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Living in Victory over Sin

Romans 6:1-23

 January 27, 2008

 Dr. Steve Horn

Text Introduction:  The phrase, “The Roman Road,” has been used in various ways as a gospel presentation in helping someone to see what Jesus has done for them.  The Roman road usually refers to Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:6-8, and 10:9-10.  These Scriptures tell us that  (1) all of us are sinners, (2) only Jesus by His death on the cross can remove that sin, and (3) what we must do in order to receive Jesus’ forgiveness.  We are using the phrase, “The Roman Road” to take a brief tour of some of the major life lessons from Romans.  Last time, we looked at a portion of Romans from chapters 2-3 to understand that Jesus is the universal solution to our universal problem—sin.  Today, we will discover how we can live victoriously over sin.

 Let us begin with just setting the stage.

 Text:  ¹ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

 Introduction:  Ricky Lee Claycomb, 37 years old, was serving in the Colorado State Prison System on a conviction of robbery.  While serving his time, the State of Ohio had Ricky extradited on a more serious charge.  After a jury trial, Ricky was acquitted of the charge in Ohio.  He was told by the judge at that point that he was free to go.  Ricky indicated that he should return to Colorado to continue to serve his sentence.  Unbelievably, Ricky was told that getting back to Colorado was his problem.  At that point, Ricky could have made a run for it, but instead he called his mother who bought him a bus ticket back to Colorado.  After two days on a bus, he ate breakfast and lunch with his mother, before having his brother drive him back to the prison in Colorado, even calling on the way to tell them he was returning.  When Ricky’s mother told a detective the story, hoping for some leniency, the detective simply said, “Well, bless Ricky’s heart.”

 Now, I grant you, most people do not return to prison that way, but the prisoner recidivism rate in the United States is a real problem.  In Louisiana, a March 2007 report of those released in 2001, indicated that 42.8% had returned to prison, averaging 11.2 months before a new crime was committed.  Returning to prison is a problem.

 We do the same thing.  Having been released from sin by the cross of Jesus Christ and through the forgiveness of sin that comes as result of faith and grace, we have a way of returning to our prison of sin.  The message of Romans is that we, who are in Christ, are free not only from the penalty of sin, but also from the prison of sin.  So, why do we so often return?  Our text today helps us to see some factors that will help us to live in victory over sin.

 3 Factors that Will Help You to Live in Victory over Sin

 Read the Text:  ³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 1.      Analyze Your Commitment to Christ (Romans 6:1-11)

 Perhaps the first reason that people still struggle with sin is that they have failed to truly commit themselves to Christ.  In Romans 6, we see the imagery of baptism.  You see what ought to be the vows of your Christian confession.  Here is what your commitment to Christ should entail. 

 Should reflect that you have died.  You have died to your selfish desires and your sinful desires.

 Should reflect that you have come to life.  You have come alive to the Spirit of God.

 Should reflect a once and for all commitment.  The New Testament says nothing of some kind of commitment that is partial or temporary.  The New Testament only reveals a complete commitment to Christ.

 

1. 2.      Utilize Caution in Your Life Romans (6:12-19)

 Read the Text:  ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

   
¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! ¹⁶ Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. ¹⁸ And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. ¹⁹ I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

 We can only live in victory over sin because of the grace of Christ.  However, as this text indicates, we must present ourselves to Christ and not to sin.  Paul revealed these three principles.

Do not let sin reign in your life.

 And . . .

 Do not allow sin to have the opportunity.

 Proverbs 6:27 “Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned.”

 But . . .

 Present yourself daily to God.

 In presenting yourself either to God or Sin, you can control what controls you!

 I have said much about reading the Bible this year.  I hope you are doing that.  Reading the Bible is presenting yourself to God.  Rick Warren said it this way, “We can’t watch TV 3 hours a day and read the Bible 3 minutes a day and expect to become Holy.” 

           3.      Realize the Consequences of Sin (Romans 6:20-23)

 Read the Text:  ²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹ What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

 Disaster in this life.  What fruit does sin bring?  You know the answer to that question.  Disaster!  Disease!  Divorce!  Guilt!  Addiction!  Jail!  Why would we want to bring any of that into our lives?

 Death in eternal life.  Without the forgiveness of Christ, the ultimate consequence of sin is death in eternal life.