1. What I Have In Christ Romans 6:1-14 #18 Romans Series Grace Baptist Church 5/4/14

2. Romans 6:1-14 The Question (1), The Answer (2), The Argument (3-14 Know, Reckon, Yield) NKJ ¶ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

3. 5 ¶ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

4. 12 ¶ Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

5. This process of death, burial, and resurrection with Christ results in: I. A New Life (1-4) II. A Noble Liberation (5-7) III. A Never-Ending Link (8-11) IV. A Natural Lesson (12-14)

6. I. It Results In a New Life (1-4) How shall we who are dead…live any longer… Baptized into His death Therefore we are buried… Like as Christ was raised from the dead… Even so we also should walk in newness of Life. Before salvation – dead At salvation – baptized into Christ o Dead, buried, and raised with Him After salvation – walking in a new life. New life – metamorphosis - change*

7. II. It Result In a Noble Liberation (5-7) Together in the likeness of His death Also (together) in the likeness of His resurrection Our old man is crucified with Him The body of sin…rendered inoperative – powerless That we should no longer be slaves to sin. Dead…freed from sin In Christ!!! Therefore what has happened to Him has happened to me. I died – I cannot be a slave to sin – slavery to sin no longer exists. It is not that I am not capable of sin, but I am no longer under the compulsion and tyranny of sin. For all genuine Christians, slavery to sin no longer exists. Emancipated by our own death!

8. The Story of Lazarus o The grave clothes do not come off immediately o We often attempt to put them back on o Paul turns our attention toward taking off our grave clothes Paul uses himself as an example of the believer battling against sin. o He doesn’t fully understand why… o But he knows where the trouble lies – “in my flesh” Why is it difficult to comprehend that we are free from sin’s bondage? o We may not have heard that there is such a change o Satan – the enemy of our soul – doesn’t want us to believe it o Our new birth is not experiential – not physically observable. o Our daily battles with sin seem to contradict this truth.

9. III. It Results In a Never- Ending Link (8-11) Dead with Christ Live with Christ Knowing that Christ…Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead…but alive Through Jesus Christ our Lord. This Truth is Very Practical o We can have confidence in the midst of temptation - I Cor. 10:13* o We can have confidence that we cannot sin our way out of God’s grace John 10:27-29 o We can have confidence in the face of death – alive unto Christ John11:25-26 o We can have confidence in times of trouble and disaster – Romans 8:28 The never-ending link is that we are linked to Christ!

10. IV. It Results In a Natural Lesson (12-14) Let not sin reign in your…body… in the lust thereof Neither yield your members as tools of unrighteousness… But yield your members as tools of righteousness… For sin shall not have dominion… It is obvious that sin can reign, but it does not HAVE TO reign. For sin to have power over the child of God it must first pass through the doorway of his will. God’s will can be active in our lives only as our wills are submissive to His. Phil 2:12,13. The natural lesson – bodies are tools!*

12. Thanks to: o John MacArthur for his Commentary on Romans 1-8. o Warren Wiersbe for his commentary on Romans Be Right o Rod Mattoon for his book Treasures From Romans o And others!!!! Weekly I have used the skilled pen of the commentator perhaps without giving adequate credit to them for their ideas. As I notice my oversight I will attempt to give credit when I can trace the ideas back to the authors. This can be difficult since I have had some of these ideas in my sermons for many years!