine living.”– John F. MacArthur Jr., Romans, vol. 1, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991), 318.
Romans 6:1–4 (ESV)
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Dead to Sin; Alive to God
1. A believer can’t live in sin.
2. We were buried with Christ in baptism - Buried means dead! (not buried alive)
3. We are dead to sin
Dead to sin.
If sin comes knocking, no one is home. I don’t answer the door – in fact, I don’t hear sin knocking because dead people can’t hear, can’t respond
Romans 6:5-7 (ESV)
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.
Dead to Sin; Alive to God
1. A believer can’t live in sin.
2. We were buried with Christ in baptism
3. We are dead to sin
4. We are no longer slaves to sin.
Romans 6:6 (CSB)
6 For 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,
ESV – brought to nothing; NKJV done away with
“the old man” – the “old you” still has a desire to sin, but it is no longer in control.
PICTURE – woman enslaved with painted gold chains
The chains have been unlocked, but we are comfortable in them and choose to stay in them (or think that we can’t get out of them).
We have come to identify with our chains.
Sometimes we think we can’t live without them.
Yet in Christ we have a new identity.
Romans 6:8-10 (ESV)
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.
Dead to Sin; Alive to God
1. A believer can’t live in sin.
2. We were buried with Christ in baptism
3. We are dead to sin
4. We are no longer slaves to sin.
5. We will be resurrected with Christ (we have resurrection power through the Spirit)
Romans 6:5,8 (ESV)
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his… 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Romans 8:11 (ESV)
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 6:11 (ESV)
11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER!
A. consider yourselves dead to sin
B. consider yourselves alive to God in Christ Jesus
“consider” – reckon, count, accounting
What does it mean to “consider yourselves dead to sin”????
As child, told not to put my toy into the power outlet. I remember playing with my toy and looking at the outlet. After a few moments of looking at the outlet, I finally stuck my toy into the outlet and… I BECAME A BELIEVER!
I NO LONGER WAS TEMPTED TO STICK ANYTHING IN THE OUTLET. I WAS DEAD TO THAT TEMPTATION/SIN.
Sadly, when in middle school, lived on a ranch and had an electric fence. Eventually, you know what happened.
We “struggle with sin” because we don’t REALLY believe it will bring death. We know it is bad, but not that bad.
Lori’s gluten allergy – the pain and discomfort from gluten made her say no to wheat.
IF WE BELIEVE GOD’S WORD ABOUT SIN (FAITH), THEN WE WON’T GIVE IN.
We sin to win.
Romans 6:11 (ESV)
11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
APPLICATION: WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CONSIDER YOURSELF DEAD TO?
Struggle with lust – see it as death, pain, suffering
Greed
Food
Drugs/Alcohol/Cigarettes – DEATH
Anger? – anger is a secondary emotion. Need to go beneath to find what is really going on.
Secondary emotion meaning –
Sadness
Shame
Fear – of losing control? Of being exposed?
Temperature check – what emotion am I experiencing? Why am I experiencing it?
Resolve in your heart; purpose in your
“I’m never going to do that again.” – WRONG! Considering yourself dead to sin, means believing the Gospel, that you can’t do anything on your own; Christ does it for you!
Romans 6:11 (ESV)
11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Consider yourselves alive to God in Christ Jesus!
NEW MASTER – before, I did what I wanted, but didn’t realize I was a slave to sin, so the enemy made me think that I was in control, but instead I was ruled by my selfish desires.
James 1:14–15 (NLT)
14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
ALIVE TO GOD – new master, Lord what do you want?
Open communication with God.
Phone on silent? Vibration? Or in sleep mode – silencing notifications?
Chime on every hour – to remind to connect with God.
Romans 6:12-14
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Sin used to be your master and reign in your body.
NO LONGER! But you must choose.
Who are you presenting your body to? Sin or God?
Present body to sin? Am I giving myself to sin? Am I feeding the flesh or the Spirit?
Whatever you feed grows.
Galatians 5:16 (ESV)
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Romans 7:1–6 (ESV)
1 Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
Romans 7:7–11 (ESV)
7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.
Romans 7:13–20 (NLT)
13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.
14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
Romans 7:21–25 (NLT)
21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
ILLUSTRATION FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT
Israel was in slavery in Egypt. God delivered them out of Egypt, yet it took 40 years for the Egypt to get out of them. Then they underwent a 2nd baptism, crossing the Jordan with Joshua (similar to Spirit baptism), and entered the promised land. Were they done fighting? No! Now they had to take possession of their inheritance. When they relied on their own strength (against a little town called Ai) they lost. So we must continually rely upon the Lord in our battle with sin and the old man.
1 Corinthians 10:1–4 (ESV)
1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:5–6 (ESV)
5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
1 Corinthians 10:7–13 (ESV)
7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
1 Corinthians 10:12–13 (ESV)
12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
CONCLUSION
Crucified with Christ
Galatians 2:19–20 (ESV)
19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
We are in a battle to the death. The one who dies to self wins!
Luke 22:14–19 (ESV)
14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
CUP FIRST – REPRESENTING His blood and death
Bread, representing his body –
John 6:51 (ESV)
51 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
“When Jesus Christ was crucified on the Cross two thousand years ago, not only was His blood shed for your salvation, but His body was broken for your liberation. Thus, there are two elements in Communion. His blood brings about forgiveness of our sin, while His broken body provides freedom from our sin.” - Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 924.