Romans 6:19-23

We've been studying through the book of Romans.

We're in Romans chapter 6.

Romans 6 · chapter mention

! The last few verses of the chapter.

Romans chapter 6.

Romans 6 · chapter mention

That's a hard song to follow.

I'm just going to say it.

Alright, we're equal.

Romans chapter 6.

Romans 6 · chapter mention

I'll start reading in verse 19 through the end of the chapter.

Paul is writing to the church in Rome.

He writes and he says,

I am 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 these 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 it's in eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death.

The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus,

our Lord.

Let's pray together.

Father, we thank you for Jesus.

We thank you for the grace and the mercy

that you've shown us through him,

through his life, his death, and his resurrection.

We thank you for your word that you have revealed to us,

that you have shown us,

so we can hold in our hands and read.

We thank you that your word speaks of Jesus,

shows us about Jesus,

teaches us Jesus.

I pray this morning that we prove with the word spoken

and the ears of listening that we love Jesus.

I pray, God, that we would honor him,

lift him up,

and he would receive all praise this morning.

Speak to us this morning in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Now, I'm going to approach this text a little different.

Usually it's verse by verse.

This is what it's saying.

This is what it means.

I'm still going to be faithful to it,

but I want to look at how does being set free,

we've been set free in Christ

from the power and burden and control of sin,

how does that affect our gathering?

How does that affect this meeting time,

our meetings during the week,

our meetings with families

or one-on-one discipleship?

How does being set free really affect our lives?

Because theologically and doctrinally,

we can say it all along,

every moment of every day,

but how does it affect our everyday life

and in specific,

us here together?

In other words,

so what?

So we've been set free.

So what?

What does it mean?

What does it lead us to?

So we have sin in our life

that no longer has power over us.

What do we do with that?

And why does the fact that we have been set free from sin

and now have been made slave to God

impact us and our gathering together?

This is the question that I want to answer this morning.

The easy answer,

the simple answer is in every way.

In every way it changes,

it impacts our gathering.

In every way,

in how we speak,

in how we sing,

in how we gather,

in how we care for one another,

in how we look at one another,

how we listen to one another.

In every way is a simple answer.

So let's get a little more specific.

And in our text,

I think we have a little more specific answer.

If we've been set free,

if our identity has changed,

if we're no longer slave to sin,

but slave to God,

then our identity has changed.

Because if our identity has changed,

then what we do,

how we live,

and why we gather changes as well.

So no matter how mature you are as a Christian,

you know how much knowledge you have,

or I have,

we all need help in this endeavor

to live out this Christian life.

We all need help.

None of us have figured this out.

None of us have perfected it.

Paul himself says,

I am not yet perfect.

I continue on forward.

We need one another

to preach the Gospel to us,

to remind us that we are set free from sin,

and to etch into one another's minds

that this gathering is not about us.

It's about Jesus.

Joy to the world

is about Jesus,

not about us.

So as I review,

Romans 1 and 2,

divine for us,

clearly,

that all human beings,

then and now,

have been born into a curse.

We are dead.

Curse that goes all the way back

to Adam and Eve

in the Garden of Eden.

Adam and Eve bought into the lie

that the devil gave them,

bought into the lie

that they can be important,

that they can be special,

that they can be like God,

and they decided to worship themselves

instead of worshiping God

as they were created to do.

As we are today,

they were created to worship God,

to bring glory to God.

As our Logos question number two says,

the adult version is,

what is the chief end of man?

To glorify Him

and enjoy Him forever.

That's what we were created to do.

We were created to worship Him alone.

And from this moment

in the Garden of Eden,

through all of eternity,

mankind,

and all of time,

mankind has been cursed

with the inability to worship God.

We've been cursed

with the inability to please God,

to do God things.

We cannot worship Him

apart from a supernatural act of God.

So we come to Romans 3,

and it says,

for all have sinned

and fall short of the glory of God.

All of us have sinned.

No one is left out of that equation.

We are unable to bring glory to God.

We are unable

to do good,

God-glorifying things.

Now of course,

semantics,

we can do good things.

We can do nice things.

We can be nice human beings

and care for people

and love people,

but we cannot do God-honoring,

God-glorifying things.

We cannot enjoy Him

as we were created to do.

Even religious things

are like filthy rags.

We weren't created to be religious.

We weren't created to be Baptists,

although some people might say we were.

We weren't created to be Methodists,

or Presbyterians.

We were created to be God's people,

His children,

and whatever name you want to put to that.

That's what we were created to be.

Religion was created by man

to replace God,

to make where we have no need for Him.

And if there's no need for God,

then our curse that we are born into

no longer has powers,

no longer as powerful as we thought.

And then we can fix that issue

with good deeds or religious activities.

But that's not the case.

Romans 1, 2, and 3,

and then building up to chapter 4,

all of it proves

that even religion does not save.

Chapter 4,

we have Abraham,

who's been justified,

Paul lays out for us

that Abraham was justified by faith,

not by anything else,

not by works,

not by religious activity,

no special bloodline,

no being the patriarch of the Jewish people.

That didn't save him.

What saved him was his faith

or faith from God.

He was justified by faith.

No religious activity,

no good deed.

Abraham did not earn

his faith.

He did not earn

the salvation that he received.

Romans 4,

Romans 4:20

verse 20 and 21 says,

of Abraham,

no distrust made him waver

concerning the promise of God.

But he grew strong in his faith

as he gave glory to God,

fully convinced that God was able to do

what he had promised.

So this amazing faith

that Abraham showed

was nothing of his doing

or his ability.

It was all based and rooted

on who God is

and what God has promised.

What God said that He would do.

This same faith can be evident

in your life and in mine.

But like Abraham,

it is God working through us.

just earlier in Romans 4,

faith wasn't given to Adam

and he wasn't made righteous

because of being circumcised.

And I point that out

because that is the one

religious activity

of the Jewish people

that was important.

That was it.

It proved to the world

that they were Jewish.

It proved to them

that they belonged

to God's chosen people.

And even Abraham,

who was the patriarch,

was not made righteous

because of being circumcised.

Made righteous because of his faith.

So, to summarize,

we are justified by faith

apart from works.

It's a good Christian saying,

but it's very important.

We are justified by faith

apart from works.

So, nothing in us

earns, deserves

the salvation that God gives us.

This is the launching point.

This truth,

justified by faith

apart from works,

that's the launching point

for all of Romans.

As Paul writes

to the Christian church,

to the church in Rome,

to the Christians there,

he writes to them

and he says,

as Abraham,

you too can be justified by faith.

Not anything that you have done.

You haven't earned it.

Everything we are and do

is out of being justified.

Being made right before God

because of his love,

his grace,

and his mercy.

We've got to make sure

we understand this.

And on the cross

is where we've been justified.

On the cross

is where our sins

were taken

by Jesus.

And in return,

we are given

his righteousness.

Martin Luther calls

the great exchange

and we mention it

often.

Jesus took our sin

and gave us

his righteousness.

This

is the launching point.

See,

at the cross,

we find victory

over sin.

At the cross,

we are set free

from that same sin.

At the cross,

we are given peace

with God.

Because of the cross,

we can approach

the throne room

with boldness.

Because of the cross,

we live victorious lives.

Because of the cross,

we love our neighbors.

See,

all of what we are

and do as Christians

because and through

the cross of Jesus Christ.

At Calvary,

where He died for you

and for me.

That's where

it all comes from.

John Piper,

in his book,

The Roots of Endurance,

is writing about

William Wilberforce,

John Newton,

and Charles Stimeon.

Three great men of,

as we sometimes say,

old dead guys.

Great men of faith.

He writes about them

and he says,

they were careful

to savor the cross first

as the basis of justification

before they experienced

its purchased power

of sanctification.

Before the power of endurance

came the pardon of guilt.

Before the blood-bought enabling

of righteous living

came the free gift

of perfect righteousness

credited to our account

because of Christ alone

through faith alone.

These men,

we can lift them up,

but they're just men.

These men knew

that what we do

is secondary

to what Christ did

on the cross.

What Christ did

on the cross

determines what we do here.

So out of what Christ did,

we now live for Him.

Justification is the launch point

for Romans

and for the Christian life.

So we now come to chapter 6.

On the cross,

our sin nature died with Jesus.

If we are Christian,

if we are believers,

if we are a biblical definition

of being a Christian,

if you know when you love Jesus,

then you have been set free

on the cross

from the control

and bondage of sin.

And now,

in our text,

we have the outcome

of being set free.

We have the outcome

of no longer being empowered

or no longer being powered over

by sin.

And that outcome is

sanctification and holiness.

Or sanctification

or holiness.

The infinitely holy God

through Christ

has given us

His holiness.

It is a process.

A long process.

A slow process.

But we are being perfected

because of Christ.

Because of His work

on the cross.

We can be holy

as He commanded.

Be holy

as I am holy.

We can be holy

as God is holy

because of Jesus.

Later on in the book,

John Piper says

of the time

that William Wilberforce lived,

he said,

nominal Christians

were confusing

and reversing

sanctification

and justification.

They were making

the fruits of holiness

the cause

and not the effects

of being justified.

What the whole

beginning part of Romans

is about up to this point

is out of being justified

we are becoming sanctified.

Out of what Christ has done

we are able to live

a certain and specific way.

Sounds a lot like our time,

doesn't it?

We know people

who are trying to live

good lives.

People who are trying

to be religious.

We are surrounded

by nominal Christians

or non-Christians

at all

believe that they

have to live

a good life.

They just have to be good

in order to earn

God's favor.

But we know

that that is not

the case at all.

We don't want

this building,

we don't want

this gathering

to be filled

with people

who are nominal

Christians

who think they have

to earn God's grace.

That wouldn't be

grace at all.

And there is no victory

in that life.

That is a life

of slavery,

of burden,

trying to earn

God's favor

and God's grace.

We want to lead

people who love

out of joy,

who gather

out of joy

and who bless

out of joy,

not out of obligation

or out of some

form of payment

to God.

So as we look

at our text

this morning,

so what?

So what does

this mean?

What does

this mean

about how

we gather?

We have been

set free,

so what?

Well,

as I've kind

of set us up,

we can't go

any further

without completely

and totally

understanding

verse 23

of chapter 6.

We have to get it,

understand it,

know it.

Verse 23 says,

for the wages

of sin is death,

but the free

gift of God

is eternal life

in Christ Jesus

our Lord.

Wages of sin.

There is a payment

to be paid.

Our sin

earns a payment.

It earns a paycheck.

So sin is working

against you

and against me

and as it works,

it's earning its wage

or earning a wage.

Sin doesn't just

deserve death.

Sometimes we'll say,

you know,

sin deserves death.

Deserve

leaves room

for subjectivity.

It leaves room

for

a little play,

too much play.

According to our text,

the wages of sin,

sin earns,

there's a clear

payment exchange

there.

It's wage

and the wage

is death.

And it's not

talking about

you dying

here on earth.

It's talking about

eternal,

permanent

separation

from God.

Everything God

does is good.

Everything God

does is right.

Everything God

does is holy

and just.

You're going to

be separated

from that

eternally

because of the

sin in your life,

because of your

sin,

if you do not

know Christ,

if you do not

love Him.

this is the

reality of our

curse that we're

born into.

We receive,

we're born into

this curse

by the second

part of verse

23.

But,

the free gift

of God

is eternal

life in Christ

Jesus our

Lord.

We receive a

gift,

an undeserved

gift from the

Creator.

That is eternal

life.

Eternal life in

Christ.

He's because of

Jesus.

In Jesus and

for Jesus,

our lives are

all about

Jesus.

That's why our

vision statement

is not up there.

Christ's Family

Church exists to

experience,

proclaim,

and display the

supremacy of

Jesus Christ in

all things.

Our lives are

all about

Jesus.

Our gatherings

are all about

Jesus.

Our entire

life is about

Him.

So,

we move from

verse 23.

We got verse

23.

We have to

understand verse

23.

And then out of

that,

so what?

So what do

we do?

Because we are

recipients of

this gift from

a holy God,

our identity

changes.

As I mentioned

a few minutes

ago, we're no

longer slaves to

sin if we are

Christians, if we

are born-again

believers.

we are now

slaves to God.

And that is a

complete identity

change.

Ephesians chapter

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

2 says you

were dead.

You're now

alive.

That's a big

identity change.

See, at that

moment of being

justified, being

born again, our

identity changes.

verse 19 of

Romans chapter 6

Romans 6 · chapter mention

says, for just

as you once

presented your

members as

slaves to

impurity and

to lawlessness

leading to more

lawlessness.

See, before

Jesus, our

identity was in

what we did.

Sin.

And I don't

mean, you

know, your

sports

accomplishments,

your life

accomplishments,

your struggles.

It was in how

we lived, what

we did, what

determined what

we did, and

that was sin.

That was where

our identity

was.

According to

this, impurity

and lawlessness

was your

identity, was

our identity

before Christ.

Impurity

represents the

inward sin,

the thoughts,

the lust,

the judgment,

the hatred,

the anger,

the vanity.

We have those

inward sins that

nobody might

see.

We can hide

those.

But lawlessness

represents the

outward sin,

the actions,

the murder,

the malice,

the hatred,

the homosexuality,

the fornication,

on and on and

on.

Both of those

lists.

We could go on

and on and

on.

That's who we

were.

That's what our

identity was and

what we did.

But after

Jesus, we

become slaves to

righteousness

leading to

sanctification.

holiness.

See, our

identity is not

under the power

of sin anymore.

It is now

becoming empowered

by God

leading to

holiness.

See, as the

nominal Christians

did and

thought and

will before us

time, we are

holy out of what

Jesus did, not

on what we do

or try to do.

When our

identity changes,

what we live

for changes.

What we

desire changes.

For example,

if I became a

Muslim,

if I decided I'm

going to become a

Muslim, I like

their ideas and I

like how the

Quran is spelled

a little weird

and I just like

it.

my identity,

who I was,

would change.

It would

obviously change.

I don't even

know half the

laws and stuff

they have, but I

follow them.

But

what I live for

would change.

That identity

would determine

how I lived.

as a Christian

though, my

identity is

Jesus.

It's for

Jesus, through

Jesus, and so

I live for

Jesus and His

glory.

So when we

gather together,

big group,

small group,

morning service,

community group

in midweek,

families over a

meal, a one-on-one

discipleship,

whatever it is,

when we meet

together, we

unite over our

identity.

We unite over

what binds us

together, and

that is Jesus.

That is His

righteousness, His

holiness.

We unite over

what Jesus did

for us.

2 Corinthians 5

says that His

love compels

us.

We are

compelled to

live for

Him.

And

honestly,

no matter what

that means or

looks like,

we're going to

do that.

We're going to

live for Him

and love

Jesus.

Because,

truth be

told,

He did the

extreme for

us.

He did the

radical for

us by dying

on the cross

for our sin.

See,

our new

identity based

in Scripture,

based on who

Jesus is,

has already

measured the

cost.

And Jesus

is worth it.

Already

measured it.

We are

willing or

should be

willing to

go to do

and to be

whatever He

requires,

whatever He

commands.

He hung and

died on the

cross so that

we can fight

for Him and

love the

people of the

world.

He hung on the

cross so that

we can live

victorious over

sin and not

constantly stumble

over the same

thing.

1 John 3.16

says,

By this we

know love,

that He laid

down His life

for us,

and we ought

to lay down

our lives for

the brothers.

When we

gather,

when we're

apart,

be willing to

lay down our

lives for the

brothers.

Whatever that

means,

because Jesus

is worth

more than

what measurements

we can put

on here on

earth.

When we

unite over

our identity

in Jesus,

we gain a

kingdom view.

We gain a

vision of what

God is doing

and what He

wants to do.

And that

becomes contagious.

Infectious even.

When we unite

over our

identity in

Jesus,

this kingdom

view becomes

contagious.

When the body

gathers,

the body

becomes infected

with the

commission of

the King.

Because being

set free,

because of

Jesus and

being set free

from sin,

we do radical

things then.

We make radical

decisions.

We live radical

lives for Him.

Turn to

Isaiah chapter

Isaiah 61 · chapter mention

61.

Isaiah 61 is a

prophecy of the

coming Messiah

who we know

is Jesus.

Isaiah 61,

Isaiah writes,

the Spirit of the

Lord God is upon

me because the

Lord has anointed

me to bring good

news to the poor.

He has sent me to

bind up the

brokenhearted,

to proclaim

liberty to the

captives,

and the opening of

the prison to those

who are bound,

to proclaim the

year of the

Lord's favor,

and the day of

vengeance of our

God,

to comfort all

who mourn,

to grant to

those who

mourn in Zion,

to give them a

beautiful headdress

instead of ashes,

the oil of

gladness instead

of mourning,

the garment of

praise instead of

a faint spirit,

that they may be

called oaks of

righteousness,

the planting of

the Lord that He

may be glorified.

They shall build

up the ancient

ruins.

They shall raise

up the former

devastations.

They shall repair

the ruined cities,

the devastations of

many generations.

Look at these

actions.

Bring good news

to the poor.

Bind up the

brokenhearted.

Proclaim liberty

to the captives.

Open the prison

to those who are

bound.

Comfort all who

mourn.

Proclaim the

year of the

Lord's favor.

Grant those who

mourn in Zion.

Give beautiful

headdresses instead

of ashes.

Give the oil of

gladness instead

of a faint spirit.

If this is

Jesus, then this

is our mission

too.

If this is

Jesus, then

this is why

we gather

what we

celebrate.

We are united

with one

identity.

An identity

that changes

the world.

An identity

that crushes

the power of

sin and enables

us to live in

freedom and to

share that

freedom.

We have freedom

to love Jesus

and fight for

Him.

we unite

over identities

and we

minister out

of that

identity as

well.

We minister

together.

We minister

to one another.

We minister

apart to those

around us in our

circles out in

the world.

world.

We haven't been

called just to

meet.

We haven't been

called to gather

together on Sunday

morning at

1030.

We have been

sent into the

world to live

for Jesus, to

fight for Jesus, to

make disciples, to

live in the world

and love those

around us.

We have been

sent to be

as 2 Corinthians

5 says,

ministers of

reconciliation.

But the

question is,

how can we be

ministers of

reconciliation if

we ourselves

have never been

reconciled?

If we

ourselves have

never received

faith to

believe in

Jesus and

repented of

our sins?

Or maybe we

just don't

understand that

being set free

comes from

Jesus' work on

the cross and

not from some

good life that

I live.

Turn to

Colossians

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

And then we'll

come back to

Romans.

Colossians

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

The beginning

of chapter 3,

Paul,

writing to the

church at

Colossae,

says we

basically have a

new identity in

Christ.

Verses 1-4,

this is our

new identity.

Because of what

Christ has done,

this is who we

are.

So we can jump

down to verse

12.

This is how we

should live

together,

how we should

gather together,

how we should

act amongst one

another.

It says,

put on love.

Put on then,

as God's chosen

ones,

holy and beloved,

compassionate hearts,

kindness,

humility,

meekness,

and patience,

bearing with one

another.

And if one has a

complaint against

another,

forgiving each other

as the Lord has

forgiven you,

so you also must

forgive.

And above all

these,

put on love,

which binds

everything together

in perfect harmony.

And let the peace

of Christ rule

in your hearts,

to which indeed

you were called

in one body.

And be thankful.

Let the Word of

Christ dwell in you

richly,

teaching and admonishing

one another in all

wisdom,

singing psalms and hymns

and spiritual songs

with thankfulness in

your hearts to God.

And whatever you do,

in word or deed,

do everything in the

name of the Lord

Jesus,

giving thanks to

God the Father

through Him.

This is living like

this.

Put on compassionate

hearts,

kindness,

humility,

meekness,

patience.

Put on love.

Let the Word of

Christ dwell in you

richly.

All of that is out

of what Christ has

done for you and

for me.

You can't do any of

this apart from the

work of Christ on

the cross.

Apart from a new

identity.

Our new identity

identity is not

this ambiguous

idea.

It's not this

someday,

maybe,

possibly,

might happen

thing.

It's present

now.

It's a present

moment thing.

Look at verse

22 of Romans

6.

Back to Romans

Romans 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6.

Language is in

present tense.

Verse 22.

But now that you

have been set free

from sin,

writing to the

church in Rome,

writing to

Christians,

to believers,

but now that you

have been set free

from sin and

have become slaves

of God, the fruit

you get leads to

sanctification and

eternal life.

It is now that we

have a new identity.

It's not when we

die and we're with

Jesus.

It is now.

We are no longer

slaves to sin.

Sin no longer

has power over us

because of Christ

and the cross we

have this new

identity.

Galatians 4,

Galatians 4:7

verse 7 gives us

a clear picture of

identity change.

Verse 7 of

Galatians chapter 4.

Galatians 4 · chapter mention

So you are no

longer a slave,

but a son.

And if a son,

then an heir

through God.

We are no longer

a slave to sin,

but an heir to

the greatest

kingdom.

The greatest

kingdom that has

ever been.

A kingdom that is

beyond our

understanding and

comprehension.

This is who we

are.

This is our new

identity.

And this new

identity affects

every area of our

lives, including

the times we

gather together.

in verse 20,

it says in

chapter 6 of

Romans,

for when you

were slaves of

sin, you were

free in regard

to righteousness.

Which, just

reading it is a

pretty obvious

statement.

When you're

slaves of sin,

you're not

connected with,

bound with

righteousness.

There's no

connection there.

You're not

under its

master.

We were

free from

righteousness,

which means,

as I've already

said, we were

unable to do

it or be

righteous.

Unable.

We were

unable to

please God.

We had not

been forgiven.

We had not

been given a

right standing

before God.

But not only

were we unable

to do righteous

acts because of

verse 20,

really because of

our sin,

communicated in

verse 20,

there's also no

binding, no

commitment between

us and

righteousness.

There was no

relationship between

us.

It did not have

control over us.

It did not

change how we

did things.

It didn't

change our

identity at all.

We couldn't

do any of it.

We couldn't do

righteous acts.

We were broken

from doing

good.

It was not

connected because

we were not

born again.

Look at the

end of verse

22, though.

The fruit you

get leads to

sanctification and

it's in eternal

life.

The end of

verse 19.

So now,

present your

members as

slaves to

righteousness

leading to

sanctification.

Because of

Jesus,

because of

His life,

death,

and resurrection,

because of

His perfect

life,

sinless life,

He took on

our sin.

He took on

your sin so

that you can

be holy.

You can be

made holy.

holy.

Jesus died so

that you and

I can be

holy as God

is holy.

God is

working.

He's working

in your life.

He's working

in my life.

He's working

in everyone's

life in

here.

If you're a

Christian,

when we

gather,

we celebrate

what God

is doing

in us.

When we

gather,

we celebrate

what He's

done for

us.

We gather,

we see the

evidence of

what God

is doing

in each

other's

lives.

We see

the identity

change.

And that

encourages us.

That strengthens

us.

We gather

to rejoice

in Jesus,

to celebrate

Him because

of the slow

process of

making us

holy.

Perfecting

us for

His glory

and our

good.

He's

healing our

broken hearts.

He's

mending

marriages back

together.

He's

breaking

addictions.

He is

making the

dead

alive.

We come

together to

taste and

see this

stuff.

We come

together to

see that

He is

God and

He is

good.

We see

it among

His people.

We see

it in the

face of

the husband

and wife

whose marriage

has been

reconciled.

We see

it in the

college

graduate who

is more

excited about

serving Jesus

than any

potential job

pay.

We see

it in a

life that

has been

changed by

the gospel.

We come

to rejoice

that we

all in

Christ have

been set

free from

sin.

We've all

been set

free.

We live

no longer

under the

power of

sin but

in the

victory over

it.

And we

push one

another on.

We push

one another

forward.

Lord, we

come together

to celebrate

that death

for us is

a beginning

and not

an end.

And eternal

life is our

destination.

Eternity with

Jesus is

where we're

headed if we

know Jesus.

We come

together not

to celebrate

what He

has done,

what we have

done.

We don't

come to

celebrate that

or our

talents.

Although sin

will tell

us that's

why we

gather.

Sin will

tell you to

come and

celebrate what

you have

done.

We have

been given

victory over

that sin so

that we can

come and

rejoice in

what Jesus

is doing

and has

done.

We come

together to

lift up

Jesus so

that we can

go strengthened

and empowered

to fight the

good fight for

Him and

His name.

Listen to

these words

from Charles

Simeon in

a sermon.

He says,

For a

nominal

Christian is

content with

proving the

way of

salvation by

a crucified

Redeemer.

So a

nominal

Christian is

content with

just saying,

I am

saved because

of Jesus

on the

cross and

that's it.

But the

true Christian

loves it,

delights in

it,

glories in

it,

and shudders

at the

very thought

of glorying

in anything

else.

The

true Christian

loves it,

delights in

it,

glories in

it,

and shudders

at the

very thought

of glorying

in anything

else.

This is

who we

want CFC

to be,

to be

filled with.

This is

what we

want CFC

to be.

True

Christians

who love

Jesus,

who delight

in Jesus,

who glory

in Jesus,

and shudder

at glorying

in anything

or anyone

else.

We come

together to

rejoice in

Jesus,

as our

statement of

faith says,

to experience,

proclaim,

and display

the supremacy

of Jesus

in all

things.

Because we

have been set

free,

our identity

has changed,

and we

gather to

celebrate

that in

Jesus'

name.

We have

been set

free from

sin to

live lives

that are no

longer in

bondage to

sin,

but is

victorious over

it.

It is that

simple.

In verse

19, I

skipped over

this phrase

the last two

weeks because

I wasn't sure

what to do

with it.

The beginning

of verse

19, I am

speaking in

human terms

because of

your natural

limitations.

It's not an

insult.

He's not saying

you guys are

dumb.

And so I'm

speaking clearly

to you or

speaking in

simple tone or

simple words.

What he's saying

is I'm using

simple language

because you

understand and

you need to

understand.

So he uses

slave and

master because

the church in

Rome would

understand that

clearly.

He uses this

and he repeats

it over and

over and says

it in different

ways so that

they can

understand.

We have

been set free

from sin.

Sin no longer

has power over

us.

It's that

simple.

simple.

Jesus died on

the cross for

our sin.

It's that

simple.

Let us not

muck up the

water so that

no one can

understand it.

We have been

set free.

You have been

set free.

I have been

set free.

We have

received a new

identity and

that is why we

gather.

We meet

together because

Jesus died

for us.

We have been

justified by

faith.

we are being

made holy by

God.

We can

worship together.

We can

celebrate together

and we can

rejoice together

because of what

Jesus has done

giving us a new

identity.

Christians,

let us rejoice

over our new

identity.

Let us fight

for His name,

for His renown,

for His acclaim,

for He is

worthy of all

praise.