Sermon: Romans 6

First Q (v.2): answered with second: How shall we live in sin when we are dead to it?
C.Swindoll - memory - recall misery, couldn’t control desires - victim of a habit? lust, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, drugs, alcohol, food

recall the feeling you had no hope
slavery = addiction at its worst
shame increased, overwhelmed you

some, lived in freedom in grace, but have forgotten their slavery

Gordon Seagrave: “It is my earnest conviction that everyone should be in prison at least once. Should be on suspicion, not proof, he should be sick most of the time, at least 4 months. Only then will he realize the value of freedom.”

Ex: Nelson Mandela, John Bunyan

When imprisoned, freedom is much sweeter.

Imagine, wrongfully imprisoned...

Who would volunteer to return to prison?
We are dead to sin, why return?
We are freed slaves, freed from sin and shame. Why return?

Emancipate: release from slavery

US - Civil War broke slavery, Abe Lincoln killed for the cause
13th Amendment - legally abolished slavery, black slaves emancipated (freed).

President stated anti-slavery convictions.
New Year’s Day 1863, December 18, 1865 
(proclaimed)					(enacted)

“Slavery: Legally Abolished”

Good news!
But, majority of slaves - now legally freed, continued to live as slaves...

Former slaves lived virtually unchanged lives. 

Shelby Foot in 3-volume “Civil War”
“Negro was locked in caste system of grace etiquette”
All slaves - “I don’t know nothing bout Abe Lincoln, cept he set us free - and I don’t know nothing bout that neither.”

Slaves were ignorant of freedom.

TRAGIC...war, assassination, amendment, emancipated, freed, but- still lived in poverty, fear, old lives...

Chose to keep serving the same master, until they died.

Would you even know that slavery was abolished? 

Plantation owners wanted that “Keep them ignorant, keep them in the field.”

What else could they do?

Israelite slaves had an advantage - God was with them - signs and wonders. Exodus. Red sea, manna, pillar of cloud and fire. Manifestations of God.

Not so in America...

Tragic?

Here is one WORSE.

Christian slaves...

Jesus paid it all! But many Christians act as though held in bondage...

Most prefer security of slavery, to the risks of liberty. Strange, no? But Satan loves it! “Great! Keep it up!”

Satan KNOWS we are free - but hates it. 
He does everything in his power to keep us pinned down in guilt, shame, intimidation, fear.

Romans 3 - this is us before Jesus.

3:10-20... No one righteous, not even one, no one understands, no one seeks God, all turned away, they are worthless, no one does good, not even one, speak deceit, poisonous vipers, cursing, bitterness, ruin and misery mark their ways. Way of peace they do not know, no fear of God before them. Whatever law says, says to those under the law - so whole world may be accountable to God. No one is righteous by keeping the law, but it makes us aware of sin.

No way of escape. We were unable to change our enslavement to sin. (POINT 1)

(POINT 2) Glorious release - Christ has set us free!

Sinner - everyone - set free!

First Easter - redemption.

Romans 3:21-22
But now, apart from law, righteousness of Law has been manifested...(Jesus)

To qualify, no special requirements. Not culture, not skin, not language, ONLY faith in Christ.

We were all slaves to sin, to Satan (our master). 
Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.
3:24 - Declared righteous as a gift through the redemption of Christ Jesus.

We were spiritually useless, could not escape.

Jesus, paid our price to free us. His own blood = price.

He said to us all “You don’t have to live under your former master any longer! You’re free! Free to serve me for the rest of your life!”

Changed from rebels to servants of God.

President Grace freed us from Satan - our master, and his wife Shame.
Theoretically, freed at Jesus death.
Practically, legalism, old habits, attempt to keep us in bondage - to keep us ignorant, afraid, thinking like a slave.

(POINT 3) Many Christians live AS SLAVES.

“I don’t know anything about Grace, cept maybe it set us free, and I don’t know bout that neither...”

Sin-oriented mentality...

“I just can’t help myself.”
“I’m only human”
“I’m not a great guy”

Self-defeating references - we look like insecure religious slaves.

We rationalize our sins - hypocrites...

We lie, cheat, steal.

“Nobody’s perfect.” Basically” “I’m still enslaved...”

Swindoll: Nonsense. Live like you’re free!
Where sin abounded, grace SUPER abounded!

Once were enslaved, now are freed.

Live ABOVE your old habit - old sin.
Grace helps us to say “no” to sin and conquer it.

Maverick thought:
Once we grasp true freedom of grace, we can spend lengthy periods of time sinless, shameless. Why should sin master us? How un-biblical to say we can’t help but let sin master us.

We have been trained to expect and handle sin - rather than freedom.

But that reinforces our slave mentality.

Wake up, confess, go to bed, confess, anything I missed? confess...

Where is the abundant life Christ promised? Are free people to live in such fear of sin? 

Let’s live like we’re free!

Your old master doesn’t want you to think like this. He wants to keep you ignorant and in shame, and afraid of him and his whip (sin). Wants you to think you “gotta get beat” every now and then - to keep you in line.

HERESY! Jesus set us free! Satan has no right to put a whip to your back! You are free!

Grace Awakening.

We are freed from sin, Satan, shame, old selves...

McGee: Old man, new man:
Lady lived in deep South - close relationship with former BF - ultimately married him, rewarding life, not perfect.
One day, heart attack took him from her.
She didn’t want to let him go - embalmed him, put in a chair, sealed in a glass case, in front of her home.
Walked in, said, “Hi, John” - walked upstairs, carried on. One year later, took a trip to EU. Met an American who fell in love with her - married in EU, honeymooned, etc. 
What a surprise for the new husband...
Picked her up, knocked door open...
Almost dropped her!
That’s my old man John - he buried John. It was OVER.

That’s what Christ has done for us. We died with Christ, raised to new life with him.

Revelation of Holy Spirit to remind us of our freedom - Ephesians.

We need the spirit of knowing our own death and rebirth with Christ. 

Swindoll - closing part 2.
Many high passes up mountains. Dangerous. 
Govt. could put EMT at the bottom of hill ready for the injured. (1 John 1:9)
OR put warning signs up the road. Preparing for what was ahead. (Romans 6) - warning, explain our freedom in Christ. Don’t spend time in guilt, confession, guilt, confession. Our inheritance is freedom! We are not under law - it magnifies and explains sin.

We are freed in Jesus name