Here is the video clip that preceded this message when I preached it at PBC.
It’s a new year and lots of us want to turn over some new leaves, including, I presume, stopping some self-destructive behaviors. Change seems so complicated, but when we begin to look at it from God’s point of view, we can see that change is not only possible; it is necessary and expected. The moral direction for the Christian life is not “backward or stuck,” it is forward and upward. This passage will help us understand what God says about changing and becoming the person He saved you to be. If we truly know Jesus Christ He has no intention of leaving us just like we were before He found us. There are some important truths in this passage that will help us unlock the door to personal holiness.
1. POSITIVE SPIRITUAL CHANGE IS NORMAL, vv.1-2. The Bible teaches that moral transformation is the logical outcome of truly knowing Jesus Christ in personal experience. Receiving Christ in obedience to the Gospel is a commitment that brings along with it (1) the expectation of change and (2) the empowerment for change. Verses 1 and 2 are the continuation of thought begun in Romans 5:20, “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” So that no one could say, “Aha! If grace abounds in our sin, what does it matter if we sin?” Paul heads that argument off. Everyone knows that identifying yourself with Jesus Christ means committing yourself to His ways. It has been said that “repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin.” One is not truly present without the other. Being saved as a free gift does not mean that there are no moral ramifications for the Gospel. The preaching of repentance always accompanied the Apostles’ preaching of the Gospel of grace.
2. POSITIVE SPIRITUAL CHANGE IS ILLUSTRATED IN BAPTISM, vv.3-10. Baptism identifies us fully with the implications of Jesus’ death. Immersion is powerfully symbolic. “We were buried with Him”—that old-pre-Christian person is committed to the shameful past. That way of life—putting ourselves first and leaving God out—is given a final burial. But the symbolism of baptism focuses on resurrection, too. Jesus did not stay in the grave—He was dramatically and victoriously raised in victory over sin—our baptism takes this same truth and applies it to us. Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The past life with its pre-God designs and aspirations has been superseded and replaced by a new mandate. Our old life has gone; the new has come. The cross of Christ is our new paradigm—“we died with Christ” (v.6). This is not some high-sounding theory that we must talk ourselves into; it is a theological truth and our new reality in Christ. We must learn to work this truth into our conscious, walking, working life. In the atonement of Christ God has provided not only forgiveness and acceptance into His family, but also power through the Holy Spirit to live a Christ-like life. In Christ’s resurrection the bonds of death were broken and shaken off.
1. POSITIVE SPIRITUAL CHANGE IS NORMAL, vv.1-2. The Bible teaches that moral transformation is the logical outcome of truly knowing Jesus Christ in personal experience. Receiving Christ in obedience to the Gospel is a commitment that brings along with it (1) the expectation of change and (2) the empowerment for change. Verses 1 and 2 are the continuation of thought begun in Romans 5:20, “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” So that no one could say, “Aha! If grace abounds in our sin, what does it matter if we sin?” Paul heads that argument off. Everyone knows that identifying yourself with Jesus Christ means committing yourself to His ways. It has been said that “repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin.” One is not truly present without the other. Being saved as a free gift does not mean that there are no moral ramifications for the Gospel. The preaching of repentance always accompanied the Apostles’ preaching of the Gospel of grace.
2. POSITIVE SPIRITUAL CHANGE IS ILLUSTRATED IN BAPTISM, vv.3-10. Baptism identifies us fully with the implications of Jesus’ death. Immersion is powerfully symbolic. “We were buried with Him”—that old-pre-Christian person is committed to the shameful past. That way of life—putting ourselves first and leaving God out—is given a final burial. But the symbolism of baptism focuses on resurrection, too. Jesus did not stay in the grave—He was dramatically and victoriously raised in victory over sin—our baptism takes this same truth and applies it to us. Paul said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The past life with its pre-God designs and aspirations has been superseded and replaced by a new mandate. Our old life has gone; the new has come. The cross of Christ is our new paradigm—“we died with Christ” (v.6). This is not some high-sounding theory that we must talk ourselves into; it is a theological truth and our new reality in Christ. We must learn to work this truth into our conscious, walking, working life. In the atonement of Christ God has provided not only forgiveness and acceptance into His family, but also power through the Holy Spirit to live a Christ-like life. In Christ’s resurrection the bonds of death were broken and shaken off.
3. POSITIVE SPIRITUAL CHANGE REQUIRES MENTAL DETERMINATION, vv.11-23. Too often we expect vital, needed transformation to occur passively in our life. “Doesn’t God do all the work?” No, God provides the power, but we are active players in the drama of our sanctification. Verse 11 is a key verse in this passage. It says, “Reckon yourselves to be dead to sin.” This passage makes a big deal out of the problem of sin (the word appears 17 times by my account and is referred to many others, and it is written to followers of Jesus. The word “reckon” is from the Greek word that we get the English word “logistics” from. To paraphrase: “Add it all up and you will see that Jesus’ death and resurrection mean freedom from enslaving, habitual sin for you. You don’t have to live with sin as your master; you can live for your true Master, Jesus Christ. To deny this is to deny Gospel truth. We are free in Him, but we must realize that and let the truth of it wash over us—we have to stop believing lies and walk in truth. We have to stop being victims and become victors!" We can’t be like many paroled inmates who are so uneasy with a life of freedom that they subconsciously sabotage themselves to go back to their comfortable prison routine.
“Do not let sin reign”—prevent, stand in the way of, lead a revolution against, overturn and depose with a kingdom of right living. Paul uses the word “present” to reinforce that though God empowers us, He will not make us holy in spite of us—we will have to deal with our laziness and our flesh. We will have to get up and engage our lives in godliness. We can either die through sin or die to sin. We must consciously, willingly let God be first in our actions, or we will be enslaved to sinful passions that will corrode our souls, dim our witness, corrupt our lives and pour cold water on our worship of God. God has a goal for our lives after the Gospel has set us free and that goal is a life of righteousness—godly holiness—departing from sin and adopting God’s ways.
It is interesting that Paul fluctuates between two ideas that are both paradoxically true: (1) You are dead to sin, and (2) you must die to sin. We might think, “If I am dead to sin, how can I still die to sin?” To which I would answer: “Don’t ask any questions; just do as you’re told.” Seriously, we should work out in experience this theological reality. It will take prayer, hard work, accountability, worship, witness and Scripture, but better, more godly living is within our grasp.
CONCLUSION – John Phillips tells the story of “two Irishmen, Pat and Mike, who found a most unusual turtle. The animals head had been completely severed from its body, but the turtle was still moving as though nothing had happened. Pat maintained that it was dead, but Mike denied it stoutly and the argument waxed louder and louder until presently along came O’Brien. They decided that O’Brien should arbitrate the matter and that his verdict would be final. O’Brien took one look at this remarkable turtle and said, ‘It’s dead, but it don’t believe it!’ That is exactly the problem with many Christians: they are dead but they don’t believe it.” God says those who are truly Christ’s have died to sin, now we must go die to sin.
“Do not let sin reign”—prevent, stand in the way of, lead a revolution against, overturn and depose with a kingdom of right living. Paul uses the word “present” to reinforce that though God empowers us, He will not make us holy in spite of us—we will have to deal with our laziness and our flesh. We will have to get up and engage our lives in godliness. We can either die through sin or die to sin. We must consciously, willingly let God be first in our actions, or we will be enslaved to sinful passions that will corrode our souls, dim our witness, corrupt our lives and pour cold water on our worship of God. God has a goal for our lives after the Gospel has set us free and that goal is a life of righteousness—godly holiness—departing from sin and adopting God’s ways.
It is interesting that Paul fluctuates between two ideas that are both paradoxically true: (1) You are dead to sin, and (2) you must die to sin. We might think, “If I am dead to sin, how can I still die to sin?” To which I would answer: “Don’t ask any questions; just do as you’re told.” Seriously, we should work out in experience this theological reality. It will take prayer, hard work, accountability, worship, witness and Scripture, but better, more godly living is within our grasp.
CONCLUSION – John Phillips tells the story of “two Irishmen, Pat and Mike, who found a most unusual turtle. The animals head had been completely severed from its body, but the turtle was still moving as though nothing had happened. Pat maintained that it was dead, but Mike denied it stoutly and the argument waxed louder and louder until presently along came O’Brien. They decided that O’Brien should arbitrate the matter and that his verdict would be final. O’Brien took one look at this remarkable turtle and said, ‘It’s dead, but it don’t believe it!’ That is exactly the problem with many Christians: they are dead but they don’t believe it.” God says those who are truly Christ’s have died to sin, now we must go die to sin.
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