Introduction: Last week we learned the heart of the gospel: salvation
is by free grace alone, there is nothing we can do to earn it. Our
studies for this week and the next two are about how those who are
saved should live. Have you ever been embarrassed by a member of your
“group?” It might be your family, your church, your organization, or,
perhaps, a Christian leader. Someone did something that brought
shame. Since a battle rages between good and evil, and those saved by
grace have chosen the side of good, shouldn’t we do everything we can
to aid good, to repay love with love, and not harm the name of Jesus?
Let’s plunge into our Bible and see what it teaches us about how
those confident of their salvation should live!
- Death to Sin
- Read Romans 6:8. How did we “die with Christ?” (Read
Romans 6:1-3. That is one of the amazing things about
grace. The penalty for sin is death. The Bible says that
when we are baptized, we participate in Jesus’ death on
our behalf. Our debt is paid!) - Read Romans 6:4-7. What is our relationship with sin after
baptism? (Our old self died, therefore we have been “freed
from sin.”) - Does it feel that way? (I struggle with sin. If you
say you don’t struggle with sin, you likely struggle
with honesty.) - When Paul writes that we are “freed from sin,” how
has our relationship to sin changed? (I think he
means we are freed from being forced to choose sin.
Sin is no longer our involuntary master.) - The Choice
- Read Romans 6:8-10. Pay close attention here. If we died
with Christ, does that mean in some supernatural way I
have died to sin, even though it still seems to plague me? - Read Romans 6:11. If we died to sin in baptism, why is
Paul asking us to “count yourself dead to sin?” (I think
Paul is making a common sense argument, not a supernatural
argument. He says salvation was won for you by Jesus. In
baptism you participated in Jesus’ death on your behalf.
Now live like you are dead to sin.) - Read Romans 6:12. If something supernatural happened to me
to kill my old sinful self, why is the Bible telling me
not to let sin reign in my body? (This shows living a holy
life is a choice. Paul asks us to choose to reject sin.) - Whose evil desires are we discussing? (Sin in my
“mortal body” has evil desires. This text brings
great light. The post-baptism person, whose old self
was crucified, has evil desires! Now we are talking
about something that accords with my experience in
life.) - Notice a very important word, “reign.” What is Paul
saying about the nature of sin in our life when he
says, “do not let sin reign in your mortal body?”
What is he not saying about sin?(He is not saying “No
molecule of sin can exist in your life.” No, he
says, “Don’t let sin be in charge of your life!” If
you find yourself (a person certain of salvation)
wrestling with sin, welcome to the journey to
holiness!) - Read Romans 6:13. How should we contend with sin?
(Choices. Choose God, not sin. Use your body to do what
pleases God, don’t use your body to do what is wicked.) - Read Romans 6:14. Is the outcome in question? (As long as
you are saved by grace, you know sin cannot be your
master. You might wonder at times, but the outcome is
clear. Paul says “Live like someone assured of salvation.”
Notice again the concern is sin being your master,
reigning over you, as opposed to the ordinary struggle
with sin.) - Read Romans 6:15. Why does Paul add this question here?
(People say the same thing today that they said thousands
of years ago, “If I’m saved by free grace, and there is
nothing I can do to earn salvation, then I might as well
sin!” Or, if you are a critic of grace, you say, “Free
grace means it doesn’t matter what you do!”) - Read Romans 6:16-18. Why does sin still matter to those
confident of their salvation? (We have made a choice. We
have chosen God has our Master. God has freed us from the
penalty for our sins. Therefore we need to be loving and
loyal to our Commander.) - The Big Picture
- Think about your favorite (or most troublesome) sin. Got
it in mind? How does it impact others? Does that impact on
others reflect love or selfishness on your part? Do your
actions advance or hinder the Kingdom of God? - Do you spend much time thinking about how your sins
(or contemplated sins) harm others? - Read Ephesians 6:10-13. What is the nature of the conflict
over sin? (It is God versus “the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms.”) - How are we a part of this conflict? (The counsel to
put on “the full armor” sounds like we are warriors.
We are soldiers.) - What is the source of our power? (God.)
- Who is not the enemy? (Not other sinners.)
- What kind of fight is this? How can we fight Satan
and demons? - Skim Ephesians 6:14-18. What do these articles of war have
in common? (With the exception of the sword, they are all
purely defensive weapons.) - What does this suggest about the nature of our
battle? (You are the battle ground! Your life is the
battle ground.) - If your life is the battle ground, does it make sense
that how you act is important? - Read 1 John 3:1-3. How do children feel about normal,
loving parents? (They stand together as a family against
the world.) - What happens if someone attacks a member of your
family? (Your natural reaction is to defend the
family member.) - Read 1 John 3:4-5. How does our understanding of the
family guide our thoughts about sin? (God is in a battle
against sin. As part of His family we are part of this
battle. Jesus died to save us from sin. If we look at the
“big picture,” rather than focusing on the temporary
excitement of our sin issues, we will realize how
important it is to take a stand against sin in our life.) - How does this “family” analogy fit with the armor
analogy in Ephesians 6? (It fits perfectly. We are
saved by grace, but we are in a fight to preserve the
integrity of our “family” (God and fellow
Christians). We avoid bringing shame on the family.
We help other members of the family.) - Re-read 1 John 3:4-7 and then read Romans 7:14-18. How can
you reconcile the apparent contradiction between John and
Paul? (I think Paul is arguing the “little picture,”
meaning, “What does the sin in my life mean?” He answers,
it means you are human. John, on the other hand, is
arguing the “big picture.” If we are part of the “God
family,” if our family is in a world-wide fight against
evil, then we will want to avoid sin and evil in our life.
Lawyers have a phrase that illustrates John’s point, “How
can you ride with the cops and cheer for the robbers?”) - Read 1 John 3:8-10, Romans 8:1-4 and Romans 8:9-11. We see
here that the apparent gap between John and Paul has
narrowed. This is where the big picture and the little
picture come into the same frame. How does this help us to
better understand grace? (We are saved by grace alone. The
decision to accept Jesus is a decision to choose to live
in accord with the Holy Spirit and not in accord with our
sinful nature. Our goal must be holiness – and we must be
serious about our goal.) - Read Colossians 2:13-17. What does this suggest about the
nature of sin? (In our goal for holiness, we need to
realize that sin focuses on our relationship to Jesus.
This is an issue we will continue to explore.) - Friend, do you care about the sin in your life? Has
salvation by grace alone made you sloppy when it comes to
obeying God’s will? Why not decide today to make holiness
your goal? - Next week: Victory Over Evil Forces.
