Gospel and Spiritual Growth Series by Pastor David K. Spurbeck, Sr.

 

Message #47 – 4-7-2002 – Synopsis and Outline

 

THE SIN NATURE AND DEALING WITH DOUBLE DEATH

 

The statements in the introduction are important and really need no explanation.  Already in Romans six we have seen that it makes no sense for a Christian to be living in his or her sin nature or flesh.  To return to the conditions that still exist in one's sin nature or flesh makes no sense and are an open confrontation with God's provisions for salvation.  The sin nature always wants to go back to the old lifestyle that the person had before salvation.  It was a good student and learned many things that do not bring glory to God nor do they bring Him pleasure. 

 

Romans 6:20 (I.) describes the continuing condition of an unsaved person.  Each Roman Christian had been there and done that.  Paul starts by saying, "For when you were continually in past time slaves of the sin nature . . . ."  The imperfect form of the verb involves continuous action in past time versus point action.  This was an ongoing activity.  The word "slaves" is again used to identify someone who is property of another.  In this case they are the property of and subservient to the sin nature.  He identifies the recipients as "brothers" as he usually does when referring to those who have been born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Spirit.  One of the apparent benefits of being slaves to the sin nature is that all continually are freemen or free ones from the righteousness provided by God.  The Roman believers understood this concept thoroughly since a huge percentage of the Empire was composed of slaves.  A free man was normally one who had freedom because of his birth.  A freedman had earned his freedom.  When a believer becomes a Christian he or she is a freeman.  God is the standard for righteousness and provides that quality of righteousness to the Christian in Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 1:30). 

 

Living in servitude to the sin nature produces a specific quality of fruit (vs. 21).  Before salvation it was all that a person knew and so it was acceptable.  After salvation the same fruit produces extreme shame.  The word "ashamed" is a compound Greek term that has the idea of being thoroughly ashamed because of the filthiness of something.  It is the same word used in Romans 1:16:  "For I am not ashamed of the gospel concerning Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation."  This is the only time this word is used of a believer's shame.  Most of its other occurrences of Christians say that a believer is not ashamed of certain things.  Now the believer is ashamed when he observes what he or she did in the past or sees someone else doing the same thing.  The fact is that those very things end in the Second Death (cf. Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8).  Death in verse 20 is the Second Death that is a permanent condition of separation from God.

 

Romans 6:22 tells us that Christians have been set free from the sin nature.  This happened at a point in time in the past (1st aor.) and was accomplished by someone else (passive voice) (cf. same participle in verse 18 cf. 8:2, 21).  This whole idea of being set free can be abused (cf. Gal. 5:13).  God has provided for the believer to know that body of doctrine known as the truth and that truth will set the saint free from the sin nature (Jn. 8:32-26). At salvation true believers were made slaves (same verb form as "set free") to God.  The title is articular and a reference to God the Father.  We have a new Master.  "Now you (saints) are continually having your fruit unto holiness or sanctification (cf. 6:19)."  This is fruit that sets a person apart to God and from others.  The end of this is eternal life that is manifested.

 

Romans 6:23 (IV.) is one of the more abused verses in plans of salvation. The wages of the sin nature is death.  Because the English does not identify this as the sin nature, many teach that one act of sin is enough to bring spiritual death.  This is true but not in this verse.  The sin nature brings spiritual death -- separation from God.  On the other hand, the gift of God is eternal life (cf. 1 Jn. 5:11, 12).  The Father is the source of this gift and Christ Jesus our Lord is the instrument by which eternal life is accomplished. 

 

One week from today the Forum begins.  I have been very busy finishing my paper as well as a multitude of other things.  The Forum looks like a good one with some excellent papers being presented.  I only hope to share a small part of the blessing that I have received in preparing my paper on the titles of the Godhead in the Thessalonian Epistles. 

 

We continue to have difficulties with our email.  Gremlins are either in our email computer or with our service provider.  I am sending this early because our computer may be down for a few days.  Hopefully it will be more cooperative as a result. 

 

Free from condemnation,

DKS

 

#47 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – April 7, 2002 p.m.

 

THE SIN NATURE AND DEALING WITH DOUBLE DEATH

Romans 6:20-23

 

Proposition:   To demonstrate the seriousness of living in the sin nature and the blessings of salvation that permit the believer to avoid fooling around with the spheres of that death in his or her life.

 

        Introduction

              A.  A Christian Who Chooses to Live in the Sin Nature May Die Physically Prematurely

              B.   An Unbeliever Lives Dead Spiritually Which Death May Be Reversible

              C.  An Unbeliever Dies Physically and Will Partake in the Second Death Permanently

              D.  God Provides That Which Permits the Believer Not to Worry About Death at All

 

TRANS:   All unbelievers are slaves to the sin nature.  They are susceptible to certain aspects of the sin nature and vulnerable to all.  Interestingly enough there is a freedom in that slavery.  It is a freedom from the righteousness that God has available in Christ.

 

  I.   THE ONGOING CONDITION OF THOSE WHO ARE SLAVES OF THE SIN NATURE -- THE FREEDOM OF THE UNBELIEVER FROM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS -- A LACK OF RESTRAINT ON THE SIN NATURE -- Romans 6:20

        A.  A Time When They Were a Quality of Slaves

              1.  Temporal = Limited in Time

              2.  Slaves = Bond slaves

        B.   A Continuous Past Existence

              1.  Imperfect

              2.  Active

              3.  Indicative

              4.  All Inclusive -- "you"

        C.  A Specific Master to the Sin Nature

        D.  A Continuous Past Existence as Free Ones

              1.  All Free

              2.  From the Righteousness

        E.   A Contextual Link to the Concept of Righteousness

 

TRANS:     Paul describes the production of fruit on the part of those who are unsaved and living in the sin nature.  They produce fruit in their lives that lead to death.  In this case the death mentioned is the second death.

 

 II. THE AFFIRMED PRODUCTION OF THINGS THAT LEAD TO THE SECOND DEATH -- THE FRUIT PRODUCED BY SLAVES TO THE SIN NATURE -- A LIMIT CONCERNING ONE RESULT = SECOND DEATH -- Romans 6:21

      A.  A Question Concerning the Quality of Fruit Produced

            1.   What? -- Its Identification Asked

            2.   How? -- Its Association with the Previous Context -- "therefore"

            3.   How Long? -- Its Continuation in Past Time -- "you had" (imperfect)

            4.   What Was Produced? -- Its Formation of Fruit

            5.   When? -- Its Past Condition -- "then"

      B.   The Examination of the Real Quality of the Fruit

            1.   Continually Ashamed on Oneself -- present middle

            2.   A Change in Perspective = "now"

            3.   A New Evaluation of These Things

      C.  The Expectation of These Things for an Unbeliever

            1.   The End of Those Things

            2.   The Second Death

 

TRANS:     Verse 22 identifies the fact that a radical change takes place when a believer is saved.  God makes provision so that the believer no longer needs to be a slave to the sin nature.  He or she is set free to become a slave to God unto righteousness.  All of this is accomplished by works of the Persons of the Godhead.

 

III.  THE CHANGED CONDITION OF A BELIEVER IN RELATION TO THE SIN NATURE -- THE FRUIT PRODUCED BY ONES ENSLAVED TO GOD AND FREED FROM THE SIN NATURE -- A LIFE THAT IS FREED FROM THE SIN NATURE AND ENSLAVED TO GOD -- Romans 6:22

        A.  Divine Intervention Now Evident in Providing Freedom from the Sin Nature

              1.  The Time = Now

              2.  The Provision

                  a.  At a Point in Time Set Free

                   b.  Another Set One Free

                  c.  Tie to Present Possession

              3.  The Old Slave-master = The Sin Nature

        B.   Divine Intervention Now Evident in Slavery to God

              1.  The Conditions the Same with the New Master = "having been enslaved"

                  a.  Same Time

                  b.  Same External Intervention

                  c.  Same Certainty

              2.  The Ultimate Person Who Is the Master = the Father

        C.  Personal Possession of Fruit

              1.  You Have -- present active indicative

              2.  The Fruit of You Unto Sanctification

              3.  But the End (Is) Eternal Life

 

TRANS:     6:23 is a much used and greatly misunderstood verse.  It does not refer to acts of sin but to the sin nature.  The sin nature naturally will receive wages without divine intervention.  Its wages are spiritual death.  On the other hand, God's provision of the gift of eternal life is free and with it comes real eternal life in the quality of life of the Son.

 

IV.  THE EXPECTED RENUMERATION FROM THE SIN NATURE VERSUS THE PROVISION OF THE GRACIOUS GIFT FROM GOD -- THE FINALITY OF THE ULTIMATE RESULTS -- A LIABILITY FROM THE SIN NATURE OR ETERNAL LIFE BY THE GRACE OF GOD -- Romans 6:23

        A.  The Payment of Wages of the Sin Nature

              1.  The Idea of "Wages" (4x in N. T. cf. Lu. 3:14; 1 Cor. 9:7; 2 Cor. 11:8)

              2.  The Involvement of the Sin Nature

              3.  The Imposition of Spiritual Death

        B.  The Provision by the Grace of God the Father

              1.  A Gift Resulting from an Act of Grace -- cari,sma

              2.  God the Father as the Ultimate Source

              3.  The Gift Is Eternal Life (cf. 1 Jn. 5:11, 12)

              4.  The Giving in a Person

                  a.  By = instrumental

                  b.  Christ Jesus Our Lord

 

TRANS:   It is a serious situation to be involved with the sin nature.  When a saint is involved there, he or she is functioning in the realm of death.  The second death can have no part in the life of the saint but he or she is living in the sphere of spiritual death and hanging around the old corpse and living in the cemetery.

 

      Conclusion

              A.

              B.

              C.

              D.

 

© by David K. Spurbeck

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119