Freedom

Our second reading, it comes from the book of Romans, Paul's letter to the Romans chapter 6.

Romans 6 · chapter mention

! It's on page 1132, and we're going to read the first 14 verses.

We hear God's word together again.

What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means. We are those who have died to sin.

How can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who are baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

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.

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.

For we know that our old self was crucified with him, so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with.

That we should no longer be slaves to sin.

Because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

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

For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again.

Death no longer has mastery over him.

Death no longer has mastery over him.

As an instrument of righteousness.

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Amen.

This is God's word.

So we're going to think this evening about freedom, and Christian freedom in particular.

But I think it's fair to say at the beginning that the idea of Christian freedom can be confusing.

Even when we come to Romans chapter 6, we find Paul in verse 1 having to defend himself against an accusation.

Romans 6 · chapter mention

If you preach a religion of grace, that will lead to sin and immorality.

That was one of the charges against Paul.

And so we need to understand that freedom is not the idea of a free pass.

Jesus is not our get-out-of-jail-free card.

But it is the freedom to live a whole new life as those who have been given a new heart, given new desires, given a new power that comes from God.

So that can confuse.

But for some, the confusion lies here that the whole idea of Christian freedom might sound and seem ridiculous.

If your conception of Christianity makes it about rules and limitations and barriers to people having sort of joy and freedom, then it's going to come across as confusing.

And again, freedom is not, Christian freedom is not, here's how to enjoy a life without any limits.

That's not really freedom.

This is a particular kind of freedom.

Like when we have a piece of technology and we understand that that technology works best when we follow the maker's guidelines.

You know, our mobile phones are excellent communication devices but not so good as a Frisbee.

We understand that principle.

Christian freedom is the freedom we find in following the guidelines of God, our maker.

That's the way life works best.

There's freedom in that.

So we need to think about what are we being told about Christian freedom here in Romans 6.

And it's interesting that all of this also involves Paul reflecting on the significance of the death and the resurrection of Jesus.

So what is Christian freedom in light of Easter?

What difference does it make?

A few things to say.

The first thing to say, and it's right here in the center of our text,

we know freedom through union with Christ.

There's an idea repeated twice.

Verse 5,

If we've been united with him in a death like his,

we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Phrasing a slightly different way in verse 8.

Now if we died with Christ,

we believe that we will also live with him.

So that key idea is repeated.

Now what does Paul mean?

This idea of union,

which is so important within the Bible.

Well perhaps we can think about a proxy.

When it comes to voting,

if you're off on your holidays,

you can elect a proxy to vote on your behalf.

In history,

it was possible even to have a proxy

to represent you at your own marriage ceremony.

I only discovered this this week,

but there are a number of kings of the UK

who were not present at their own wedding.

King James VI and I.

He was the first to do this.

When he was getting married to Queen Anne of Denmark,

he wasn't there.

He sent George Keith,

the fifth Earl Marshal,

in his place.

That's a very different set of wedding photos, isn't it?

So there's the idea of a proxy that represents someone.

Or think champion.

Think about champion.

So those occasions when two armies would come to war,

and rather than the whole army be involved,

there's the choice of a champion to represent either side.

And whoever wins,

wins for the whole army.

We think David.

We think Goliath.

Now take that idea into what we mean by

being united to Jesus by faith.

He is our proxy.

He represents us.

He is the champion who wins a victory for us.

And what is true for Jesus

is true for those who have faith in Jesus.

When it comes to death and resurrection,

Christopher Ash puts it this way.

Just as Jesus' death was once for all,

and his resurrection irreversible,

so it is for us in him.

So we go back to Good Friday.

Christ died for sin on the cross,

and when we are united with him,

we too die.

Our old nature dies.

We die to sin's enslaving power

and the penalty that is due.

And now we find ourselves here at Easter Sunday.

Christ rose to new life and united with him.

There is the promise that in the future,

we too will enjoy physical bodily resurrection life

in the new creation,

and in the present,

we enjoy new life with and in Jesus.

Notice the certainty in verse 5 and verse 8.

If we've been united with him in death,

we will certainly also be united with him

in our resurrection.

If we died with Christ,

we believe that we will live with him.

One necessarily follows the other.

There's no room for doubt.

John Piper has a very helpful image, I think.

He has this idea of the keys of death

hanging on the inside of the tomb of Christ Jesus.

Think about that giant stone,

and there's the keys hanging on the inside of the tomb.

To secure our resurrection from the dead,

Christ must die for sin,

Christ must enter the tomb,

Christ must rise again

and unlock the door of death from the inside.

That's what Jesus did in the gospel.

And in his resurrection,

now we have proof,

now we have the gift

that Jesus' work is finished,

and God accepted it.

And so we have freedom.

Think about that.

If we are united to Christ Jesus,

nothing can keep us in the tomb.

We are free to live.

We are free to live without the fear of death.

We are free to live with the hope of heaven.

And so there is this vital connection

between Jesus' death and resurrection

and how it affects our freedom.

When we read our Bibles,

when we read our own hearts,

we know that we all sin.

Lost sentences sinners to eternal death.

When we read our Bibles,

we learn about Jesus' life and death.

And Jesus there meets the demands of the law in full,

perfect obedience,

and then a perfect substitute sacrificing for us.

Jesus is punished for me.

Jesus is perfect for me.

And in those actions,

sins are removed.

The sting of sin,

which is death,

is removed.

So now it's not eternal death

that is our prospect,

it's eternal life

that now belongs to us.

And this is what we mean

when we talk about freedom with Christ,

freedom in Christ,

that one day,

we have the sure hope

that Jesus will return,

and Jesus will make everything new,

and Jesus will take his people to be with him,

to live in that perfect new world forever.

So we know freedom

through union with Christ.

There's a second idea to do with freedom in our text.

We know freedom

from the power of sin.

And I think we see how related that is.

There's a repeating theme in these verses.

Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus,

first of all,

sin is rendered powerless.

Verse six,

for we know that our old self

was crucified with him

so that the body ruled by sin

might be done away with

or might be rendered powerless.

Sin's rule is broken,

that we should no longer be slaves to sin

because anyone who has died

has been set free from sin.

And then down in verse 12,

sin's reign is ended.

Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body.

Now how does this happen?

Again, we see it in verse six.

Our old self was crucified with him.

This freedom from the power of sin

comes because Jesus died on the cross

as that sin-bearing substitute

and the reality of our

having been crucified with him.

And that freedom from the power of sin,

it also comes

through the resurrection of Jesus.

Verse seven,

that he has died

and then risen

and we have died with him

and now we're alive

so we're set free

from the power of sin

in our lives.

Our chains have been broken

with him

and in him

and so the events of Easter

bring to us

real freedom

so that we are able

to sing of our sin.

My chains are gone.

I've been set free.

My God, my Savior

has ransomed me.

There is this decisive moment

that has taken place

in our lives

there at the cross

and the resurrection.

Now to help us picture this,

we can go for a few moments

to the Red Sea

and to the story of the Exodus.

Because when we read the Old Testament,

we know that the Exodus event,

the Red Sea,

that was the defining moment

for the Old Testament believer.

This was the line in the sand.

This was the before and after

for the Old Testament believer.

So there on the banks

of the Red Sea

on the far side of the sea,

what were they celebrating?

They were celebrating

God delivering them

from Egyptian slavery.

They were celebrating

the fact that they were now

separated forever

from that threat.

They were celebrating

the truth

that they had a new identity,

no longer slaves

under the tyranny

of Pharaoh.

now they're set free

to enjoy life

with their God.

Fast forward

to our experience.

The Easter events

for us

are the Christians

defining moment.

Here is the moment

that we look back to

where we can recognize

as the Old Testament believer did,

God is good.

God is utterly committed

to me and my salvation.

I can trust this God.

As Jesus said,

if the Son sets us free,

then we are free indeed.

Now think about what that means

for our day-to-day life.

Perhaps we know what it is

to feel enslaved.

There are so many addictions

that can catch us

in their grip.

Even as Christians,

there are so many harmful

habits and patterns

we find ourselves

constantly returning to.

We can find ourselves

a slave to our past,

our failures,

our regrets.

Guilt is that prison

that's locked

from the inside.

But at the same time,

we can be slaves

in the sense of having

a great fear

about our future.

And there's great good news

that in Jesus,

there is freedom

and we can change,

that we don't need

to be defined

by those things

because they are

no longer our masters.

We have a new freedom

purchased for us

through Jesus' death

and resurrection.

Not that we can ever say,

well, I will never sin.

You know,

that we've broken free

from the presence

of sin in our lives.

That will come,

but not until we are glorified.

But here's what we can say.

Right now,

or in a particular moment,

I do not need to sin.

We have,

we have as Christians,

a new power,

a new desire,

a new heart,

a new spirit,

a law written upon our hearts

that gives us the ability

to say no

and to pursue righteousness

and to delight in it.

And it's important for us also

to learn to look back

as Christians,

to recognize this,

that between us

and that sin

that would love

to enslave us

stands

not the Red Sea,

but the cross of Christ.

And so we understand

in the gospel

that yes,

there are times

when sin

will tempt us

and we will fail.

Sin can never

condemn the believer,

can never kill

the believer.

So we know freedom

from the power of sin.

Look again

at the death

and resurrection

of Jesus.

Because in this

there is freedom

from anxiety

and insecurity.

If the Father

from all eternity

wasn't just willing

but delighted

to do that,

to send his Son

to come,

to become one of us,

to take our place,

to take our penalty,

to bear God's wrath,

if he was willing

to do that,

what will he not do

for you and me now?

It's the logic

of Romans 8,

isn't it?

Let me read,

if you've got your Bible,

you can flick over

to Romans 8,

Romans 8:31

verse 31.

What then

shall we say

in response

to these things?

If God

is for us,

who can be

against us?

He who did not

spare his own Son

but gave him up

for us all,

how will he not

also along with him

and graciously

give us all things?

Who will bring

any charge

against those

whom God has chosen?

It is God

who justifies.

Who then

is the one

who condemns?

No one.

Christ Jesus

who died,

more than that,

who was raised to life,

is at the right hand

of God

and is also

interceding

for us.

Do you hear

what Paul is saying?

As Christians,

we can believe

and know

Jesus died

for me,

Jesus rose

for me,

Jesus sits

at the Father's

right hand

for me,

and Jesus

prays for me.

God holds

nothing back.

And we can

use Easter

as that vital

reminder,

use those events

to remind

ourselves

just how much

love

God has

for us.

The Puritan

John Owen

said this,

challenging words

I think,

the greatest

insult

you could ever

give to God

after the cross

would be

to doubt

God's love

for you

or his

commitment

to care

for you.

We need to

see how

those events

of Easter

can transform

our sense

of self

and give us

freedom

from insecurity

and anxiety

and from the sin

that would enslave

us.

We can let Easter

be that reminder,

see how much

he loves us,

that we would

trust him

and rest

in his love.

Here's a third

way Paul puts

this freedom

in view.

As we discover

in this section

we can know

the freedom

of a new

identity.

There is a sense

I think in which

creating a new

identity is a

pretty modern

phenomenon.

You know in the

past,

typically,

people lived

in the same

place as their

parents,

often times

took the same

work as their

parents,

lived in the

same community,

shared the same

cultural values,

perhaps married

within the

community.

Sometimes that

might feel like

a goldfish bowl

but often that

provided a sense

of security.

But now we live

in a time when

we can go

anywhere,

we can do

anything,

we can be

anything that

we want and

that becomes a

real pressure

and a burden

for some.

How do I keep

up with cultural

trends and

values?

What happens

if I'm sold

this idea,

I'm free to be

whatever I want

to be but I'm

not matching up

to my expectations

and I don't seem

to be getting

there?

It's not

always freedom

when we're

told have it

your own way,

it doesn't

just apply to

burgers but it

applies to all

of life.

There are many

doctors, many

psychologists

identifying,

it's not

creating a

joyful generation,

it's creating an

anxious generation,

locked into a

digital world,

a whole new

load of social

pressures,

lifestyle stressors

that it can be

really hard to

escape from.

And then we get

this wonderful

message from Paul

and the Bible

that there is a

better freedom,

there is a more

secure and joyful

identity to be

found in knowing

the risen Lord

Jesus.

And again I think

for us as

Christians our

daily task and

perhaps sometimes

it's our daily

struggle is to

preach the gospel

to ourselves,

to understand that

no one talks to

us more than we

do.

How do we talk

to ourselves about

ourselves and more

especially how do we

talk to ourselves

about our God and

our Savior?

Are we reminding

ourselves of the

reality of our

union with Christ?

Are we talking to

ourselves about the

life transforming

impact of the

cross and the

resurrection?

Because look at the

language here in

Romans 6 and verse

11.

Romans 6 verse

Romans 6:11

11, in this same

way count yourselves

or reckon

yourselves dead to

sin but alive to

God in Christ

Jesus.

There's an

accounting word.

You'll take stock

of what is in the

bank right now.

And it's the

reality that if

anyone is in

Christ he is,

present tense,

a new creation.

That idea of being

transformed, of being

a new creation, that's

not a future label

that will be placed

on us, it is the

present identity of

the believer today.

And so Paul here

calls us to line up

our thinking with

God's truth about

who we truly are.

And so much of this

passage is about the

death of Jesus and the

resurrection of Jesus

and our union with

Jesus so that every

day we would be

thinking about ourselves

in light of Jesus'

work.

To be thinking about

Jesus walking to the

cross, carrying your

sin, your punishment,

so that your old

nature is dead and

buried.

And then Jesus walking

out of the tomb,

carrying new life for

you.

We're given another

picture to help us

towards that new

identity.

It's the picture of

baptism.

It's there in verses

three and four.

Don't you know that

all of us who are

baptized into Christ

Jesus were baptized

into his death?

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.

Shortly after Jesus'

resurrection and then

his ascension, the

Holy Spirit is sent.

And when you read the

book of Acts, we see

that in those few weeks

after Jesus died and

rose and returned to

heaven, we have a lot

of the apostles

preaching.

Maybe we think of Acts

chapter two.

Here is Peter, he's

preaching, and as he

preaches about God's

foreknowledge and the

plan to send his son,

that he would be

rejected and would be

killed but then be

raised.

People are cut to the

heart.

And people confess

Jesus as Lord.

And what's the sign

that they are given

as they confess Jesus

as Lord?

It's baptism.

So baptism in the book

of Acts is at least in

part a way for someone

to publicly say, I

identify with Jesus as

my Lord.

What happened there on

the cross happened for

me.

What happened at the

empty tomb and the

resurrection, that

impacts me.

baptism.

And so every baptism

includes that idea of

being identified or

needing to be identified

with Jesus.

And so Paul uses that

idea and takes us back

to those key Easter

events.

To Jesus dead and

buried for sin and for

sinners.

To remind us that we've

been baptized into his

death.

And that the power of

sin over us is now dead

and buried.

And therefore we are to

count ourselves dead to

sin.

It's no longer our

master.

Jesus rose to new life,

Paul tells us.

And in him we too live a

new life while we await

future resurrection life.

And again he's telling

Christians this in the

first century.

We need to hear it in the

21st century because here

is a freedom and here is

an identity worth

pursuing.

It's a way to escape the

rollercoaster of being in

and out with God.

You know how does that

happen?

You know he loves me, he

loves me not when it

comes to God.

It happens when we make

it about us.

My feelings towards God.

My obedience towards God.

And our great need is to

see that Christ is always

only and forever our basis

of faith.

He never changes.

He never fails.

His love is constant.

Our security is in a fixed

identity.

And you and I need this.

We need this secure identity

for when we sin.

When we sin badly.

We can still believe in a

God of faithful love.

Again, here the wise

counsel.

I've been borrowing a lot

recently from Thomas

Goodwin.

If you're interested, he's

definitely my new favorite

Puritan.

He's got a lovely book

called Christ Set

Forth.

Basically looking at

Romans 8.34.

Here's one of his

phrases.

By virtue of Jesus being

justified as he

represents us from all

sorts of sins, even so

shall all sorts of sinners

be justified in and

through him also.

And therefore, should you

not also hope to be

justified from yours?

It's wonderful to think of

the resurrection as God

the Father justifying and

then delighting in his son.

And in Jesus, we too are

justified and the Father

delights in us.

When we look beyond the

events of the cross to

think about God's intended

outcome of those events,

we see the Son of God

loved me and gave himself

for me.

And that, that's Christian

freedom.

To enjoy the love of God as

our Father through the

saving work of Jesus,

his Son.

One last thing to say, and

it's the little turn that

happens in verses 12 to

14, where Paul moves from

here's some things that are

true to here's the

consequences of what's

true.

And so as we close, think

about this, go to live out

our new freedom in Christ.

I read a sad interview this

week.

There was a guy who had

spent 38 years, I think it

was 38 years in prison for a

crime he didn't commit.

He went into prison in 1986.

And so he was interviewed

after his release.

And so part of the

interview was talking about

how much the world has

changed.

It's hard to imagine.

Imagine almost four

decades.

You know, you go in,

there's no internet, the

iron curtain is still there.

He was talking about

having to learn about

smartphones, how you have

to do everything on your

phone.

So it's hard work.

But the sad part was when

he talked about how

institutionalized he'd

become.

He got so used to the

regime of prison life.

So one morning when he was

in his new home, he wanted

to go outside.

So he got himself all ready.

But rather than opening the

door, he went and sat back

on his bed.

And he patiently waited.

Now why is he waiting?

He was waiting because he

was expecting a guard would

come and release him.

He had become institutionalized.

Even when he was free, he was

acting as if he was still

in prison.

And he talked in that

interview asking himself,

what are you thinking?

But he was discovering it was

hard to live out his newfound

freedom.

As Paul closes, he moves from

all those wonderful truths about

freedom and Christ's death and

resurrection.

So here's how to live in light

of the truth.

Verse 12,

Therefore do not let sin reign in

your mortal body so that you

obey its evil desires.

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.

For sin shall no longer be your

master because you're not under

the law, but under grace.

Don't live as a slave to sin, he

tells believers, because you have

a new master.

You have a new power within you.

You have a new freedom to enjoy.

Notice he doesn't say to us,

work really hard to break free

from sin, because that would still

be to be in chains.

But he makes plain Christ has set

you free.

And the proof of that is the cross

and the empty tomb.

Because that's true, he can say

joyfully live out of that freedom.

But he also makes that moral call,

because you've been set free,

don't give any of your faculties

to sin and to wickedness.

Now whether we're thinking about

our emotions, whether we're thinking

about our intelligence, whether we're

thinking about our finances, our

energies, the things we do or say

or think, we are not to give any

of our faculties to sin and

wickedness, but rather,

what are we to do?

We are to give them, give ourselves

to God.

We are to lead a new life by God's

grace with Jesus, not sin and death

as our master.

And because that is true,

you and I can gratefully live in

obedience and service.

You and I have now been set free

to freely give ourselves to the one

who gave everything to save us.

It's a wonderful freedom

as we trust what Jesus did.

To trust that what he did, he did for us.

There's a wonderful freedom

as we remember.

By faith, we are united to Jesus.

Those chains of sin have been broken.

We've been given a new identity

and we have grace

to live for him.

Let's take a moment to give thanks

as we pray.

Our Lord and our God, once again,

we thank you for

the death and resurrection

of the Lord Jesus.

Now we thank you

in particular for the way

you are.