Gospel and Spiritual Growth Series by
Pastor
Message #46 –
May the joys of the Resurrected One fill your Sunday with appreciation for the provisions of the work of Christ. We continue to enjoy the blessing of God concerning this series as it reaches the hearts of saints in the services, through email and through the website. Without the resurrection it wouldn't be worth it all. What a blessing to know that when Christ rose out from among dead ones, each Christian rose with Him in the mind of the Father. He counts it to be true and so can every Christian. He rose to be seated at the Right Hand with each believer together with Him.
This message moves to Romans 6:17-19. "A Change Makes Perfect Sense" is the title. I cannot say it often enough, Romans six focuses attention on mental activities of the Christian. When one knows the information, counts it to be true and presents oneself, it completely involves the mind. When a person is saved, God provides everything necessary for consequential changes in behavior. God sees the faith of the believer as obedience. The greatest provision concerning one's spiritual enemies is the deliverance from the sin nature that is made available in Christ. Prior to salvation one has no choice. He or she is a slave to the sin nature. After salvation the believer has a choice. Does he or she continue to serve the sin nature as a slave or will he or she appropriate the provisions of the work of Christ and become a slave to righteousness? This is a consequential choice.
The Roman believers had been slaves to the sin nature but obeyed doctrine to be believed and practiced that had been freely delivered to them (6:17). Because of this Paul responds to the grace of God in thanksgiving. The text actually says, "Grace (or thanks) is to God." It is a verbless clause. Charis or "grace" is translated "thanks" in the AV in the passages listed under I. A. 1. in the outline. The verbless clause focuses on the certainty that this is true. This thanks is addressed to "the God" that is to God the Father. What is Paul thankful for? That the Roman believers had believed out of (ek) the heart = rationale + emotions + will. They responded to didache (doctrine to be believed and practiced) in the form that had been delivered to them. "Form" is the word "type" indicating that it made a mark or imprint that was an image of the original.
The Roman believers made some right choices in the matter of their obedience. It is interesting that John 8:32, 36 says "you will know the truth and the truth will make you free." The truth in that context anticipates a body of doctrine that provides for freedom from and for overcoming the sin nature. Verse 18 says that believers are ones "having been freed or set at liberty" from the sin nature. The result of this freedom is being made a slave to righteousness. The idea is that a believer can put himself or herself at the disposal of the provisions of the work of Christ and be set free to be placed in a voluntary slavery to righteousness. The decision is made at a point in time and the believer voluntarily relates to God's standard for righteousness.
I had planned to illustrate the verb "yield" or "present" in Romans six by five illustrations last week. I will list them and you can look up the passages. 1. Paul anticipates presenting saints to Christ as a chaste virgin (2 Cor. 11:2); 2. Paul anticipated presenting every Christian mature in Christ (Col. 1:28); 3. The Father will be involved in our resurrection and a part of the presentation to Christ (2 Cor. 4:14); 4. Christ will present the Church to Himself a bride (Eph. 5:27). 5. Christ will present the Church holy, unblamable and unreprovable in His sight either to Himself or to the Father (Col. 1:22). Each presentation involves the right of purchase by ultimate divine authority and provision.
In verse 19, Paul confronts a human problem. Human beings are weak, lack strength, in the flesh. The condition of a lifetime is hard to overcome. It is a habit. It is easy to go back to the old ways learned so well and practiced so long. Paul sees this as a weakness of the flesh. In the past the Roman believers had presented their members slaves to uncleanness and wave after wave of lawlessness. Any time the word "iniquity" is found in Scripture one must find the real word in the text. Iniquity means nothing. The Greek word here is literally "lawlessness." The same word is in the Greek of 1 John 3:4 where sin is defined as lawlessness. Literally this can be translated "the lawlessness unto (or into) the lawlessness." This involves living as though there were no divine restraints on one's behavior. "Uncleanness" is a work of the flesh in Gal. 5:19 and involves "impure sexual thoughts or attitudes." NOW the believer has the option to present oneself to God because He has purchased the believer (cf. Rom. 12:1 Gk. for the concept). When the Christian presents his or her members slaves to righteousness, one is living in relation to his or her position as righteous in Christ Jesus. This in turn moves one into a position of being set apart to God known as holiness. The bondslave is righteous and set apart to God in Christ. This all makes perfect sense. It makes no sense to continue to be a slave to the sin nature. The believer's sin nature gets glory, if that is possible, and not God. Let us enjoy the benefits of the work of Christ and have victory over the lusts that war against the soul from the flesh.
We do not have an afternoon service on Resurrection Sunday so I will not be preaching. Result = no synopsis or outline next week.
Reveling in the resurrection, participating in resurrection life and affirming physical resurrection at His coming in the air, if necessary,
His to serve,
DKS
#46 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth
Valley –
Romans 6:17-19
Proposition: To discuss the changes that Paul expected of the Roman saints in relation to their presentation of their members to either the sin nature or to the divine standard of righteousness.
Introduction
A. The Presentation of a Message that Changes Behavior
B. The Practicality of Obeying from the Heart
C. The Provision of Freedom from the Sin Nature
1. By Position in Christ
2. By Work of the Spirit
D. The Program for Christian Servitude to God
E. The Potential for the Believer to Present His or Her Members
1. To Be Slaves to Uncleanness and Lawlessness
2. To Be Slaves to Righteousness Unto Holiness
TRANS: Grace has been manifested in the believer's salvation and the provisions of that salvation for living in the here and the now. This is present tense salvation. The doctrine or teaching here is supremely practical for the saint because through the understanding of the provisions one presents one's members for righteousness.
I. THE RESPONSE TO THE GRACE OF GOD FOR
OBEDIENCE TO DOCTRINE FOR CHRISTIAN PRACTICE -- THE CHOICE OF THE ROMAN
BELIEVERS TO OBEY THE DIDACHE -- THE APPRECIATION FOR THE GRACE OF GOD
MANIFESTED IN CHRISTIAN PRACTICE -- Romans 6:17a
A. Paul's Response to the Grace from God the Father
1. The Significance of Grace and Thanksgiving
a. "Thanks"
(ca,rij) --
cf. Lu.
1 Pe.
b. "To Have Thanks" (e;cw ca,rij) -- Lu. 17:9; 1 Tim. 1:12; 2 Tim. 1:3
2. The Strength of the Verbless Clause = indicative mood = "is"
a. Certainty
b. Emphasis
3. The Sharing of Appreciation with the Father
B. Paul's Recognition of the Ongoing Past Condition of the Roman Believers
1. Their Continuous Condition of Existence -- imperfect active indicative
2. The Continuous Control of the Sin Nature Making Them Slaves
C. Paul's Record of Their Choice in the Matter of Obedience
TRANS: The Roman believers responded to doctrine to be believed and practices from their hearts: their rationale, emotions and volition (will). They responded in a positive obedience to that which they had been taught at the time of their salvation.
II. THE REALITY OF THE RIGHT CHOICES OF THE
ROMAN CHRISTIANS IN THE MATTER OF THEIR OBEDIENCE -- THE CONFIRMATION OF THEIR
OBEDIENCE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS REVEALED IN TEACHING -- THE APPROPRIATION OF THEIR
POSITION IN PRACTICED OBEDIENCE -- Romans 6:17b, 18
A. The Choice Made by the Roman Christians -- Vs. 17b
1. Actively Obeyed a Pattern of Doctrine to Be Believed and Practiced
2. Completely Obeyed from the Heart
B. The Communication of Didache to the Believers
1. Delivered -- "You were delivered" -- 1st aorist passive indicative
2. Form = Type or Pattern
3. Doctrine for Faith and Practice
C. The Comprehension of the Freedom in Christ from the Sin Nature -- Vs. 18
1. The
Strength of the Form -- "having been freed"
a. At a Point in Time -- 1st Aorist -- in Work of Christ and in Position
b. Someone Else Did It -- Passive-- Work of the Son and Acceptance of the Father
c. The Link to the New Slavery -- Participle Dependent -- "Slave" Verb
d. The Concept Is That of Being Set Free to Enter Voluntary Slavery
2. The Slavery to the Righteousness
a. Willing Subjection to Someone Else's Authority
b. A Point of Decision
c. The Previously Mentioned Righteousness
TRANS: Even with the great provisions of the grace of God, every believer's flesh weak and susceptible to the lusts. In the past all believers were slaves to their sin nature with no possibility for freedom unless God saved them. This freedom gives the believer a choice concerning whom he or she will serve as a slave.
III. THE
RECOGNITION OF THE WEAKNESS OF THE FLESH -- THE CONTRAST BETWEEN TWO
PRESENTATIONS OF ONESELF -- THE ANTICIPATION OF AN ACT OF PRESENTING ONE'S
MEMBERS SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS --
Romans 6:19
A. The Limits Placed on Paul's Communication to the Roman Believers
1. Speaking on a Human Level
2. Speaking Because of the Weakness of the Flesh
B. The Life in the Past and Presenting One's Members
1. Presented at a Time in the Past -- 1st Aorist Active
2. Presented Your Members = Body Parts
3. Presented Slaves
a. To Uncleanness
b. To Lawlessness Unto Lawlessness (Greek)
C. The Potential Life in the Present and Presenting Members
1. A Quality of Slaves
2. To the Righteousness
3. Unto Sanctification i. e. Holiness
TRANS: Paul continues to tell the Roman Christians that the work of Christ has provided for the sin nature and the person's subjugation by the sin nature. We have the choice and it is a reasonable choice because of God's provisions. Paul encourages them to present their members as slaves to righteousness unto holiness so that the believer can enjoy the benefits of the work of Christ.
Conclusion
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B.
C.
D.
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