Go with me if you would to Romans
6 again. Romans chapter 6. And let's read verses 8 to 11. Now if we be dead with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with Him. Knowing that Christ,
being raised from the dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion
over Him. For in that He died, He died
unto sin once, but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves
to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus
Christ our Lord. We just looked a moment ago in
our Bible study at what it means to be dead to sin. Now I'd like for us to look at
what it means to be alive to God. It's a glorious thing to
be dead to sin. That's a glorious thing. But
infinitely more glorious is being alive to God. Think about that. Just think about that. Alive
to God. Now this is a horrible thing
when this happens, but There are times when two people part
ways. They're at odds with each other.
And they're so much at odds with each other, they never want to
have dealings with the other one ever again. Ever again. Some people have been known for
saying to the one they're parting ways with, you're dead to me. You're still alive here on this
earth. but you're dead to me." Do you know that that is what
all men and women said to God? You know that? The moment they fell into sin
in their father Adam. All of mankind said I don't want
to have anything to do with you anymore. That's basically what
the temptation was. If you eat this, you won't have
to have anything to do with him anymore. You'll be your own God.
I'll take that. The moment man said, you are
dead to me. In that moment, man became dead
to God. Man became alive to sin and dead
to God. Here's the two most glorious
words a man or a woman can ever hear. But God. All right, that's
what man did. And that's what man became because
of what man did. But God. We just saw a moment
ago what Christ did to undo what man did. We just saw what Christ accomplished
to quicken His people from their death in trespasses and sins. He immersed them into His own
death. That's what He did. He freed
us from sin by being made sin for us. He freed us from it. Totally removed it from us. Separated it from us. By being
made our sin for us and dying in that sin. Taking it upon Himself. Dying in that sin. In His own
body, He put an end to the sin of His people. And when he did
that, that sin became dead to his people, and his people became
dead to that sin. And verse 7 says, chapter 6 verse
7, he that is dead is freed from sin. Now, verse 8 says, if we
be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
Him. Live with Him. If we truly are dead with Him, dead to sin and dead to condemnation,
dead to judgment, dead to destruction, dead to damnation. If we truly are dead with Him,
we believe that we're going to live with Him. We believe that
we're going to be alive with Him. Why do we believe that? Because that's what God's Word
says. That's what it says. Look with me if you would at
2 Timothy chapter 2. 2 Timothy 2 verse 11, it is a faithful
saying, for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with
him. We shall. We believe, why do
we believe that? Because we shall. We shall live
with Him. Don't you love the authority
and the confidence of God's Word? We have doubts. I'll just go
ahead and tell you, you have doubts from time to time. Because
our faith is weak, it's small, and we're just so confident until
we go, ah, oh, is this true? Yes. We shall. Look with me at 2 Corinthians
4. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 8 says, We are troubled on every side. You know what the life of a child
of God is? Trouble. Man is a few days and full of
trouble. We're troubled on every side,
yet not distressed. We are perplexed constantly. I wonder why, why? But you know
what we're not? We're not in despair. We're not. We're troubled and we're perplexed,
but we're not in despair. We're persecuted, verse 9 says,
but we're not forsaken. We're cast down, but we're not
destroyed. Always bearing about in the body
the dying of the Lord Jesus. that the life also of Jesus might
be made manifest in our body, our body. This is a glorious
thought, but if we, God's elect, God's people, the ones that he
has written his promise to, if we have been made to be dead
to sin, then we, And this is what I want us to get a hold
of. We have been made to be alive to God. Alive to God. Now let's just enter in to what
that means for a minute. Look with me at 1 Corinthians
15. Back just a couple of pages to 1 Corinthians 15. Verse 12 says, If Christ be preached that He
rose from the dead, how say some among you that there's no resurrection
of the dead? But if there be no resurrection
of the dead, then is Christ not risen? And if Christ be not risen,
then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." It's
all, if He has not risen, everything you believe is empty. Verse 15, Yea, and we are found
false witnesses of God. All of us standing up here in
pulpits are a bunch of liars. Because we have testified of
God that He raised up Christ, whom He raised not up, if so
be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then
is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain, you are yet in your sins. He did not put
away your sin. Then they also which are fallen
asleep in Christ, they're just perished. If in this life only
we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. Why? Because we've committed ourselves
to a lie. We didn't go out and live for ourselves. We've been
living for a lie. Verse 20 says, but now is Christ
risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that
slept. First man to ever rise from the
dead, never to die again. For since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all
die, every man and woman that is in Adam dies. And as in Adam
all die, even so in Christ. Every man or woman who is in
Christ shall all be made alive. Every soul in Adam dies. See if we can enter into this,
okay? Every soul in Adam dies. That's the proof that every soul
in Christ will be made alive. You want to know if it's real?
How can we count on it? Here's how we can. You will look
and see every soul in Adam will die. Every one of them will die. That's the proof that every soul
in Christ would be made alive. Look right here in 1 Corinthians
15 at verse 51. He said, Behold, I show you a
mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound,
And the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed. Does anybody get excited when
you think about that? Verse 53 says, For this corruptible
must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and
the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. With the sin removed,
there is no staying in death. None. He said He has given us
the victory. If we died with Him, we are going
to live with Him. Look with me at Philippians chapter
3. Philippians 3 verse 20, For our conversation is in heaven,
from whence also we look for the Savior. Do you know what
we're doing? Looking for the Savior. Really,
that's what we're doing. Does anything else in life matter?
Anything. Well, see, I got this thing at
work right now. Does that matter? What if the Savior came today? Well, I've got this health issue.
Does that matter? What if the Savior came today?
Well, see, I got this money trouble. Does that even matter? What if
the Savior came today? That's what we're doing. We're
just looking for the Savior. Crying, come quickly, Lord. Our conversation
is in heaven from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be
fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working
whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself." Our
vile body is going to be changed and made acceptable to live in
the presence of God. Not someone else's body. And
not some other body. He didn't say it was another
body. Our body. Our body. Look with me at Romans
8. Romans 8 verse 10, it says, If
Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin. And we shouldn't
expect it to be anything but that. The body is dead because
of sin, but the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. But
if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell
in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. Mortal
bodies, he said. Our Lord said in John 17, I love
them. And I want them to be with me
where I am. Turn with me over there to John
17. John 17, our Lord said in verse
15, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but
that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. Verse 17, He said,
sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. Sanctify them. Verse 20, neither pray I for
these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through
their word, that they all may be one as thou father art in
me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world
may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou
gavest me, I have given them. that they may be one even as
we are one. I in them and thou in me that
they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that
thou has sent me and has loved them as thou has loved me. Father, I will that they also
whom thou has given me be with me where I am that they may behold
my glory which thou has given me For thou lovest me before
the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world
hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known
that thou hast sent me, and I have declared unto them thy name,
and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved
me may be in them, and I in them." He said, I want them. I want
them, not something like them, them. I came to redeem them. Yeah, but in their flesh they're
so ungodly. In their flesh they're just so
wretched and just so ruined and sinful. Yes, but I came to put
away all that. I came to wash them. I came to
quicken them and heal them and reinstate them. I didn't come
to save something like them. I came to save them. Look at
what Job said. Turn with me over to Job 19. Poor old Job, what he, that man
endured for the Gospel's sake and for the glory of Christ's
sake. But this is what he said, Job
19 verse 25, he said, I know that my Redeemer
liveth and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes
shall behold, and not another. though my reigns be consumed
within me. And this is why I love having
a center margin in my Bible. That last line translates, my
reigns within me are consumed with earnest desire for that
day. He said, I'll see for myself,
mine eyes shall behold and not another, and my reins within
me are consumed with earnest desire for that day. If we have
been made to be dead to sin, then we have been made to be
alive to God. Now, what is it to truly be alive
to God? What is that really? It's four
things. Go back to our text. Romans 6. I'm going to tell us
what the four things are, and then we'll confirm each one with
Scripture. What is it to be alive to God?
Four things. It's to be alive with Christ. It's to be alive by Christ. It's to be alive in Christ. and it's to be alive through
Christ. We see that in these four verses
right here. Verse 8 says, now if we be dead with Christ, we
believe that we shall also live with Him. With Him. That's how we'll live. Just listen
to these scriptures. He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things? Here's another one. And you being
dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, Hath He quickened
together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses? Here's another
one. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory. We are alive to God with Him. With Him. one with our Lord Jesus
Christ. Verse 9 says, Knowing that Christ,
being raised from the dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion
over him. Death has no more dominion over
us because death has no more dominion over him. He said in
John 14, because I live, You shall live also. We are alive
to God by Christ. Listen to these scriptures. I
am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by Christ. The faith of the Son of God who
loved me and gave himself for me. We're alive to God with Christ. We're alive to God by Christ. By the doing, by the working,
by the mighty power of Christ himself. Peter said, The God
of all grace hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus
our Lord. That's how. Who did it? He did
it. He is the accomplisher of our
living unto God. Alright, verse 10 says, For in that He died, He died
unto sin once, But in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. We're alive to God with Christ. We're alive to God by Christ.
We're alive to God in Christ. Turn with me over to Ephesians
1. Ephesians 1 verse 3 says, Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Where has
He blessed us? In Christ. It's all in Christ. We are blessed
with Christ. We're alive with Christ. That's the only hope that a sinner
has. I'm with Him. We're alive by Christ. Who did
this? Who started the work? Who finished
the work? He did. And where is all the blessing
found? In Him. In Him. It's all in Him. Verse 3, Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as
He hath chosen us in Him. That's the only way a sinner
can be an elect child of God, in Him. before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ, to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made
us accepted in the Beloved." That's where we're accepted.
How can we live unto God? In Him. Verse 7 says, In whom? We have redemption through His
blood. The forgiveness of sins according to the riches of grace.
Verse 8 says, Wherein? It keeps saying in, in, and we
could just keep on reading. It's in Him. In Him. In Him. 2 Timothy 1 says, Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to
the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus. Now go with
me back to Romans 6. We are alive to God with Christ,
by Christ, in Christ, and through Christ. Verse 11, Likewise reckon
ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. John 3 says, God sent not
His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world
through Him might be saved. Romans 8 says, In all these things
we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Ephesians
2 says, for through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto
the Father. 1 John 4 says, in this was manifested
the love of God toward us because that God sent His only begotten
Son into the world that we might live through Him. We are alive
to God with, by, in, through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now I want to close on this note.
It's a good note. Verse 8 says, If we be dead with
Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. We're going to live with Him. Let's see if we can enter into
this. Don't turn over. But in Acts chapter 1, that book
begins with our Lord departing from His disciples, leaving His
disciples. He had some things to say to
them. And when He was finished speaking to them, He ascended
up into the clouds He was returning to His Father, He was returning
to glory to take His rightful seat on the throne. And it says,
while the disciples were watching Him ascend, gazing up into heaven,
two angels appeared in white apparel and they said, Ye men
of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus,
and that, I remember the first time I got a hold of that. This
same Jesus, which is taken up from you into
heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go
into heaven. This same Jesus. Do we not love
this Word and thank God for this Word? We are looking for Christ
in this Word. We have fallen in love with this
man. We're not in love with the doctrine.
I do love the doctrine of Christ, but only because it's the doctrine
of Christ. We have fallen in love with this
man. We trust this man. We trust him. I trust him. We're looking for Him. We want
to see Him. This same Jesus that the Lord
has revealed to us in His Word, this same God manifest in the
flesh, this man, there's a man in glory. God is a man. You know, you think about God
appearing in a pillar of fire and all these things in the Old
Testament. In the New Testament, God appeared in the form of a
man. He's still in the form of a man. And this same Jesus that
we so desire to see, the one who said, I want them, we want
Him. And this same Jesus is coming
back for us. And because He died to sin once,
because sin hath no more dominion over Him, says He's coming back
with no sin. He took it away and this time
He's coming back and no sin will be there. And because of that,
He lives unto God. And because He lives unto God,
we're going to live unto God. With Him. In a congregation with
Him. We're going to live by Him. We're
going to live in Him. We're going to live through Him.
We really are. Christ is our life. We are alive to God. With, by, in, through Him. All
praise be unto Him. Alright, let's all stand together. Thank you.