[English Sermon 영어 설교]
Sunday, August 25, 2024 - Sermon by Rev. Jinkook (Danny) Sohn
Dead to Sin, Alive to God (Romans 6:1-14)
Exposition of Romans 12
2024. 8. 25. 주일예배 설교- 로마서 강해 12
본문: 로마서 6:1-14
제목: 죄에는 죽고 하나님께는 산 자
설교자: 손진국 목사
Today's scripture passage clearly explains the relationship between believers who have been saved by faith in Jesus Christ and sin.
In last week's passage, [Romans 5:20] "The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more," some people misunderstood this verse, and as stated in today's passage, [Romans 6:1], they suggest that we should remain in sin to experience more grace. [Romans 6:1] "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?"
For example, consider the story of the prodigal son. The younger son asked for his inheritance, left home, and lived a reckless life. However, when he realized his mistake and returned home, how did his father react? The father ran to him, embraced him, kissed him, put a ring on his finger, dressed him in fine clothes, and prepared a feast. Why did the father do this? Why did the son receive such great grace? The older son had never received such grace. The father said it was because the younger son had been dead and was alive again. This is an example of grace increasing where sin was abundant. But what if the younger son thought, "I received great grace after sinning, so I will leave home again and live an even more sinful life to receive more grace"? Does this make sense? It's like someone who commits robbery, goes to prison, and then receives a pardon. After experiencing the grace of forgiveness, they think they should commit murder to receive even greater grace.
In response, Paul strongly denies this in [Romans 6:2], proclaiming an important truth that is the theme of chapter 6: Christians who believe in Jesus are dead to sin. [Romans 6:2] "By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?"
How about you? Are you a Christian who has accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life? If so, remember that you are dead to sin.
So, what are the characteristics of those who are dead to sin and alive to God?
1. No Longer Under the Power of Sin
Let's look at last week's passage, [Romans 5:21]: "so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Once, our lives were ruled by sin, but now they are ruled by grace. This means that while sin still has influence, it no longer has control over us, and we are no longer obligated to obey it.
To explain this more simply, consider the recent change in the head coach of the South Korean national soccer team. Who is the new coach? It's Hong Myung-bo. Who was the previous coach? It was Jurgen Klinsmann from Germany, who was dismissed on February 16th. If the national team plays a match now, whose instructions should the players follow? Of course, they should follow the instructions of the new coach, Hong Myung-bo. If the previous coach gives any instructions, the players can ignore them.
In the same way, believers who are saved by Jesus have had their status changed, and the power that controls their lives has shifted from sin to grace. [Colossians 1:13] "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves." The gospel opens our eyes, turning us from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God.
Being no longer under the power of sin doesn't mean that sin is entirely gone from our lives or that it has no influence at all. Sin still has power, but it can no longer command us, and we are no longer obligated to obey it.
Have you ever been bitten by a dog when you were young? Even as an adult, you might still be afraid of dogs and run away from them. Imagine a dog that looks cute and kind but has a bad habit of biting people. What if the owner ties the dog to a post with a leash? (Imagine it like this.) You may still feel scared when you see that dog because of your past experience, and the dog may bark loudly and threaten you. It may even try to lunge at you. But if you are standing farther than the length of the leash, the dog can't reach you. It can't bite you or harm you. As long as you don't approach the tied-up dog, it can't bite you. It might bark, and sometimes it might even wag its tail and try to lure you with its cute and sweet appearance. But if you resist that temptation and stay away, the dog can't bite you.
This is how sin works for believers. Sin no longer rules over Christians because grace has taken its place. Sin can still bark at us and try to scare us by saying, "If you don't come to me, I'll harm you." It might even try to tempt us with sweet whispers. But we have the ability to reject and ignore those threats and temptations.
[Application]
Are there any areas in your life where you struggle to resist sin? Can you share a recent experience where you successfully resisted sin?
So, how do those who are dead to sin become dead to it? The second characteristic of those who are dead to sin is:
2. United with Christ
[Romans 6:3] "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?"
The entire chapter 6 shows what it means to be a believer saved by grace. In one word, a believer is someone who is "united with Jesus."
When we believe in Jesus Christ, we are spiritually united with Him. To be united means to share the same experiences as Jesus. What kind of experiences?
[1] We experience the death on the cross here on earth.
The word "baptized" in verse 3, translated from the Greek word "baptizo," refers to being submerged or immersed in water and carries the meaning of death. Jesus said in [Matthew 16:24] "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'" There is a cross in our lives. There is persecution, suffering, and pain in our lives. The world will treat us just as it treated Jesus. We will face opposition, persecution, and difficulties just as Jesus did. We will carry our cross just as Jesus did.
[2] We attain new life through resurrection.
[Romans 6:4] "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
This verse shows that even though we bear the cross, face death, and endure suffering and pain in this world, we also possess something else. What is it? We have the power of resurrection and new life. [Romans 6:5] "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his." Believers are those who share in the Lord's death and also share in His resurrection. We have broken the power of death with the Lord and have risen again.
[Romans 6:8] "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."
This repeated emphasis on being with Christ, dying with Him, and rising again with Him is the current status and final destiny of believers. How is this possible?
What does the resurrection mean? The resurrection signifies that the Holy Spirit has been granted to us. The Spirit that comes upon those who have risen with Christ and obtained new life is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon us through the resurrection. [John 16:7] "But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." What did the resurrected Jesus instruct His disciples? He told them to wait until the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them. [Luke 24:49] "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
What does the power of the Holy Spirit do? It prevents sin from reigning in our lives. The power of the Holy Spirit enables us to overcome sin. [Romans 6:14] "For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." Sin cannot rule over those who are under the grace of the Holy Spirit. By our own strength, we can never overcome sin. To boast that we can defeat sin on our own is to underestimate the reign of sin. We can't even quit smoking by our own strength. We can't stop drinking by our own strength. The same goes for gambling. A person who gambles feels the presence of another force within them. They realize they are driven by an unknown power to lie. We can't even break away from hatred by our own strength. These things cannot be overcome by our own abilities. Why is that? It's because sin has power.
However, a believer indwelt by the Holy Spirit can overcome temptation. We can resist it through the power of the Holy Spirit. If we cry out in the name of Jesus, we will achieve victory. A person filled with the Holy Spirit has the power to cast out evil spirits. What is the purpose for which the Lord has called us? It is to allow grace to reign where sin once ruled.
Dear believers, I bless you to live a life of victory every day by participating in the death and resurrection of Christ through baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit, and overcoming by the power of the Holy Spirit.
[Application]
Has the Holy Spirit helped you overcome sin? When and what was the situation?
3. Offer Yourself as Instruments of Righteousness to God
[Romans 6:13] "Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness."
Here we see a contrast between instruments of wickedness and instruments of righteousness. This is, in fact, like two sides of a coin. When flipped, it comes up heads or tails. There is no middle ground. Similarly, if we are not instruments of righteousness used by God, then we are instruments of wickedness. If we are not doing God's work, we are doing something else. There is no spiritual middle ground. Can you say, "I don't belong to God, nor do I belong to the devil"? That's not possible. [Galatians 5:16] "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." You either walk by the Spirit, or you walk in the flesh to fulfill its desires.
If your body is not offered to God as an instrument of righteousness for His glory, it will inevitably be offered as an instrument of sin. It is easy to be used as an instrument of wickedness. To be used as an instrument of wickedness, all you have to do is nothing. This happens because you don't know or forget your new identity.
(For example, there was the Civil War in the United States. The reason for the war was to abolish slavery, and as a result of the war, with the victory of the Union, slavery was abolished throughout the United States. However, it is said that this happened quite often. Whether they were young or old, all slaves were granted freedom, but many of the older slaves who had lived in slavery for so long found it hard to understand their new status. Even though the institution of slavery was gone and they had become free, they would still tremble with fear when their old master approached them or worry that they might be sold again. And when the old, wicked master gave them an order, they would obey out of fear. This happened because they did not know or had forgotten that their status had changed.)
The way for a Christian to remember their new identity, overcome sin, and live a life that matches their status is to actively walk by the Spirit and offer themselves to God as instruments of righteousness.
Passively, it involves avoiding places where you might sin. To overcome sin, you must not give the devil an opportunity. The devil will approach us like a mad dog trying to bite us if given the chance. All crimes in the world occur because the opportunity presents itself.
According to medical experts, mental illness is far more common in women than in men. They say that women who have given birth to five or more children are less likely to suffer from mental illness. Mental illness tends to occur more in families with just one child, where, after raising the child, the mother has nothing to do and begins to think about her old lover from long ago, falling into thoughts that lead to mental illness. Busy people don't have time to get mentally ill.
The secret to becoming strong in both body and spirit is to be someone who diligently works for the Lord. Galatians 5:24 clearly shows the nature of a person whose old self has died. [Galatians 5:24] "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." May you all become believers who are victorious as new creations, united with Christ, realizing that you are no longer under the rule of sin but under grace, and offering your lives as instruments of righteousness to be used by God.
[Application]
Have you ever given the devil an opportunity? What is the work of the Lord that you need to diligently pursue today?
하늘소망교회(담임 손진국 목사)는 뉴질랜드 오클랜드 북부 실버데일에 세워진 한인교회로 '하나님의 마음으로 사람을 살리는 교회'입니다.
Hope of Heaven Baptist Church (Senior Pastor: Rev. Jinkook Sohn) is a Korean church established in Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand. It is a church that saves people with the heart of God.