Union With Christ

Well, good morning. It is my great privilege this morning to open God's holy word with you and be able to preach this morning.

You know, we're in a transition week for the last six weeks we've been in Daniel.

We're at a good point in Daniel to put a pause on it.

We're heading into the Psalms. We will preach out of the book of Psalms during the summer.

But this transition week allows me the opportunity to preach from whatever passage I want to preach from.

You know how it is. You tend to go where your passions are.

And that's exactly what I looked at this week.

And I would say this. My passion is this.

Is that I deeply desire to live for Christ.

I deeply desire to be committed to him, to be surrendered to him, to know him more,

to be more intimate in my relationship with him.

That is very real for me.

And so I look at the scripture.

You know, there's a bunch of passages that say that.

And so it was a little bit hard to land on a passage.

But this morning we will look at Romans 6, the whole chapter of Romans 6.

And we'll look at it as an overview of what's said in chapter 6 of Romans.

Romans 6.

And I just acknowledge before you that God's powerful word is my prayer that it speaks to our hearts this morning.

And that it spurs us to live for him.

So if you would, if you're able, I would ask that you would stand with me this morning

as we read from the book of Romans chapter 6.

Romans 6 · chapter mention

And we will read again the whole chapter.

So read with me.

Hopefully you've got the Bible in hand in some form so that you can read along with us.

And as we look at it this morning, I will ask you to turn back many times and look at certain verses.

So I encourage you to keep it open this morning.

Chapter 6, verse 1.

And what shall we say then?

Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

By no means.

How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

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.

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.

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.

For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again.

Death no longer has dominion over him.

For the death he died, he died to sin once for all.

But the life he lives, he lives to God.

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions.

Do not present your members to sin as instruments of 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.

For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under the law but under grace.

What then?

Are we to sin because we are not under the law but under grace?

It's by no means.

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,

you are slaves of the one whom you obey,

either of sin, which leads to death,

or of obedience, which leads to righteousness.

But thanks be to God that you were once slaves to sin.

I'll say that again.

I missed a word.

But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart

to the standard of teaching to which you were committed.

And having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

I'm speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations.

For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness,

leading to more lawlessness,

so now present your members as slaves to righteousness,

leading to sanctification.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed?

For the end of those things is death.

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God,

the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death.

But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let's pray.

Father, how powerful your word is.

The truths here are amazing to me, Father,

that you've done an amazing work in each of our lives,

those of us who are born again who know you as Lord and Savior.

God, I pray that whatever words would come from me this morning, Father,

they would just fly away and not land anywhere.

But Father, I pray that your word would cement itself deep in our hearts this morning.

And I pray this in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

Amen.

Y'all can have a seat.

As Paul speaks to the Roman church,

I just want to remind us he's speaking to Christians.

And Paul has spent five chapters talking about this thing, this topic,

justification by faith alone.

And now as we step into chapter 6, it transitions.

And he asks a question that I think is needful for us to ask as well.

And here's the question that Paul would ask and ask of them.

Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

Christian, Roman Christian,

are we to continue in sin in order that we would cause the grace to rise?

How would you answer that?

It doesn't seem right that we would even consider walking in sin, does it?

Yes, Christians, as those who have been made aware of our sin,

you know, as part of the process of coming to Christ,

we became aware of the sinfulness in our life

and the need for reconciliation,

the need for redemption,

the need for forgiveness.

How is it that when God showed us how ugly our sin was

and how our sin separates us from a holy God,

why is it that we would continue in it?

Why would we continue to live in sinful ways?

Why would we allow it a place in our life?

And so Paul here addresses this question.

Should we sin more

in order that the grace of God would be elevated,

his forgiveness would be elevated?

And Paul says this,

by no means.

By no means.

You know, I would ask this question of us,

do we struggle at times with sin?

Are we even drawn to it?

Are we even drawn by our culture or by our flesh?

Are we drawn to walk in sin?

Do we know sins that are in our life that are habitual?

Are there things that we've allowed to reside in our lives

that we know should not be there as Christians?

And Paul shares these truths with him.

This morning, I want us to focus on three words

out of this text.

Here are the three words.

Know, consider, and present.

These three words.

To know, consider, and present.

And we see those words here in the text.

In this first word, to know,

it's interesting how Paul makes his case

in answering this question about sin.

Should we, Christian, continue in sin?

No, no, no, he would say.

By no means should we continue in sin.

It's not compatible with who we now are.

As Christians.

It makes no sense that we would walk in sin

and allow sin to reside in our lives.

And so Paul makes this statement.

He actually asks a question,

then he makes a statement.

How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Do you not know, Christian?

Do you not know?

Know what, Paul?

He's about to share with us

these five things,

these five items,

these five truths

that he is about to share

in reference to this word know.

Christian, do you not know

that you were baptized into Christ?

Do you see it?

In verse three,

do you not know

that all of us

who were baptized into Christ

were baptized into his death?

Christian, do you not know

that you were baptized into the Christ?

What does that mean

to be baptized into Christ?

Well, one thing it might mean

is that when someone comes to faith

in this body of believers,

then we'll put a pool,

we'll just call it a pool,

outside,

we'll fill it with water

and we will baptize a new believer.

And when we baptize them,

what we're doing is,

in a sense,

we're symbolically saying

that that person,

as he goes under the water,

dies.

And he's buried under the water

and then when we're bringing back

out of the water,

then he is raised in newness of life.

Now, that phraseology

would come from this very text.

The concept of being baptized into Christ

is this concept

that we're baptized into communion

with Jesus.

We're baptized into fellowship

with Jesus.

We're baptized into relationship

with Christ.

And so Paul says,

do you not realize

that you're now in Christ?

Do you not realize

what has happened,

what has transacted in your life?

Do you not realize now

that you're a part of Christ?

That you're in communion with Christ?

He goes on to say this,

do you not know,

and that's number one,

do you not know you've been baptized?

Number two,

do you not know that you died?

Now, we would understand

that he's not saying,

do you not realize

that you died physically?

That's not what Paul's saying.

He's speaking to the church.

But he's saying,

do you not realize

that you have died,

past tense,

done act?

For those of y'all

who understand

the tenses of the verbs

in the original language,

the tense of the verb here

is an aoris tense,

meaning it's not something

that continues on,

it's something that was done,

it's a one-time act

that was accomplished

and finalized.

Do you not realize,

Christian,

that you died?

What is he saying?

What is Paul saying?

Well, we get a glimpse of it

if we look into verse 5.

And he says this,

we know that our old self

was crucified.

So in what way,

Paul,

did we die?

Well,

it's the guy we were before

who has died.

What guy?

The guy who was enslaved to sin.

The guy who couldn't do anything

but sin.

And we see that truth

again at the end of verse 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.

Do you catch that?

We would no longer be.

You know what it implies?

That there was a time

when we were enslaved to sin.

You know what it means

to be enslaved?

That means you can't do anything else.

If you're enslaved to something,

that's what you do.

If we glance ahead at verse 17,

Paul makes this statement,

you who were once slaves of sin.

Verse 20,

you were slaves of sin.

Do we see ourselves like that?

Christian?

Christian?

Do you understand

that there was a time in your life

before you came into the kingdom

where you were absolutely enslaved to sin?

every act,

every thought

was self-focused and not righteous.

God says when he views sin,

anything that's not righteous is sin.

And as an unbeliever,

we are not able to do one righteous act.

Romans 3 declares

there's none righteous,

no, not one.

And so Paul is declaring

that that man,

that old self,

the guy we once were,

died.

Now it's a beautiful picture

in the book of Ezekiel

about the changed person that we are.

In Ezekiel,

and I won't read the whole context,

I'm just going to read this verse.

Y'all will recognize this verse.

God's saying,

I will give you a new heart

and a new spirit

I will put within you.

I will give you a new heart

and a new spirit

I will put within you.

When,

God,

will you do that?

Here's when.

When we recognize our sin,

our separation from a holy God,

our need for salvation,

our recognition that Jesus died

in our place on the cross.

When we accept that truth by faith,

we embrace it with all of our being

that we have no hope

apart from the resurrection,

the life, death, burial,

and resurrection of Jesus.

Apart from what Jesus did on the cross,

on our behalf,

in our place,

we would have no hope.

And by faith,

we embrace that truth.

And when we do,

the word of God says,

you will be changed.

That I will put my spirit within you

and you will be a different person.

The desires you used to have,

you will no longer have.

Those temptations,

you will still be subjected to,

but the heart is different.

Christian,

is that true for you?

Do you recognize

that there's different desires

within your heart?

You know,

there's a time in my life

that I walked in sin

in such a way

that it didn't bother me.

Some of the things I did

didn't bother me.

You know those same things

now bother me?

There's conviction that happens.

The Holy Spirit whispers in my heart,

in my spirit,

He says,

no, no, no, no, no.

Don't walk that way.

That's not the way to honor God.

That's not the way

I want you to live.

You'll never experience

my joy

and my peace

and my contentment

and my love.

You'll never experience that

if you walk in those sinful ways

because those sinful ways

separate you

from the joy

that I desire

to fill you with.

I don't want you

walking like that anymore.

And you know,

our heart,

our new heart

desires different things.

Is that true for y'all?

Do you acknowledge

that you're a different person?

Do you see things

happen in your life, Frank?

I remember you saying

in Sunday school

how I'm not the same guy I was.

There's something amazing

that has changed in my life.

God has given me a desire.

He's changed the way

I interact with people.

You know why?

It's because your old man died.

Your old man was crucified.

In a sense,

your old man,

the person you were,

was crucified

on the cross with Jesus.

There's a link

between our new life

and Jesus

that's inseparable.

And Paul says here

this second truth.

We've been baptized

into Christ.

We have died.

The old man has died.

And we go on

and we look.

It says,

Do you not know

that all of us

who've been baptized

into Christ

were baptized

into his death?

We were buried

therefore with them

by baptism

into death

in order that

just as Jesus

was raised from the dead

by the glory of the Father,

we too might walk

in newness of life.

Do you hear

the identification

of the believer

with Jesus?

We know

as we've studied

scripture

that Jesus lived

a godly,

holy,

sinless life.

And he willingly

went to the cross

as a criminal

in the eyes of Herod

in the Jewish nation.

He was elevated

on a cross.

He was crucified,

dead.

He was buried

in the tomb

of Joseph

of Arimathea.

And on the third day

what happened?

The stone was rolled away.

Jesus was resurrected

no longer

to fight

the flesh.

No longer

to be tempted

by the flesh

into this newness

of life.

Died,

he was buried,

he was resurrected.

Do you know

that Paul

is saying

that we

have been

identified

with Christ

in this very way?

He's saying

that you have died,

this old man

has died,

the old person

you were

has been buried

and the new person

you are

has been raised

to newness

of life.

Look at it.

Verse 4,

just as Christ

was raised

from the dead

by the glory

of the Father,

we too might walk

in newness

of life.

You know

we're no longer

slaves to sin?

do you realize

who you are?

Do you realize

who you were?

Let me just

flip over

to Ephesians,

Paul speaking

to the church

at Ephesus.

I want you

to hear

who we were

and I wonder

if you embrace

this truth.

Do you know

Christian

who you were?

Do you know

Christian

who you are?

That's so

important

in order

to live

in a godly way.

Listen to the words

of chapter 2

in Ephesians

that says this.

He's speaking

to Christians

in Ephesus

and he says

you Christian

were dead

in the trespasses

and sins

in which

you once

walked.

following

the course

of this

world.

You hear

what he's

saying?

Christian

you used

to walk

just like

the worldly

ones.

You used

to walk

or live

in a worldly

way.

You used

to live

for worldly

pleasures.

That's who

you were

and he goes

on to say

this.

Following

the prince

of the power

of the air.

Who is that?

Satan.

Christian

you used

to live

like the world

in a worldly

way.

You used

to honor

and follow

Satan

as your

leader.

As the

one who

moved you

to chase

after worldly

things.

Following

the prince

of the power

of the air

the spirit

that is now

at work

in the sons

of disobedience

among whom

we all once

lived

in the passions

of our flesh.

Christian

do you realize

that's who

you were?

have you

yet embraced

the depth

of our

sinfulness?

Have we

recognized

who we

were that

we were

enemies

of God?

We were

following

the ways

of Satan.

We were

walking

in worldliness.

That's who

we were.

That is

the old

man.

For every

single one

of us.

He goes

on to say

this.

Carrying

out the

desires

of the

body

and the

mind

and were

by nature

children

of wrath.

What do

you mean

children

of wrath?

We were

in rebellion

against a

holy God.

In a sense

we were

saying I

don't care

what you

think.

I don't

care who

you are.

I don't

believe in

you at

all.

I'm

living how

I want

to live

and I

could

care

less

who

you

are.

Now

some

of us

went to

church

and some

of us

had a

religious

bent

but do

you realize

they're still

in the

heart of

hearts

the old

man

desires

to

satisfy

and

please

and

gratify

self.

We might

put on

this image

that says

yes I'm

a religious

person.

I'll just

share about

me is that

I grew up

going to

church

and from

the time

I was

born I

don't ever

remember a

time when I

wasn't

regularly

attending

church.

I go to

college and

I find a

church.

I regularly

attend

church but

it wasn't

until I

finished

college at

22 years

old that

I realized

I was

in trouble.

That I

realized I

was separated

from a

holy God.

That I

realized that

I still

don't know

the depth

of my

sin but

I saw

it in

a way

that I

was shocked.

I thought

I was a

moral good

guy and

God says

your morality

that you

so trust

in you

look

underneath

it and

what you'll

find behind

it is

a motive

that is

pointed right

back to

you.

You want

people to

clap for

you.

You want

people to

applaud.

You want

people to

pat you

on the

back.

You want

to impress.

Do you

see Treg

how sinful

that is?

Do you

see how

ugly that

is in

my eyes?

Do you

see that

all your

motives are

underneath

this umbrella

of pride?

You think

you're good.

You think

that you

honor me.

You think

that you're

doing spiritual

righteous

things.

You're

not.

Because

everything

you're

doing is

pride-filled

self-filled

and it

doesn't do

anything for

my kingdom.

You know

in an

interest

in a

moral

person

thinks

that

they're

in

right

standing

with

God

I'm

good.

Some

would

say

I'm

okay.

God

will

surely

let

a

good

person

into

his

kingdom.

We

don't

have

the

eyes

of

God.

He

sees

through

what

we

think

is

goodness

and

he

looks

at

the

motive.

He

looks

at

the

heart

and

he

sees

sin,

sin,

sin,

sin,

sin,

sin.

You know

what he

sees?

This

person

enslaved

to sin.

Like

Paul

is sharing

with the

Ephesians

that we

in truth

were

enemies

of God.

But

now I

ask you

who are

you now?

Who

are you

now?

Have

you

experienced

the life

change

that God

gives

when we

bow our

knee,

when we

accept

him by

faith,

when we

say I

see who

I am.

I see

now my

sinfulness

away I

never

knew

before.

God

thank you

that you

would

open my

eyes,

but now

I see

I'm in

trouble.

I

entrust

myself

to you.

I

entrust

myself

to the

work of

Jesus

in my

place,

his

substitutionary

death

for me.

I see

the gift

that you

offer,

and I

reach out

to you

and say,

God,

I'm not

worthy,

I don't

deserve

any of

it,

but by

your

grace

would you

love me,

would you

forgive

me,

would you

change

me,

would you

be my

God,

would you

be my

king?

Who were

we?

Sinners

separated from

the holy

God.

Who are

we?

Those

whose lives

have been

transformed.

We actually

have died,

we've been

buried,

and we've

been raised

to walk

in newness

of life.

What does

that look

like?

we go

back to

Paul's

question.

Are we

to continue

in sin

that grace

may abound?

What?

What are

you talking

about?

Who would

even think

that it

would be

okay to

walk in

a sinful

way before

a holy

God who's

forgiven us

a debt

that we

couldn't

repay?

Who's

given us

life,

who's

made us

a son,

who's

caused us

to be

an heir

of his

kingdom?

Who's

listen,

church,

do you

understand,

do we

understand

that we're

children of

light?

We're

children of

the king.

We've

been adopted

into the

family of

God.

We've

been forgiven

completely.

We've

been given

a hope

of heaven.

There's a

place for

us in

heaven.

Christ

is going

to prepare.

He will

return,

and when

he returns,

he will

take us

to that

place as

the bride.

he's

purifying.

We're

now this

person that's

no longer

enslaved.

The old

man was

enslaved,

but when

the Holy

Spirit came

to live in

our life,

you know

what happened

is he

transformed

who we

are.

He put

a new

spirit

within

us.

And that

new spirit

doesn't

desire to

pursue sin

anymore.

the new

spirit

desires to

honor and

worship God.

We see

him in a

growing way,

his holiness.

I love

what Moses

said.

Show me

your glory.

Show me

your glory,

God.

You know

what he

said?

He said,

you can't

see all

my glory.

I'm glad

that you

desire to

see my

glory,

but you

don't

understand the

greatness of

my glory.

But I

will allow

just a

remnant of

my glory to

pass by and

allow you to

see it.

And the

effect on

his life

was dramatic.

So we

follow the

train of

thinking that

Paul is

sharing here.

He says,

don't you

know,

don't you

recognize who

you now

are?

And he

says this,

if we look

down in

verse 11,

verse 10.

You know,

I can't do

that.

I'm going to

have to go

back to

nine.

We know

that Christ

being raised

from the dead

will never

die again.

Death no

longer has

dominion over

him.

Do you

know that,

Christian?

It's done.

He conquered

the grave.

He conquered

the devil.

He conquered

sin.

He conquered

death.

It's done.

He is a

conquering king.

It says,

for the death

he died,

he died to

sin.

He died,

why?

Because he

took on our

sin.

And he

carried it

to the

cross,

and he

died in

our place.

That that

sin would

not be

counted on

our account.

And it

goes on,

the death

he died,

he died to

sin once for

all,

but the

life he

lives,

he lives

to God.

So you

also must

consider,

Christian,

you must

consider

yourselves

dead to

sin.

and alive

to God

in Christ

Jesus.

So the

first word

we talked

about is

to know.

Do you

know who

you were?

Do you

know who

you are?

The second

word to

consider this

morning is

this word

consider.

Consider.

What does

it mean to

consider?

Paul says,

do you

know who

you are?

And then

he's saying,

consider

these things.

Let me

just share

an illustration

if I can.

Some of

y'all might

know that

I used

to play

golf.

I don't

know if

he would

call it

golf anymore,

but I'll

try to

still play.

But in

the earlier

days when

I was

young and

I was

chasing

that dream

of playing

golf

professionally

one day,

that I

would spend

hours upon

hours upon

hours practicing

chipping,

practicing

putting,

getting on

the range

and just

hitting ball

after ball,

playing as

often as

much as I

could in

order to

get to the

place where

I'd be good

enough.

On occasion,

I would

often go to

tournaments,

but on

occasion I

would be in

a tournament

and I would

play horribly.

And I'm like,

what is going

on?

That's something.

I ought to be

able to show

up and just

play consistently

every time I'm

out, but

sometimes I would

show up and I

would play and

the ball's just

flying left and

it's flying right.

I'm hitting the

ground when I'm

trying to chip.

I'm like, what in

the world is going

on?

And I get

home and you

know if you're

like me and

you play tournament

golf, these

things just spin

around in your

head.

And so I get

home and I'm

like, what in

the world?

Good grief.

I'm going over

my swing.

I'm saying, how

did it happen?

And I'm thinking

about, wait a

minute, okay, my

arm's got to be

straight.

I've got to go

back.

I've got to put

my weight here.

And I'm thinking

about all these

little factors in

the golf game are

important.

I'm saying, okay,

here, I've got to

go.

Oh, that's

what I wasn't

doing.

I was letting

that knee move.

Well, of course I

was going

everywhere.

I knew how to

do it.

I had trained my

body how to play

golf.

I played at a

high level of

golf.

But that day, I

wasn't playing

well.

There was a

reason.

I had to bring

all of that up to

the forefront of

my mind and say,

oh, yeah, that's

why I didn't play

good.

I had to

consider what it

might have been.

I had to bring

the truths.

To me, they were

so seeded in my

life and my golf

game that I didn't

think about a lot of

these basics anymore.

I just went out and

just played.

But every now and

I have to bring the

basics back and

remind myself what

the basics are.

Christian, you know

that that's important

as we live for

Christ, that we

have to take every

thought captive to

the obedience of

Christ?

Do you know that

we have to remind

ourselves who we

are?

When temptation

flies at us and

we are tempted to

think, oh, man,

that would be great.

You know, if I go

do that, oh, man,

it's going to be so

fun.

I think if I could

just do that, it's

oh, we're enticed

by sin.

And sometimes we

forget who we are.

Why would we, who

have died to sin,

why would we go out

and participate in

it?

It makes no sense.

And in those

moments when the

temptation comes, or

in those moments when

our flesh is stirring

and wanting to do

something for self,

we have to remind

ourselves, no, no,

that doesn't make

any sense.

the old man died.

The guy who wanted

to sin died.

God, forgive me for

even contemplating

that.

You've called me to

live for your

kingdom and to seek

your righteousness.

God, forgive me.

Give me strength to

say no.

You know there's no

sin such as common

to man, according to

Corinthians, where God

has not given us a

way of escape.

Do you know that God

always gives us a way

of escape, even in the

most difficult of

temptations?

Sometimes we just have

to remember who we

are.

We have to consider the

basics.

No, that's not me.

That's not who I am.

I'm a son of God.

I'm an ambassador of

his kingdom.

I'm a saint.

Let me ask this,

church.

Do you see

yourselves as saints or

do you see yourselves as

a sinner?

You know, I ask that

question to many people

and they say, I'm a

sinner.

I've got sin that

happens on a regular

basis.

I mean, I just find

myself failing and

failing and failing and

failing again.

They say, I know the

Bible says I'm a saint,

but I don't feel like a

saint.

Because I trip up all

the time.

These things that I do,

let me just clarify for

us, church.

You're not a sinner.

The essence of who you

were was a sinner.

The old man was a

sinner.

The old man was

enslaved to sin.

That guy died.

You're not a sinner

anymore.

You know what?

You're a saint.

You're in Christ.

You're born again.

You bought with his

blood.

You're changed.

Inside of you is a

desire to honor and

worship God.

Do you know it?

Do you experience it?

Does it move you?

Does God give you this

desire to live for him?

Christian, I sure hope

that's true.

Doctrinally speaking,

it's absolutely true

because you've been

raised in union with

Christ.

You've been united with

Christ.

You've been baptized.

You've died.

You've been buried.

You've been resurrected

in Christ.

You've been given a new

heart by God.

And that new heart

genuinely desires to

honor him and serve him

and worship him and

enjoy him.

You're not a sinner.

You're a saint.

Now let me just say

this.

Saints sometimes sin.

Is that true for you?

Yeah.

Well how do we deal

with this thing?

How do we deal

with this plague?

This constant barrage

from Satan and the

dark kingdom,

from the worldly

ways, the ways of our

world, from the fleshly

cravings of our body.

How do we deal with

those things?

Here's how you deal

with it.

Look with me in verse

12.

Starting in verse 12.

This is our third word.

Present.

Verse 12.

Let not sin therefore

reign in your mortal

body.

I'll talk about that

word reign in just a

minute.

Let not sin reign in

your mortal body to

make you obey its

passions.

Do you hear that?

There's an influence

that's pressing itself

in your life that wants

you to obey that

influence.

let it not happen.

Let not sin reign in

your mortal body that

you would obey its

passion.

Rather do this.

Do not present your

members to sin as

instruments of

unrighteousness but

present yourselves to

God as those who have

been brought from death

to life and your

members to God.

Present yourselves to

God.

Present your members to

God.

Christian.

Know who you are.

Know what has changed

in your life.

Know that you walk in

newness of life.

And consider it in the

moment when these

passions, these urges,

these outward forces

come at you to entice

you into sin.

To entice you to walk

after the world and

after the enemy.

Consider in those

moments who you are

and resist it.

Don't present yourselves

to sin to live that

way.

The word of God says

present yourselves to

God.

Present your members to

God.

What does that look like?

Church?

How do you present your

members to God?

Here's my hand, God.

I don't want to do

anything that's going to

offend you or that's

going to be self-motivated,

that's going to be

self-seeking.

I don't want to do any

of that.

God, I don't want to

look at anything that

would bring dishonor to

your kingdom.

I don't want to look at

anything that's going to

cause me to lust.

God, I don't want to

walk in places I

shouldn't walk.

I don't want to say

words I shouldn't say.

I don't want to listen

to things I shouldn't

listen to.

I want to present every

bit of who I am to you

for your kingdom.

You know, he talks about

that in the Sermon on the

Mount.

One of the verses that

has meant much to me

through the years is

Matthew 6.33.

Seek ye first the

kingdom of God and

his righteousness.

Seek ye first his

kingdom and his

righteousness.

You know that's where

our heart should be.

We should present our

members as instruments

for his kingdom, for

his glory, for his

honor.

That's the call, the

high call of God in

Christ Jesus is to not

live like the world.

God is to live like

Christ, empowered by

Christ.

You know, Paul says in

Galatians, it's no longer

I who live, but Christ

Jesus who lives in me.

And the life I live, I

don't live by my own

strength, but I live by

his power.

Do you know he's given

us everything we need for

life and godliness?

Everything we need for

life and godliness.

He's already given it to

us.

There's no temptation

that's going to overtake

you.

He's provided a way of

escape.

You know we need each

other to be faithful?

Have you ever been

inspired by someone who's

in the kingdom to walk

more faithfully?

Have you ever been

blessed by somebody in

times of pain that comes

up and wraps their arm

around, doesn't say a

word, they just care for

you.

They just love you.

You know, the

accountability that comes

would be in communion

together, to be in

fellowship together, to be

in a church body

together, to be involved

in each other's lives.

You know that's an

accountability for us, it's

a blessing for us, it's a

benefit.

We need the strength of

this body to be faithful.

Left on our own on an

island, Satan's gate, it

just takes one gun, doesn't

it?

Boom, I'll get him this

time.

You put us all together

and we're doing life

together, and somebody that

knows me well knows that

that's a weak area of my

life, and Brother Bill

says, hey man, don't do

that.

What do you mean?

Dog, yeah, okay, thanks.

Come on.

And you help me in the

blind spots and the weak

spots in my life to be

faithful in my walk to

God.

You know we need each

other.

That we might be faithful

to do what?

To do this, to present our

members as instruments to

God.

Christian, know who you

are.

Consider it at the moment

of temptation, the moment

of struggle, and then

make a choice to present

your life to God as a

living sacrifice.

You know what Romans 12,

1 and 2 says?

Listen to it.

And this is the same

book.

This is Paul, after he's

talking about all these

truths, he gets to chapter

12 and he says,

therefore, in light of

everything I've just shared

with you, in light of this

truth that you've been

justified by faith, in

light of this truth that

you've been united with

Jesus in a way that is

amazing, to even consider

that we're in Christ,

united with him, in

relationship with him, we've

received everything that

was accomplished by his

death, we've received.

We've been imputed as

righteous.

He said, in light of all

this, church, listen to

verse 12.

I appeal to you,

therefore, brothers, by

the mercies of God, to

present your bodies as a

what?

As a living sacrifice.

If you ever in your mind

seen yourself climbing up

on the altar that Isaac

was placed on, you know,

Abraham took Isaac and God

said, you need to give

away your son, you need to

sacrifice him to me.

So he goes way out in the

wilderness and God says,

I want you to sacrifice

your son.

Why?

His son potentially was an

idol in his life.

And he said, I want you

to sacrifice him.

And Isaac did what?

He willingly laid on a

cross and said, if that's

what it takes, I'm

willing.

Have you ever seen

yourself as stepping up

onto an altar and laying

yourself on the altar and

say, here I am, God.

I'm all yours.

I sacrifice myself to your

kingdom.

I present myself to you,

God, in heart.

I present myself to you as

a living sacrifice.

Today, I'm going to be

lived for your kingdom.

Tomorrow, I'm going to

live for your kingdom.

Next week, I'm going to

live for your kingdom.

God, by your strength and

your grace and your power,

I can't do it myself.

But I know you've given me

everything I need for life

and guidance.

And God, I cling to you to

help me be faithful because I

can't be faithful on my own.

I see my weakness.

And what did Paul say?

He said, when I'm weak, then

am I strong.

Why?

Because I recognize that in

my own strength, I can't

accomplish anything that

honors God, anything that's

faithful.

When I'm weak, then I'm

strong.

Why?

It's because then I turned to

God and said, help.

Help me, Lord.

Help me to be faithful.

Help me to say no to sin.

Help me to present my life

to you.

Help me not to turn away.

Help me not to walk after

the ways of the world.

God, I need your help.

I'm weak.

And it's not until we see

ourselves as weak that we'll