Romans 6:1-14 

 

This week our missions pastor was given the opportunity to preach and did a terrific job. 

 

BIG IDEA: In order to become who Christ intends you to be, you have to first understand who you already are.

 

When Steve Jobs took over as CEO of Apple (after previously being fired and starting another company), he completely changed the trajectory of the tech giant. It went from facing bankruptcy to giving us technological breakthroughs like the iPhone. Apple was under new management, and as Christians, so are we. 

 

As a people under the new management of Christ: 

  • Jesus gives you a new identity (Romans 6:1-10). … Paul tells us we are changed. He points out that we have died to sin. Baptism represents that death when we are dunked into the water. When we come back up, it shows our new life in Christ. That doesn’t mean we will never sin again; we’re still human and will make mistakes. However, we should sin less and leave habitual sins as a thing of the past. Paul gives use a few things that this means
    • You are united with Christ (v. 5a). … Think of the Prodigal Son. He left with his money and wasted it all on sinful things. Then, at his lowest moment, he returned home and was welcomed back, united again with his father. He could have been stoned by law, but he was welcomed back with a celebration.
    • You have a resurrected body (v. 5b). … A resurrected body sounds amazing. No more pains or trouble moving or anything except what God intended. 
    • Your old self is dead (v. 6). … The old you died when you accepted Christ as savior. See note on baptism above. We are new creations in Christ. This one decision has the power to change your life, to change your family, forever. Sometimes we try to carry that old self with us and it just slows us down, drags us into places we don’t want to be. We are no longer slaves to sin and shouldn’t act like it.
    • You are free (v. 7). … We are free from sin. Free from the penalty of sin because Jesus died for us. Free from the power of sin because the Holy Spirit is working inside us to make us better over time. And eventually we will be free from the presence of sin when we make it to Heaven. 
  • New Identity leads to new behavior (Romans 11-13).
    • Remain both dead and alive (v. 11). … How do we remain dead and alive? No, this isn’t Schrodinger’s Cat. We stay dead to our old selves, dead to sin. And we stay alive in Christ. 
    • Make war with sin (v. 12). … We need to fight against sin and intentionally fend it off. 
    • Do not negotiate with the Enemy (v. 13a). … The enemy has no power over us except the power we give it. 
    • Stay on the winning team (v. 13b). … We know the final outcome. Jesus wins. Why would we jump ship when we know this result is coming? Our purpose then is to be tools, weapons, in His conquest. 

 

Key Statement: For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace. -Romans 6:14

 

For Further Study/Resources Used to Prepare This Message

  • Exalting Jesus in Romans by Tony Merida
  • Teach the Text by Marvin Pate
  • Romans, Preach the Word by Kent Hughes
  • ESV Expository Commentary by Robert Yarbrough
  • Romans for You by Tim Keller
  • The Story of God Commentary by Michael Bird
  • Living Insights by Chuck Swindoll
  • NIV Application Commentary by Doug Moo