Scripture reading today is found in the book of Romans chapter 6 verses 1 through 14. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means. How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death. In order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again. Death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all. But the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under the law, but under grace. This is the word of the Lord. Amen, you may be seated. Father, once again, we thank you for the word of the Lord. We're thankful that you revealed yourself to us through it. And your own word tells us that the Bible will make us wise unto salvation, and it'll make us thoroughly furnished unto all good things. And so, Father, today, as your word goes forth, we ask our Father that you would use it to draw us closer to your Son, the Lord Jesus. For some, our Father, that would mean repentance, and faith in Christ. But for others, it will mean realigning ourselves according to what the Bible teaches. And so, Father, through the Spirit of God, speak to us. May your Son, Jesus, be glorified through it all. And for that, we'll give you the thanks and praise because we ask it all in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, here is what we have gleaned so far from the Book of Romans, Chapter 6. The suggestion that we should continue in sin because we have been justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, is said, no, no, we don't continue in sin. Why? Because God has done all of this for us so we would no longer sin and we would live in this new life and this new reign. Now, we have already looked at the context of a couple of these verses. In a sense, what we have here this morning in verse five is a commentary on the last phrase of verse four. So let's look at that together. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. And then just drop up to verse four, the very last phrase, that we too might walk in the newness of life. Now notice how it consists of two halves. For if, and then we shall. Now those are the two sections, and we shall find that these first sections are expounded in verses 6 and 7, and then the second half in verses 8 through 10. So here the Apostle Paul lays down the proposition in verse 2. Remember what it was? How can we who died to sin still live in it? He establishes it in verses three and four, do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life. And then we gotta remember that Paul is reminding us that what really matters is our union with Christ, that we have been baptized into Him and everything has become new. Now, just before we begin to look at this text, let me remind you just one more time, this is all about answering the question in verse 1, shall we continue in sin that grace may abide. Paul starts with this phrase, for if. Notice verse five. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like him. So what Paul is saying here is, since we have been united with him in a death like his, yes, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. And the very first phrase is a fact. The second phrase is a fact too. So he says, for if all of this is true, the second phrase is also true as well. But next, let's look at that word united. It's a word that means growing together. Growing together in such an intimate way that it means essential union. Union by growth, a joint growth becoming one, united together. It is expressed, therefore, in a very definite and real union. And what we are united to is Christ. In fact, as I read this text, the thing that comes to my mind is the Gospel of John, Chapter 15. What does that say? He is the vine, we are the vine dresser. And so what? Because we're in the vine, we have this unity with Christ. Now once more, the apostle then is emphasizing the intimacy, the nature of this union that we have with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, we turn to the phrase, in a death like his. Now, what does that mean? Well, we have been united with him in a death like his. Why say it like that? Here's the reason. Because our death and resurrection are not identical with the Lord's. And that's an important phrase for us to think about. Our death, burial, and resurrection is not just identical to Jesus. And listen, we know that because we shall never know the suffering that He endured. Now, if you have your Bibles open to the Book of Romans, I want you to look with me at chapter 8 and verse 3. And in chapter 8, verse 3, what we see here is that Paul uses this same phrase. He says, For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do, by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin he condemns sin, in the flesh. Now this helps us grasp the meaning. It says, in the likeness of sinful flesh. And here we have that same distinction. So it means this, that what happened to Jesus literally and actually happens to us, but not physically, but in a spiritual way. And what is important is that because of our spiritual relationship with him, the effects, the consequences of his actual little death becomes ours, and it's passed on to us. Now, with that said, let me just remind you, and let's go back once again to the case of Adam. Listen, you and I were not literally in Adam when he sinned. Yet spiritually, we were in Adam when he sinned. It's the same thing. So this is a very accurate term in a death like his, in a resurrection like his. Now, the next phrase we will examine is often misunderstood, and it says, we shall certainly. We shall certainly. We shall has come to believe, and some have thought this, that it refers only to our future literal body resurrection. And it certainly includes all that, but if you say that it means that only, what's happening is you are rendering the whole argument of the apostle at this point useless. You see, his argument is that grace will abound in this life and in this world that we live in. And we go back to chapter 6, verse 4b, we too might walk in the newness of life. So if that's the truth then, and he's talking about only in the future, then that really wonders verse 11 avoided, right? Because he says there, so you also must consider yourself dead to sin and alive unto God. Now, what then does the Apostle Paul mean then by united with him in a resurrection like his? Well, what he's talking about there is the newness of life. We have been raised with Christ into a new life. And not only did he say that in verse 4, but look again at verse 10. He says, for the death he died, he died to sin once for all. But the life he lives, he lives to God. And the life that Christ lives, he lives to God. Then if that's true, so do we. Then hence the appeal in verse 11, he says, so you also must consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God. So let me ask you, when does that happen? Right now, not into the future. So not only are we dead to the guilt of sin, we are dead to the whole reign and realm of sin. So the point I'm trying to make is this, The apostle was really saying that our relationship to sin has been entirely changed. Even as our Lord's relationship to it has entirely changed when He rose from the dead. Now if we go back a couple of weeks, we talked about this, alright? When we said that Christ's suffering was just for a temporary time. But now that He has raised from the dead, everything has changed. And what he wants us to know is that's also true of us, you see. But listen, this statement even goes further because it does look forward to the future. It looks forward to the resurrection and the glorification of the body. So during our earthly life, we're not only in the likeness of Christ's resurrection, but there's a day coming when we shall be glorified also. So if you have your Bible, turn with me, if you would, to the book of Philippians chapter three. Philippians chapter three, please. And when you get there, I want you to look with me at verse 20 and 21. Verse 20 says, but our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to be subject, even to subject all things to himself. So listen, his words to the Romans include this truth. And remember, the Apostle's great concern here is to bring us out of the triumph, into the triumph of grace, into a complete triumph. So, he's telling us, look, there's going to be a time when everything's going to be the way it should be. But, let's continue to look at Scripture and see what else that we see. You still have your Bibles open? Go with me, if you would, to 2 Timothy, Chapter 2. 2 Timothy chapter 2. I want you to look with me at verse 11 and 12. Verse 11 says, The saying is trustworthy, for if we have died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. So if we are in Christ, all that follows is absolutely certain. Though you are going through a rough patch at the moment, in our conscience of your weakness, and your frailty, and your sin, and even your failure, all is well, says the apostle, because the Lord knows those who are His. So look at that text again. The saying is trustworthy, for if we have died with Him, we will also live with Him. If we endure, we will also reign with Him. And so Timothy was a young preacher and he was questioning his call because he was having all kinds of problems and difficulties and persecution. And so what Paul does is he writes this letter to Timothy to get him straightened up. And so to see the context, I want you to back up with me, if you would, to verse 8 of this chapter. Chapter 2, verse 8. He says to them, he says, Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal, but the word of God is not bound, Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy for you. For if we have died with him, we shall also live with him. If we endure, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. If we are faithless, he remains faithless. He cannot deny himself. And so what he says is, hold on to that and you will not be overcome by these things that are happening to you. In fact, what happens is, is you go back up to verse three, he says, listen, no soldier gets entangled in the civilian pursuits since his aim is to please those who enlisted him. We will endure suffering as the good soldier. I wonder how many people are here today and saying, Pastor, why do you keep repeating this? Because the apostle goes on repeating it. And the reason why is, is sometimes I think we're slow to grasp the truth. So the whole point is, is that we are under the reign of grace, and under the powerful reign of grace, and it's so powerful that sin has been defeated, the devil and hell have also been defeated, and Christ is victorious. So with that said, go with me to another passage of scripture. Go with me to the book of Hebrews chapter two, and I want you to look with me starting in verse number five. Verse five says, for it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere what is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him. You made him for a little while lower than the angels. You have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet. Now in putting everything in subjection to Him, He left nothing outside His control. At present, we do not see everything in subjection to Him, but we see Him for who, for a little while, was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God, He might taste death. And so what the writer of Hebrews says is let's keep looking at him because everything that has happened to Christ was designed to take us out of the reign of sin and to put us into the new realm in the reign of grace. And here is what justification by faith alone teaches. We died to him. To what end? To what purpose? in order that we might rise with Him, and having risen with Him, to walk in the newness of life. As He has finished with sin, so have we. We have finished with it once and for all in that sense. So that's the first half of verse 5. Then as I said in our introduction, the Apostle Paul goes on to work it out in verses 6 and 7. So what I want to do with this is I want us to take a quick look at verse 6 for now. The first thing that the apostle draws our attention to is this little phrase, we know. Would you look at verse 6 with me? He says, we know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. I read that and I asked myself this question, why did the apostle put it in this form? Why does he say you know? Well, it is reminding us that this is something that has happened to us, we should all know, something that we should be familiar with, something concerning that we should have absolute certainty. And so when he writes this phrase, we know, we should say, okay, what do we know? Okay, what do we know? And what he's dealing with is an elementary understanding of what the gospel teaches. And so I got to thinking about that in life, that often is true as well, isn't it? There are certain fundamental principles that we know. Now some of you know I used to sell cars. All right? And one of the fundamental principles of selling anything is to create value. Okay? So when somebody comes into the store and wants to buy a car, price is not the issue. All right? And it's easy for you just to say, well, if I just bring the price down, then everybody will be right on board with it. And one time, I had my own Sunday school teacher come in and wanted to buy a Buick. Celebrity, all right? Or not the celebrity, but the Buick model of the Chevrolet celebrity. And I showed him only the price. And I said to the guy, I said, listen, all right, we're selling this car under invoice. And my boss is only going to make money because there's a kickback from the general voters for this. And here's the car. I want you to go out and look at it, you see. And he goes out and he looks at it and he drives it, and he said, yeah, I'm going to look this over, I'm going to come back, all right? And so instead of coming back, he went to the Chevrolet store. They sold him the same car, but it was not as good a car for more money. And you know why? Because I forgot the fundamental rule of selling. that you have to create value. And so he bought a car, and spent more money on a car that didn't have the nicest interior, and didn't have all the nicer wheels, and didn't have all that nicer stuff, about $1,200 worth of stuff. And I thought, man, how in the world did I blow that? And I learned something from that, that I'd never sell price after that, I'd only sell value. Now here we have the Apostle Paul saying, you know, And what he's saying is that this is a fundamental principle that you've got to hold on to in the Christian life. And so he says, you know. Now, I want you to know when he says that, that he's not talking about subjective knowledge. He's talking about objective knowledge. Objective knowledge that is revealed to us in scripture. and of which faith is served. Okay? Now, do you know the difference between subjective and objective? Objective is truth. It's right there. It's before you in black and white. Subjective means this is how you feel, all right? And listen, if you live your religious life or your Christian life by your feelings, you're in serious trouble. All right? And so Paul says, I want you to go back to objective truth. This is fundamental. Don't let it go, you see. And so, listen, I make no apology for stopping here for a moment and ask this simple question. Do you know this? Do you always live in light of this knowledge? Is this something in which you are absolutely certain? You see, this is something that every Christian should know. This is an essential, vital point of salvation, and that's knowing this. Now, how many are sitting there saying, okay, pastor, what is it that we should know? Well, look back at the text in verse number six. What does it say? We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. What does the term our old self mean? I suppose that this might be one of the most troubling terms in scripture, especially to those who think this chapter is all about sanctification. Now again, it addresses sanctification, but it's about justification by faith alone in Christ. Now there are people who spend their whole lives trying to kill the old self, to get rid of the old self. And it's a striving that has taken people in ancient times into caves and into the top of mountains. That's why there's monasteries, did you know that? So these people could separate themselves completely from the world. And when we were in Greece, we went to a monastery, and it was built on the top of the mountain. In fact, I don't know how many stairs you had to climb up to get to it. But they had it rigged in such a way that they could stop you from going up there, and the only way you could get up there is through an elevator, one that they pulled out. And during World War II, the Germans never was able to take this site. They stayed up there doing what they're doing. And why are they up there in the monastery? Because they think they're dying to sell. And obviously, this isn't what this teaches, is it? You say, then what then is this old sell? Well, first, listen, it does not mean the carnal nature. Secondly, It does not mean our moral being previous to our new birth. Neither does it mean the flesh with its affections and lust. What then does the Apostle Paul mean by the old self? Well, listen. Whenever we have a question like that, what do we got to do? As Bible students, we got to go back to the context, correct? So go with me, if you would, back to Romans chapter 5. in verse 12. This is where it all starts. And in verse 12 it says, Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sin, for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. So when we go back to chapter 5 and verse 12, What we begin to see is that the old self is the man that I used to be when I was in Adam. That's the old self. I was in Adam, and now I'm in Christ. It's the man that I once was, but which I am no longer. And so as a Christian, I'm no longer in Adam, I am in Christ. So it's not my carnal, sinful, fleshly nature that it's still here but the old self is gone. Why? Because it has been crucified. Now listen, some read this text and they come to this conclusion that crucifixion is a long process. It takes a very long time. So what Paul really is saying is that the old self is undergoing a process of crucifixion. In other words, we're changing and growing by a killing self. But ladies and gentlemen, Paul did not say that. Why? Because Paul uses the aorist tense, correct? That means we were crucified with Christ once and for all, action that took that was done in the past that has future orientations with it, you see. He says that crucifixion has already happened. In fact, he repeats that for us again in chapter 6 and verse 10, where he says, for the death he died, he died to sin once for all. But the life he lives, he lives to God. With all that said, here's where we're gonna get into the rub. It's important that we should be clear about this because of the other statements which the Apostle makes. Okay? And if anyone's ever been through some eukaryotic counseling or ever come to me for counseling, some of these texts that I'm gonna share with you now, you're gonna say, oh yeah, I know those texts. So let's start with Ephesians chapter four. Would you turn there with me? Listen to what it says in verse 22 through 24. It says, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self created after likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Now let me ask you, Does it sound like I'm contradicting myself here? And how many people have I taught this to? Put off, renew your mind, put on, right? You've ever gone through the Bible studies with me? I think the first six Bible studies I bring this up. Put off, renew your mind, put on, all right? Look at another text with me. Let's go to the book of Colossians, chapter 3. I want to start reading in verse 9. Listen to what it says here. It says, Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Again, does it look like I'm contradicting myself? One more text, please, all right? Go with me to the book of Galatians chapter 5 and verse 24. Verse 24, and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Now here's the question. What do all these verses have in common? Are we not commanded in all of these verses to do something? Absolutely, right? But in our text, we're not told to hold on to the old self. We are told that the old self has crucified himself, but that he was crucified. Was crucified together with the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the only way you can reconcile these statements is to say that the old self is the man that I was in Adam. My old humanity. the man that was born under sin, born in sin, born under condemnation, that man that sinned with Adam and therefore reaped all the consequence of Adam's sin, the man who was under the wrath and condemnation of God. But hallelujah, that man died with Christ and was crucified with Him. And so we read in Romans chapter 8 and verse 1, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. But why? Because I'm no longer that man, I am a new man in Christ. So what do I do with all those passages I just mentioned? Here's the answer. Don't go on living like you're the old man. because the old man died. So look again with me at Galatians chapter 5 and verse 24. You might still be there. Listen to what it says. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. What are we called to crucify? the flesh with its passions and desires. Listen, brothers and sisters, we must hold on to this objective truth that Paul teaches here. The old self was the man that I was in Adam. That is the man that died, and now I'm in Christ, and everything's different. And so this then brings us to our last point. This is one of the most comforting and assuring and glorious aspects of our faith. We are never called to crucify our old self. Why? Because it's already happened. The old self was crucified with Christ on the cross. What you and I are called upon to do is to cease to live as if we are still in Adam. Understand that the old self is not there. It's gone. Back when I was putting this together, the thing I wanted to say, I mentioned it to Don when we were working on the worship service. I said, I'd like to instead of say gone, to say doggone. Why? Because we've been crucified with Christ. We're no longer in Adam. We are now in Christ and everything has changed. If you are a Christian, The person that you were in Adam has gone out of existence. He has no reality at all because you are in Christ. And we have been caught up in the reign of grace. And Paul wants us to know this. He wants us to understand this objective fact. And ladies and gentlemen, that's the elementary truth that he wants us to grasp. Doggone, all right? We are no longer in Adam. We are in Christ, and everything has changed. Now, here's what I want to do. I want us to go back to the book of Romans, chapter 4, and I want us to illustrate this point. And so if you would, take your Bibles and turn back to the book of Romans, chapter 4, and let's look at our father Abraham, who is called the father of faith. I want to start reading in verse 16. Listen to what the text says. Oops, I better get to Romans 4. Romans 4, 16. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring. not only to the inherent of the law, but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who was the father of us all. It is written, I have made you the father of many nations in the presence of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope, he believed against hope that he should become the father of many nations as he had been told. so shall your offspring be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was good as dead, since he was about 100 years old, or when he considered the bareness of Sarah's womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness. Now, folks, listen. God made a statement to Abraham. And Abraham believed that word, right? He said, look, out of your body is going to come the seed that's going to take care of the world's problems. Now, you know what Abraham could have done? Dude, I'm 99 years old. These things ain't like they used to be. In fact, my wife, she's been barren for a long time. That's impossible. That can't happen. But instead, what did he do? God told him and he said, okay, I believe it. I believe it. And the Bible says because of that, God counted to him righteousness. Now listen, God has made a statement here. He tells us that we have been baptized into Christ Jesus. He baptizes us into union with Christ. And I have to say, I know I have died to sin because that's what the Word says. I am no longer in Adam. I am in Christ. And I say, therefore, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. And listen, whatever my feelings may be, whatever the devil may suggest to me, however much the facts may seem to fly in the face of that statement, faith sees the promise and believes it. And the results are the glorious experience then. Pastor, if you only knew what I did, there's no way that God could forgive me. Are you in Adam or are you in Christ? Did God begin a good work in you? Then can God forgive? He's obligated to forgive, is He not? Well, we walk around with our heads down and say, oh man, I'm just not feeling it. And listen, when we're in sin, guilt comes along with it, doesn't it? That's part of God's work. That's the work of the Holy Spirit. But then what has to happen is what? We have to come back to Romans chapter 5 and verse 6, and he says, you know this. Because you are no longer in Adam, but because you're in Christ. God's not done with you. God will forgive you, and you can move on into your Christian walk. Amen. And glorify Christ and his father, who's in heaven. We are in Christ. Everything has changed. We are in the reign of grace. And God's gonna take us home. He's gonna take us home. And ladies and gentlemen, that's subjective truth. And so when Satan whispers in the ear, you say, you're done. No, no, you're not done. If you're in Christ, what did he tell us in Romans 8.33? Those whom he predestined, he called. And those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he will also what? Glorify. Oh, there's nothing like being in the reign of grace. And God wants us to know that, that we are no longer in hell. Now my question for you is, you can't have it another way. It's either A or B. Are you in Christ or are you in Adam? If you're in Adam, guess what? I got some good news for you. God sent his only begotten son into the world to do for you what you could never do for yourself. And he went to the cross. And He died on that cross and shed His blood. He was buried and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. So He could engulf us into the reign of grace. And ladies and gentlemen, I know it's a set of bad illustrations, forgive me. But I thought about this up there in the mountains of North Carolina when that water started rushing through and there was nothing you could do. But in a good way. When we become part of Christ and we're baptized into a union with Him, we are engulfed in this rain of grace, this flood of grace. And our God is eventually going to take us home. And so he says to Timothy, the young pastor that was struggling, hang in there, Timothy. Hang in there, Timothy. Don't you know that we die with Christ, we also rise with Him. We can live the Christian life. Why? Because we're in union with Christ and everything changes. Let's pray together. Father, we're so thankful for Your Word. We're so thankful for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus. You became sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteous of God. Father, if there's somebody here that is living by their feelings, subjective truth, get them out of that place. And bring them back to the objective truth and remind them this morning that they are no longer in Adam, but they are in Christ. They've been engulfed in the rain of grace and that you love them and you'll forgive them and they'll continue to grow and change until you take them. And then, Father, if there's somebody here without Christ, they've never been born again. They're still in heaven. Help them to see, Father, that Christ is what they need. And then give them faith to repent and believe and trust again. Father, do a work.