Alright, if you will, let's turn
to Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter
6, we'll begin in verse 5. For if we have been planted together
in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness
of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified
with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth
we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed
from sin. 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. Let not sin,
therefore, reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it
in the lust thereof. Unlike normal, I want to start
this evening with a story, with an allegory. The children and I and Kimberly
and the family have sat down and we have a board game that
we play. And it teaches children how to
spend their money wisely, how to put back, how to spend less
than you make, live within your means. If you have bills, they
have to pay them. And sometimes that can get tough. That's the challenge of the game.
So this is used to instill some values into them, worldly, fiscally. Now, it doesn't matter if I win
or I lose in that game. That's not a profound statement,
is it? But I still want to do well,
don't I? I still want to be a good example to my children. I still
want to be a good sport. I want to show them what fairness
looks like. I want to show them what patience
looks like in this board game. But if I'm losing in this board
game, Would I take Kimberly's wedding band down to the pawn
shop and get some money and come back and put it back on the game
so I can keep playing? No, that's laughable, isn't it?
That's silly. We know better than that. Not much is different in this
world. I'm here. I want to do a good
job. I want to show patience and kindness. I want to do well. but this is
not my home." In our text here, the Apostle Paul was moved by
the Holy Spirit to show us the source of our eternal security,
our true reality. what's real. He also gives us
instruction on how to live in this world. He gives us some
pointers on this current reality. The things that we see, smell,
and touch. He gives us some good advice on how to handle these
things. But first I want us to look at
verse 5 through 7. Many sermons come out of this
text. It overlaps with what we looked
at last week. I touched on it very briefly. Verse 5-7, many
sermons on baptism come from this text. And Paul writes here
concerning what we proclaim in believers' baptism. Here's what
we confess when we go in those waters. Verse 5, For if we have
been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall
be also in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that
our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might
be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin, for
he that is dead is freed from sin." And when a believer professes
Christ publicly in baptism, they are professing that they're planted
together with Christ. Now what does that mean? Well
first, we've been made one with Christ. We're planted in Him
whenever God the Father chose Christ to represent His people. Being chosen in Him before the
foundation of the world. He was the first chosen. We were
in Him when He was chosen. A lot of people have poor understandings
and anger against the doctrine of election. Christ is our eldest
brother. He was the first one chosen.
He was the fairest. It also means we're planted together
in His likeness and His birth. Our Master was born with a holy
nature into that womb of Mary. He was born of God. In our new
birth, we have a holy nature. We're born of God, just as He
was. Now this flesh that we're standing in, this is our earthly
flesh from our Father Adam. But that new man in us, that
new creature that's quickened in us, that's from the Father
God Almighty. He puts that in us, planted in
us. Whenever we profess a believer's baptism, that as Christ walked
righteously on this earth, He lived perfectly in everything.
I walked in Him, being made the righteousness of God. He was
my advocate, my substitute, my representative, my righteousness,
and my worth. And all that is His. It's not
mine. It's not something I do. His
righteousness, His worth, He planted that in me. As Christ
died on that cross, being forsook of the Father and the wrath of
holy judgment, God turning His back on God. I was planted in
Christ. I was of incorruptible seed in
Him. And I satisfied God's holy demand. Same as Levi, he paid tithes
in the loins of Abraham. I satisfied God's holy justice,
His holy law in the loins of Christ. Christ raising from the
grave being the proof that that holy justice was satisfied. Believers
are given the ultimate assurance that at the end of our lives
we will be conformed to the image of Christ and be made as He is
and we will be kept that way for eternity. We will be worshiping
God in perfection and without sin. We know that. Our proof is we have an empty
tomb. And being planted together with Christ, we know that this
old flesh has been done away with. We are freed from sin,
free from guilt, free from punishment, free from the reign of sin in
us. And our new man now lives in and lives for the Lord our
Savior. As we enter those waters of baptism,
we're declaring publicly that all these things I've mentioned
have already been done. we're declaring a previous act.
We publicly confess that we're planted in Christ before time,
and all of our merit is His merit alone. That's what we're saying. As we go under the water, we're
telling all who see it that I died when Christ died. I was buried
when He was buried. And then as we come out of that
water, we're proclaiming that God was satisfied with His darling
Son. And He brought him out of the
tomb, and He'll bring me out of the tomb. That's our confidence. Baptism is a picture of what's
already happened. And in it, we confess what God
says in His Word concerning His Son and His people is reality. That's what we're saying. Now
let's look at that true reality. True reality is that there's
a life for the believer after this flesh is dead and gone.
Let's look there in Romans 6, verse 8. Now, if we be dead with
Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. I do not
understand people that say, whenever this life is over, that's it.
It's just nothingness. That is true lawlessness. If
someone truly believed that, they say they believe that, and
I can prove they don't, they would live completely for themselves. A legacy wouldn't matter. Nothing
would matter. They would completely and utterly
indulge themselves in anything that came into their heart. Those things that Christ died
for, those people that He was put in Him, He planted Himself
into. We're made to know Him. He who
lived and died for us. We also know that when this life
of death and pain is over, we will live in Christ forever.
It won't be temporary. We believe that. We may not know
all the ins and outs. We may not be able to articulate
different aspects of complex doctrine, but we know the true
and living God. We know the Father. That's all
we need to know. And we know that Christ lives
now and we too shall live. Let's turn over to 2 Corinthians
chapter 4. 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 10. 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 thoughts are of Him who died
for us. Verse 11, For we which live are
always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also
of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. And we go
through trials and we're humbled to see God's power and His might
and not our own. We are shown what we are and
who we are, and then we see the Master lifted up. Then we see
His perfection, and it's manifest in our hearts. Life's given to
us. Verse 12, So then death worketh
in us, but life in you. We having the same spirit of
faith according as it is written, I believed and therefore I have
spoken, we also believe and therefore speak. We tell what we know.
What is it that we know? Verse 14. Knowing that he which
raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also by Jesus and
shall present us with you. Now just like we saw Sunday morning,
we are little children first and foremost. That's how we enter
into this. We know the Father. And knowing
Christ, knowing the Father, knowing God, knowing that liberty we
have from sin, we have in His blood sacrifice. Knowing that
He lives and reigns on high. We also know this life we have
now is the life He's given us. Physically, this life I have
is what He's given me and spiritually the life I have, He's given that
too. And this life and the body of
flesh now, it will go away. And we will live in perfection
and glory as He lives now. Just as surely as I'm standing
here, that's how sure it will be that He'll raise me and He'll
keep me in the end. Now let's look over to Romans
chapter 8. When Christ has shed His blood
to redeem a sinner, there is nothing that can take that person
out of His grip. We are in the hand of God securely. And everything that takes place
in our lives is given to us for our good and God's glory. Every
pleasing thing and every painful thing, every time of feasting,
every time of mourning, there's comfort in knowing that. We don't
remember it, but when we do, when He brings us to remember,
There's comfort for the believer. Look here at verse 31, Romans
8, 31. What shall we say then to these things? If God be for
us, who can be against us? 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? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. This entire world and everything
going on in it, it is for the glory of God. It's all of His
hand. He uses all things in His power
to bring His elect children to the knowledge of Christ. That's
what it took to save me. Everything. That's what it'll
take to call out his children, everything. Would he go to those
lengths? Would he do that? Would he give
nations for his people? He gave his son. Oh, it's much
more valuable than this nation. The situation now that we're
in is from the hand of God. And it's easy for me to murmur
against it. I did today. It's frustrating. And that's proof to me, too,
that this body of sin's still on me. It's an ever-living reminder. I get frustrated. But at the
end of this, if the Lord uses this trial that our nation's
in to call out His sheep, how would I feel from whenever I
get to griping and complaining? I'd probably feel like a little
child, wouldn't I? I'd feel little. But then I declare, like a little
child, salvations of my Father, salvations of the Lord. And it's
the Lord. Let Him do as He seems fit. Let
Him do as He pleases. Through spiritual eyes, we see
the reality of this world. It is nothing but death and sin
and corruption. There's nothing for me here.
But the Lord's ruling and reigning over all that. He rules all things. Then we see that our cares are
not of this world. This is not our promised land.
Where Christ is, that's the land of promise. That's what we have
coming. Now, here and now, we want to
be successful. We want to live rightly. We want
to have a good name. We don't want to bring reproach
on the Lord. We want to live in peace with all men, but our
true want, our true need, It's not of this world. It's not here.
Our affections have been set on things above. And this is
the reality of the child of God. And we have assurance. We have
a confidence, not in ourselves, but in Him that is able to keep
us and present us faultless before the Father. We believe that He
shall do so in that final day. That's a confidence I have. If
my confidence is in me, I'm in trouble. Anything else in my
hand, I'll break it, I'll mess it up, I'll tarnish it. How thankful
I am I'm in His hand. Alright, back to our text, Romans
6. We're looking in verse 9. Here's our proof. This is the
source of our security. 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." Now Paul writes here that we
know Christ was raised from the dead. How do we know that? How
do we have confidence that Christ actually came out of that tomb?
First off, it was prophesied of old. And Hosea 6, it says,
"'Come and let us return unto the Lord, for He hath torn and
He will heal us. He hath smitten and He will bind
us up. After two days He will revive us. In the third day He
will raise us up and we shall live in His sight.'" Who do you
think he's talking about? Christ? And who in Him? Me, you? That's us. Isaiah wrote, "'The
dead men shall live. Together with my dead bodies
shall they arise, awake and sing. Ye that dwell in dust, for thy
dew is as of the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out
its dead." It'll push it out. It won't get rid of it. And when
he calls for us in that final day. Bob brought this into my memory
from Sunday morning from Jonah. Jonah was in that whale for three
days and three nights. It says, now the Lord had prepared
a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of
the fish three days and three nights. And at the end of that,
it said, but I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have
vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. The whole time, our master was
in that tomb. He looked to the Father in perfection,
trusted the Father, knew salvation was of the Lord, and trusted
Him to raise Him out, didn't He? And then what happened? When
it was completed, and the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited
out Jonah upon the dry land. Follow me. Get out of here. Let's
look over to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2 verse 23. Him, being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up, having
loose the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should
be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning
him. He's talking about Psalm 16. I foresaw the Lord always
before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should
not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice
and my tongue was glad. Moreover, Also, my flesh shall
rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither
wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou hast
made known to me the ways of life. Thou shalt make me full
of joy with thy countenance." We know Christ came from the
grave, not only because all these things were prophesied. All these
Old Testament pictures were there. But we know they did it because
it actually happened. There was witnesses. More than
two or three people saw it, didn't they? Let's look over to Matthew
28. Christ came from the tomb and many people saw it. And just
as Isaiah had prophesied, just as Jonah was a picture of, and
just as David proclaimed. And there was a great crowd of
witnesses to these events. Matthew 28, verse 1. In the end
of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of
the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the
sepulcher. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for the
angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back
the stone from the door and sat upon it. His countenance was
like lightning and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of
him, the keepers did shake. These are the ones guarding the
tomb. and became as dead men. They're just stiff. And the angel
answered and said unto the woman, Fear ye not, for I know that
you seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here, for He is risen,
as He said. Come, see the place where the
Lord lay, and go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is
risen from the dead, and behold, He goeth before you into Galilee. There shall you see Him, lo,
I have told you. And they departed quickly from
the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and did run to bring his
disciples word. Verse 9 And as they went to tell
his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail! And they came and held him by
the feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said unto him, Be
not afraid. Go, tell my brethren that they
go into Galilee, and there shall they see me." Now, we don't forget
that those keepers, they were paralyzed. They were there, weren't
they? Guarding that tomb and couldn't
move. Let's not forget them. Now, here's a conspiracy. Here's where they gang up and
do some behind-the-scenes work. This is suppressing the gospel
from a position of power. It's religious rulers and stuff. Verse 11. Now when they were
going, behold, some of the watch came into the city and showed
unto the chief priests all the things that were done. They went
and told the truth. They went and told them that
Christ came out of that tomb. He was out of the tomb. An angel
came down. He was standing there talking to those folks. And when
they were assembled with the elders and had taken counsel,
they gave large money unto the soldiers. They paid them off,
saying, Say ye, just want to tell them what to say. His disciples
came by night and stole them away while we slept. They said,
Here's a bunch of money, and you all watching this tomb, anybody
I ask you, you tell them that his people came and took his
body out in the middle of the night. Make something up. Verse
14, and if this comes to the governor's ears, we will persuade
him and secure you. We'll protect your line. Verse
15, so they took the money and they did as they were taught.
And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. That lie that they conjured up
and they paid those men off until this was written by Matthew,
that was still spread. Has anything changed? Nothing's changed in this day,
has it? They say, oh yeah, he went into the tomb, but you've
got to get him out. Man's got to get him out. And
I thought about this today. I would like to see how many
people believe that. You put them underneath the waters
in baptism and hold them down there and say, now you've got
to get out and keep your hand on them. Put a big rock on them. All of a sudden they realize
they can't come out by themselves, can they? We're mere mortal men. able to
cover this up? Were the principalities and powers
that be at the time, were they able to extinguish the truth
of Christ, of Him being risen from that tomb? Absolutely not. But that saying, it's still commonly
used today. Somebody else has to help Him.
Not so. Alright, back to our text. Here's
how we walk in faith. The believer in this world walks
as though he's dead to sin. Why does a believer walk that
way? Because he's dead to sin. A believer walks in this world
as though he is alive only in Christ. Why? Because he is. He's alive only in Christ. We
believe it and therefore that's what we speak. Verse 11, likewise
reckon yourself also to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We turn from our works
and look only to the Savior's works. We turn from the death
that we had in this flesh and we turn to life that's provided
by the substitutionary Lamb. Knowing we're planted in Christ.
Knowing the reality that we live for eternity in His likeness. Knowing our security is Christ
being risen from the grave. Knowing we walk by faith and
not by sight. That this world is just dim and dark. We no longer have a desire to
live in sin. If the Lord has really done a
work in somebody, they don't want to. You can do what you want, but
you won't want to. Verse 12, let not sin therefore
reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in the lusts
thereof. I do not want to sin. I've been accused of that several
times in my life. I said, well you believe this
gospel that you preach and it just gives you an excuse to go
out and do bad things. And I finally, I think the Lord
gave me an illustration for this. The other day I was out working
in the corn and the beans I'm growing. I was out in my garden
and I wondered, I wondered how many good gospel messages the
Lord gave that were germinated in those victory gardens back
in World War II. I wonder how many preachers were out there
Gardening and trying to grow some food the Lord showed him
something show him how they were planted how he waters he grows
gracing somebody And as I was working on that corn and beans
I was getting frustrated There was weeds in my garden That's
not fruit It's bad things and I don't want them there and they
keep coming and I go through, I try to get rid
of them, and they come back faster than I can pull them. But as
time goes on, them weeds will grow up a little bit, that corn
shoots up. It grows faster, it grows stronger,
and that shadow starts kind of dying them out. They won't go
away, but they're still there. And they're of no use, and I
don't want them. But they're there. Then I saw
somebody right after that, they said, you can eat stinging nettles.
Who'd want to? I guess you can dry them and
take the needles off. Why? But I thought, that's the truth.
People say, well you can do this, you can eat weeds, you can squish
up dandelions and try to do something, you can take a stinging nettle
and dry it and try to eat it, or you can have a big ole ear
of corn. Do I want an old hard bristly thing, or do I want a
big ole tomato? I mean, that's silly. That's
how silly it is to say that somebody is saved by God. The cross does
a work in them. gives them a new heart, gives
them a holy nature, and to accuse them that they want to sin. Hold
them under the water and make them eat stinging nettles. The
Lord will have to teach them. We couldn't. We can't teach them.
Let's give those folks a new heart. I pray for them. All right, verse 13. Neither
yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin,
but yield yourself unto God as those that are alive from the
dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For
sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the
law, but under grace. Now, what's a better motivation?
Love or law? I'll take the love. When I was
growing up, I'd rather dad talk to me than hit me. I'd rather
him explain something to me than whip me. We're under grace. Now, there again, I don't want
to sin. I don't want them weeds growing
inside of me. I pray each of us are made to see that love
that the Lord has had the love that the Lord has now and the
love that He will continue to have forever for His people. I pray we can trust His wisdom
and not our own when the world is upheaved around us. I pray
I can trust His wisdom and not my own. And I pray we each have
comfort knowing that Christ has accomplished all for us, even
the grave. That's how we can have dying
grace. to know what He's already accomplished. Our elder brother's
already done it. It's finished. Amen. Let's pray together.