Honestly, as far as the way I
feel in my heart, I feel as though sin reigns in me. That's how I feel. So how precious
This verse is that says sin shall not have dominion over you. It doesn't say it will not if
you do certain things. It says sin shall not have dominion
over you. And here is the reason sin shall
not have dominion over you. You're not under the law. You're under grace. I've entitled this message, Not
Under Law, But Under Grace. Sin does, in fact, have dominion
over every natural man. It reigns as a king over every
natural man. No natural man can stand before
sin and say, no, sin reigns. Let me show you what this means.
Look in Romans chapter 5, verse 20. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound overflow, but where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound, that as sin hath reigned unto death."
Have you seen that? That as sin hath reigned unto
death. How much power and ability do
we have to prevent death? Absolutely none. I've heard people
say, I'm never going to die, but they're going to die. We
have absolutely no power to prevent death. Now, that's how powerless
we are to prevent sin. Can you of your own free will
choose not to die? Well, if you could, you would,
no doubt, but you can't. Sin reigns unto death. This is how much it reigns. Everybody
who commits sin is going to die, and there's not a thing you can
do to prevent it. That's obvious, isn't it? Sin
reigns unto death. Now, look what he says next.
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so, in the same manner,
You can't say no to death. In the same manner, so might
grace reign. You can't say no to grace. Grace
acts as a mighty, ruling, reigning king. You see, grace is a person.
It's the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if he decides he's
going to give you grace, you're going to have grace. And you
can't say no. You can't prevent it. Now, that's good news. You know, I'll tell you who will
love sovereign grace, folks who need sovereign grace. I need
that kind of grace to save me. Nothing else will do me any good.
I need sovereign grace. I love the reign of grace. Now, before we can understand
what is being taught in verse 14, for sin shall not have dominion
over you, for you're not under the law, but under grace, we're
going to have to understand the biblical definition of the terms
in this passage of Scripture. Now, first of all, sin shall
not have dominion over you. Who's the you? For you are not
under law, but under grace. Who's the apostle speaking to?
Is this a promise to every man? No. This is a promise to those
who are under grace. Not everybody is under grace.
This is a promise to those who believe. This is a promise to
the elect of God. This is who this is. You were
speaking of it. It's important for me to understand
this. If it means everybody, the promise
is meaningless. Everybody this promise is made
to, they Sin's not going to have dominion over them. So there's
the first thing we've got to get down pat. Who is this to?
It's to every believer. Everybody who trusts the Lord
Jesus Christ. Even all of God's elect. What
a precious promise. Sin shall not have dominion over
you. Now, the next question I'd like
to ask is, what is meant by sin? Sin shall not have dominion over
you. Sin is what the sinner does. You first got to have a sinner
before you can have sin. Sin is what the sinner commits. It's his nature. Now, I got to
thinking about this thing of sin. What is sin? And this was
helpful to me to think about it. A little grammar here. Everybody knows what a noun,
a verb, an adjective and an adverb is. Well, if you don't, a noun
is a thing, a verb is what you do, an adjective is a description
of that thing, and an adverb is a description of what you
do. Now, sin, first of all, is a noun. Sin is what I am. The best definition of sin is
me. And I mean that. Sin is a verb. Sin is what I do. Sin is an adjective. It describes me. Sin is an adverb. It describes what I do. If I
did it, that makes it sin. Sin. The transgression of God's
holy law. Sin whatsoever is not a faith. is sin. Sin, any act of omission,
not doing what I should do, any act of commission, doing what
I shouldn't do. Sin, it's my nature and it's
my name. Sin shall not have dominion over
you. Now, what about that word dominion?
What does it mean? Sin shall not have dominion over
you. That means lordship. That means
rule. That means reign. Sin shall not
have dominion over you. And here's why. You're not under
the law. This is why sin shall not have
dominion over you, because you're not under the law, but you're
under grace. Now, what does this mean to be under the law? He says you're not under the
law. So many people have a misunderstanding of this, because most people
think when they think of not being under the law, they look
at it kind of as God lessening his standards and being not quite
so strict, a kind of a diplomatic immunity, if you will. If I'm
not under law, I've got diplomatic immunity. God's not going to
deal the same way with me. Now, wait a minute. If you're
saved by God, you're going to be saved with a perfect standing
before that holy law of God. Our Lord said, think not that
I've come to destroy the law and the prophets. I came not
to destroy, but to fulfill. And he fulfilled God's law perfectly. I said this before, I hope I'm
not misunderstood. I don't try to keep the law. I kept it. But in Christ, I've kept it. Now, when I say I don't try to
keep the law, that doesn't mean I'm indifferent towards breaking
God's holy law. It doesn't matter because I'm
not under it, so I can break it. I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying
the reason I don't try to keep it is because I've kept it. In
Christ Jesus, I personally have kept God's holy law. That law looks at me and says,
I'm satisfied. I have nothing to fear. I've
kept the law. Now, what does it mean to be
under the law? That means salvation, in some
way, is dependent upon you. That's what it means to be under
the law. That means some aspect of salvation,
be it what it may, some aspect of salvation is ultimately dependent
upon you, you doing something. It might be keeping the Ten Commandments.
I haven't run across many people who say, well, you've got to
keep the Ten Commandments to be saved. I'm sure there's some that like
that, but that would be an example of being under the law. Being
under the law could make salvation dependent upon your will. God
loves you, Christ died for you, God the Holy Spirit's calling
you, but it's up to you as to whether or not you'll let Him
save you, whether you'll make a decision to let Him save you.
That's law. That makes salvation dependent
upon your will. I love the way Paul summarized
the law in Galatians chapter 4. He said, tell me, you that
desire to be under the law, don't you hear what the law says? And
you know what he points us to? Hagar and Ishmael. And Sarah and Abraham, now you
remember the story. God promised Abraham a son. Thirteen years later, it still
hasn't happened. Sarah says, Abraham, I know God
made a promise that we're going to have a son, but we have to
do our part or that promise won't come to fruition. Now, obviously,
We're not doing our part. I'm still not having a baby.
So we still got to do our part. So Hagar, go into Hagar. We'll do our part and we'll have
this baby. We got to do our part to make
God's promise come to pass. And Paul tells us that that is
Mount Sinai. Hagar is Mount Sinai. Any aspect of salvation dependent
upon me or you is being under the law. Now, remember, If any
part of salvation is dependent upon you, you're under the curse
of the law. Now, we know that what thing
soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law,
that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty
before God. Therefore, by the works of the
law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law
is the knowledge You see, in reality, all the
law does is stir up sin. Look in Romans chapter 5, verse
20. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound.
Now, that doesn't make sense to the natural man. We think
that the law will check sin and restrain sin and keep it from
happening, but the apostle tells us the law entered that the offense
might abound. Now, wherever you have somebody
under law, Wherever you have somebody standing for the law,
you've got a fence abounding underneath all that. It's a cover
up. It's a cover up every time. Every
time I come across somebody who's trying to put somebody under
law and believes in law in some way, I know there's an unclean
life underneath it all. I'm just sure of it every single
time. And I would say this carefully,
but like I was thinking about, for instance, and I feel sorry
for these guys, the Catholic priests. These are guys who quite
often, you know, all the moral problems behind these guys and
all the stuff that's going on. These are guys that more often,
I guess, their moral deviance and they hate themselves for
it. They think, well, I put myself under law. I put myself under
the law of chastity and and and be celibate. And that way I can
serve God and I can overcome these problems I'm having. And,
you know, it doesn't work, does it? Obviously, read the papers.
It doesn't work. Anytime somebody puts themselves
under law. As a matter of fact, when I hear
a preacher preaching, just harping on some sin, write it down. He's
doing it. He's doing it. Every time. A
preacher preaches, I'm against this. Well, I know what you're
doing. That's the way it works. Moreover, the law hinders that
the offense might abound and overflow. Look over in Romans
chapter 7. Verse 7. What shall we say then?
Is the law sin? God forbid, may I have not known
sin, but by the law. For I had not known lust, except
the law had said, thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion
by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence
or evil desire. For without the law, sin was
dead. For I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment
came, do not covet. And that's what he's talking
about. Can you control covetousness? You might be able to keep everything
else outwardly. Halt it. But something you can't stop
is covetousness. All I've got to do is say, don't
covet, and you'll start coveting. That's just the way it works.
As a matter of fact, anything that we hit, this is the way
we respond to law. Anytime there's a law, I don't
care what it is, put somebody under law, and they're going
to break it. That's just the sinful nature. Now, let's go on reading. I was
alive without the law once. But when the commandment came,
sin revived, it came alive, and I died. And the commandment which
was ordained alive, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking
occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Wherefore, the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just,
and good. Was then that which is good made
death unto me? Is the law the cause of my death?
God forbid! But sin, that it might appear
sin, working death in me by that which is good, that sin by the
commandment might become exceeding sinful. Moreover, the law entered back
again in verse 20 of Romans chapter 5. Moreover, the law entered
that the offense might abound, overflow. But listen to this
promise. Where sin abounded. Thank God for this. I know where
sin abounds. Right here. right here. Where sin abounded and overflowed,
grace did much more abound. Now, wherever you find a place
where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. That as sin
hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Now, if you are under the law
in any way, sin has complete dominion over you. And you know it. But here's the
promise to the believer. You're not under the law, but
you are under grace. Now, what's that mean? Not under
the law, but under grace. Well, what is meant by the word
grace in the Bible? God's grace is God's unmerited
favor. Now, if you could merit it, if
you could deserve it, if you could earn it, it would no longer
be grace. And grace, God's grace, is not
in any way dependent upon human worthiness. Listen to this. God's grace is not influenced. It's absolutely free from influence. And if it's not, it's not grace
at all. Romans chapter 11, verse 6 says,
And if by grace it's no more of works, otherwise grace is
no more grace. But if it be of works, it's no
more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work.
Now, here's what the Bible means by grace. God's unmerited favor. God's grace is having God for
you. If God be for us, it's God's
favor. Boy, don't you want God's favor?
I want His favor toward me. I want His unmerited favor. Now, when the Bible talks about
grace, you've got to begin with electing grace. I love this Scripture. Love it more right now than I've
ever loved it. For the children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth." Isn't that
great? Not yet born, neither having
done any good to recommend him, or evil to disqualify him, has
nothing to do with it. God's electing grace is free. He doesn't have to find a reason
in you to choose you. Somebody says, what if I'm not
chosen? Well, what if you are? What if you are? If you believe
the gospel, I guarantee you are. That's the reason you believe
is because you've been chosen. You've got to begin with electing
grace, and if somebody doesn't believe in election, they don't
believe in grace. Now you write that down. If somebody doesn't
preach divine, sovereign election, gracious election, they don't
believe in grace. Period. Justification is by grace. Election is God's choice of His
people by grace. Justification is by grace. It's
got to be by grace because justification means not guilty. For me to be
not guilty, when I know in and of myself I am guilty, it has
to be a gracious act of God for Him to declare me to be that
way. Because I know myself, I am guilty. But God says I'm not. And if I'm not, I'm not. And
only grace can do that. Being justified, cleared of all
guilt, not guilty, freely by His grace. through the redemption
that's in Christ Jesus. Justification is by grace. Forgiveness. Forgiveness. Forgiveness. Oh,
to have my sins forgiven. This is a wonderful thing to
think about. Forgiveness is by grace. Now, under the law, forgiveness
is the end. Under the law, if you do this,
if you do that, if you follow this rule, if you get that sacrament,
if you get all your nuts in a row, if you do this, You'll get the
forgiveness of sins. It ends with the forgiveness
of sins. But under grace, we begin with
the full, free, frank, eternal forgiveness of sins. It's not
you'll be forgiven if you do this. It's you're forgiven. Your
sins are blotted out. Irreversibly, eternally, they're
gone. You are forgiven. That's the
message of grace. It's not, here's what you need
to do in order to be forgiven. It says you are forgiven. Your sin is wiped out. It's gone. Calling is by grace. You see,
we're dead. We can't hear unless he gives
his life. I love to think of Lazarus. Lazarus, come forth.
He that was dead came forth. He didn't say no. And you know,
the Lord wasn't talking to everybody in that graveyard. If he would
have been talking to everybody, giving a general call, everybody
would have came forth. He was talking to Lazarus. Lazarus,
come forth. And he that was dead came forth. Adoption is by grace because
By nature, I'm just like everybody else, a child of wrath by nature,
a wrathful child, a sinful, evil child, but he made me his child. He adopted me, gave me the nature
of a child, and that's all a gracious act of God. Sanctification is
by grace. That means everything involved
in the new birth, faith, repentance, perseverance, everything involved
in sanctification is by grace. You know, people talk about progressive
sanctification. I think that's a that's a popular word. What
about that scripture in Romans chapter six, where or where is
it in the first Corinthians chapter six, where it says, but you are
washed, but you're justified, but you're sanctified. Well,
are you washed progressively? No. Are you justified progressively? No. Neither are you sanctified
progressively. You're declared by God to be
holy. This is an act of His grace. And if He says you're holy, you
are holy. Preservation is by grace. He
that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the
day of Jesus Christ. He does it all. You see, all
of salvation is by grace. You're under grace. Isn't that
a wonderful place to be under? You're not under the law. I love
God's law. I delight in the law of God after
the inward ban. I admire God's law. I esteem God's law. I'm
not afraid of God's law because I stand perfect before it. I'm
not under the law. I'm under grace. And because
I'm under grace, I stand before that law without guilt. Just like that woman, the Lord
said to that woman, woman, where are those that are accusers?
Has no man condemned thee? She said, no man, Lord. He said,
neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. She's under
grace. God never gives favor because
of our worthiness, and He never withholds favor because of our
unworthiness. Now, that's good news to the
unworthy. You see, the gospel of grace is a sinner's religion.
Isn't that so? This message, this gospel, is
made specifically for sinners. Thank God for that. You're not
under the law, but you are under grace. Now, let's see what led
Paul to make this statement. Let's start once again in verse
20 of Romans chapter 5. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound and overflow. But where, that's a
place, where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, that as
sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Now
Paul anticipates the natural man's objection. What shall we
say then? Shall we continue in sin that
grace may abound? Now, if where sin abounds, grace
does much more abound. Here's what we need to do. We
need to continue abounding in sin so grace will continue abounding
toward us. Everybody knows that's evil.
But that's the natural man's response. How does Paul answer
that? Verse two. God forbid. How shall we that are dead to
sin live any longer therein? Now, what does he mean by being
dead to sin? Because sin seems mighty alive
to me. I don't say, well, I'm dead to that sin. No, no. As
far as the way I feel, it feels very powerful and alive. So what
does he mean by being dead to sin? Well, let's go on reading.
Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ,
we were in Christ when he died. We were baptized into his death. Therefore, we are buried with
him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should
walk in newness of life. Now, what he's saying is when
Christ died, I died. When he was buried, I was buried.
When he was raised again, I was raised again. And as Christ was
raised, we are to walk in newness of life as a new standing. Not
under law. Isn't that a precious place to
be? With a new nature under grace, verse five, he says, for we've
been planted together in the likeness of his death. We shall
be also in the likeness of his resurrection. This is a for sure
thing. If he died for us, we must be raised to be just like
him, 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. You know,
I can remember as a young believer reading that verse of scripture,
and it just tore me up. Because if he that is dead is
free from sin, how come I don't seem to feel free from it? But
that word is literally, he's justified from sin. Christ died. His sin's been put
away. I have no sin. Now the reason I'm free from
sin is I don't have any sin. Christ died for my sin. That
sin's been destroyed. It's been put away. What about
the sins you commit? They've been destroyed. They've
been put away. I'm going to deal with this flesh the rest of my
life. I realize that. But the body of sin has been
destroyed. I'm justified from sin. Verse 8. 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 has
no more dominion over him. He can't die again. For in that
he died, he died unto sin once. But in that he liveth, he liveth
unto God. Now listen to this, verse 11.
Likewise, this is a command. This is a command to every believer. Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves
to be dead indeed unto sin. But alive unto God, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. But I don't feel dead to sin.
I'm not asking you to not feel dead to sin. I'm just saying
reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin because you are
dead indeed to sin. If God says you're dead indeed
to sin, that means you are dead indeed to sin. That's the real
you. That's the real you. That's the new me. You're dead
to sin. All your sin has been put away.
Sin has nothing to say to you any more than the law's got anything
to say to a dead man. He's already dead. The debt's
already been paid. After a man's dead, the law doesn't go after
him. It's over. I'm dead to sin. I'm not under
the law. The law's been satisfied. The
law's been honored. I stand perfect before that law.
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin. Only the Lord
can enable you to do that. I realize that. But you know
what? Every believer is dead indeed
unto sin and alive unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, verse
12, let not sin therefore reign in your dying body, that you
should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members
as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield, but present
yourself." That's what it means. Present yourself. You don't present
yourself to sin and say, sin, here am I. Use me. You don't
present yourself to sin. You present yourself to God just
like Isaiah did. When the Lord said, who shall
I send and who will go for us? Isaiah said, here am I. Send
me. Yield yourself. Present yourself
to God as those that are alive from the dead, and your instruments,
as instruments of righteousness, your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God. Four, here's the promise. Sin shall not have dominion over
you, for you are not under law, but under grace. Now listen real
carefully. All the time, all the time, As
far as the way I feel, I feel like sin has dominion over me.
Seems like if it didn't, I wouldn't sin the way I do. So as far as
the way I feel, I feel like sin has dominion over me. So you
know what I do? I say, Lord, You said in Your Word that sin
shall not have dominion over me, because I'm not under the
law, but under grace. Now do what You said. You made
that promise. You made that promise. So don't
let sin have dominion over me. Order my steps in thy word, and
let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Now, this is a promise
of grace. Lord, you said this. I'm pleading this, and I'm expecting
you to be good to what you said. You're a faithful God. You're
a true God. I'm expecting you to do what
you said. Let not sin have dominion over
me. And remember, you're not under
the law. All the law does is stir up sin.
By the law is the knowledge of sin. The law reveals sin, but
it gives no power against sin. As a matter of fact, it stirs
it up. All I got to do is say, don't do it. That's what you're
going to do. That's what you're going to think. You're not under the law, but
you're under the free grace of God. Let's pray.