Participants: Terry Shelton
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000331
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00:31 Hello and welcome to another edition of Faith Chapel.
00:33 My name is Terry Shelton. 00:35 I'll be your host today. I like to bring you a 00:38 message entitled free at last. And we are going to 00:41 look at the book of Romans chapter 6 today 00:43 and before as I like to do, before we begin 00:47 I like to just invite God to be with us in a moment 00:50 of prayer. Heavenly Father, we just thank you 00:52 that you have given us life today. 00:54 Thank you that you've given us your word 00:56 and I pray just now Lord that as we open your 01:00 word, that you'd open our minds and our hearts, 01:02 you'd help us to receive your word and 01:05 may your word penetrate our hearts and change 01:07 us into your image, we pray in Jesus name, 01:10 Amen. All of heaven was in an uproar; 01:16 something was going on, on planet earth. 01:18 Something that would forever change 01:21 the history of planet earth, something called sin 01:26 had occurred on planet earth. And the sin runs 01:29 rapid even today. But, you know Jesus came 01:33 to redeem us from sin and from the curse of sin. 01:38 And today I'd like to look at some writings 01:41 from the Apostle Paul, Romans chapter 6 01:44 and Paul here wants to address God's people 01:49 and he wants to help us to understand 01:52 that sin doesn't have to reign over us. 01:55 Please look at Romans chapter 6, 01:57 and we are going to just touch on a couple of 02:00 verses and then we'll pause. Beginning with 02:03 verse number 1 of Romans 6. What shall we say 02:08 then? Shall we continue in sin that grace 02:12 may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who 02:17 died to sin live any longer in it? Paul says, 02:22 certainly not, the original King James says 02:25 God forbid, God forbid that we should, 02:29 we should continue to live in sin when we have 02:32 died to it. It's interesting that the living 02:37 Bible actually says, shall we continue to sin when 02:40 we don't have to? I like that wording. 02:43 I wanna, I wanna present to you a little 02:46 scenario here, tell me what you think about this 02:49 or just think about this. Let's say that you 02:52 lived in a certain town and you say you had a 02:56 favorite store that you went to. And when you 02:59 left your home you would get in your vehicle and you 03:01 would drive a certain path to get to your destination, 03:06 to get to this favorite store that you 03:07 wanted to get to. And unless you had 03:10 some duties in other parts of the town chances are 03:12 you would get in the car and you would drive 03:14 the same path every time to take you to the 03:17 destination. Now let's contrast and let's say that 03:22 now you moved to a different city. But, you 03:25 still have that same favorite store, would you 03:28 continue to drive the same path to your favorite 03:32 store? Well, you'll say well of course not, 03:35 well why not. Because you are not 03:37 living in that old city anymore. You're living in 03:39 this new city and in order to get to the store 03:41 you are going to have to drive a different path. 03:45 So, my question to you is can you continue to 03:48 behave as though you lived in that 03:51 old town. The answer is no, why? 03:53 Because you're not in that old town now. 03:55 You don't behave the same way; 03:57 you don't do things the same way. 03:59 How can you live in a town that you moved 04:02 away from? How can you, how can you 04:04 behave like you live in a certain town 04:06 when you don't, you live there, you live in 04:09 a different place. Paul is saying how can we 04:11 continue in sin when you've died to sin. 04:14 When you have supposed to have cast off sin, 04:17 that's what Paul is asking here today. 04:20 Let's continue in verse number 3 of Romans 6. 04:23 Or do you not know that as many of us 04:27 as we're baptized into Christ Jesus, 04:30 we are baptized into His death? 04:33 Therefore we were buried with Him through 04:36 baptism unto death, that just as 04:39 Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of 04:42 the Father, even so we also should walk 04:45 in newness of life. You see Paul here is 04:50 talking about what I believe is baptism. 04:53 Have you been baptized? Have you gone 04:57 into the waters and had that newness of life. 05:01 Come up out of the water in the newness 05:03 of life. See our baptism parallels Christ, 05:08 Christ's death and burial and resurrection. 05:11 And that's what Paul is talking about here; 05:13 he says if you've been baptized then you should 05:16 walk in newness of life. Continuing on 05:19 in verse, verse number 5. For if we have 05:25 been united together in the likeness of His death, 05:27 certainly we also shall be in the likeness 05:31 of His resurrection, knowing this, that our 05:36 old man was crucified with Him, 05:38 that the body of sin might be done away with, 05:41 that we should no longer be slaves to sin. 05:44 You see the death and the resurrection go 05:47 hand in hand. You can't have one without the other; 05:51 death without resurrection serves no purpose. 05:53 And we can't have the resurrection without 05:56 that death, that death to sin 05:58 that Paul is talking about. 06:02 In verse, in verse 6 he talks about 06:05 that old man, that old man, have you buried 06:10 that old man? Now of course we know that 06:13 when we are going to the waters of baptism it's, it's, 06:16 it's a conversion process, it's something that, 06:19 that transforms us spiritually. And, and the 06:23 scriptures do recommend that we go 06:25 into waters of baptism. But, you know, 06:27 there needs to be a process that we go 06:29 through everyday. We should die to sin 06:32 everyday and let Christ live within us. 06:36 And in verse 6 he talks about, he talks about 06:39 being slaves of sin. You see before 06:43 this death to sin, you and I were slaves 06:46 to sin. We don't like to think about that word. 06:49 Slavery has, has such negative connotation, 06:52 we hate to use the word slavery. But, friends that's 06:54 what it is and there are millions of people who are 06:57 enslaved to sin today. Jesus came 07:02 to release us from that slavery. In verse 7 07:07 Paul says, For he who has died has been freed 07:11 from sin. Have you been freed from sin, 07:17 have you been freed from sin today, yesterday, 07:20 will you be free from sin tomorrow. You say, well 07:23 brother how can that be, there is sin all around me, 07:25 there is sin everywhere I go there is sin. 07:27 That's true, there is friend. But, we need 07:30 not be touched by the sin of this world. 07:33 God promises us the power to live above sin. 07:38 By trusting in the merits of Christ, by hiding 07:43 our life within him, he longs to give us 07:47 deliverance from sin. Continuing on in verse 8, it 07:53 says, now if we died with Christ, we believe 07:56 that we shall also live with Him, 07:59 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the 08:02 dead, dies no more. Death no longer has 08:06 dominion over Him. For the death that He died, 08:10 He died to sin once for all; 08:13 but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 08:16 Likewise you also reckon yourselves to be 08:19 dead indeed to sin, but alive to God 08:22 in Christ Jesus our Lord. See Paul is saying 08:27 that the, the death that Jesus experienced, 08:29 it only occurred once, aren't you thankful for 08:32 that? Aren't you thankful that the death, burial, and 08:34 resurrection of Jesus Christ, the shedding 08:36 of his blood needed only be done once. 08:39 It coves the entire sin of the world 08:41 when they come to him, when we believe 08:44 and accept him, and accept the gift 08:47 that he gives us. So continuing on in verse 08:50 12 it says, therefore do not let sin reign in 08:54 your mortal body, that you should obey 09:01 it in its lust. And do not present 09:02 your members as instruments of 09:03 unrighteousness to sin, but present 09:04 yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, 09:07 and your members as instruments of 09:10 righteousness to God. For sin shall not 09:14 have dominion over you, for you are not 09:17 under the law but under grace. See Paul 09:20 here is saying, but there is really no 09:22 excuse for sin, there is no excuse for 09:25 sin as we read these contexts, he talks 09:28 about our members, do not present 09:30 your members of unrighteousness, 09:32 donot present your members as 09:35 instruments of unrighteousness. 09:37 What do you think Paul is talking about there. 09:39 I kind of thought about when I read this 09:41 passage of scripture, I kind of thought about 09:43 all the distractions that goes on around us that 09:46 leads us into sin. Things that we see 09:49 with our eyes, things that we hear with our ears, 09:52 things that we taste and we can touch. 09:55 Things that lead to sin, these Paul is 10:00 saying, don't use your members for 10:02 unrighteousness. Use your members for 10:05 righteousness, which leads to God. 10:08 And then this very interesting scripture 10:13 verse 14 it says, for you are not under law 10:15 but under grace. You know this; this passage 10:20 of scripture is very much misunderstood, 10:22 misunderstood in the Christian world today. 10:25 There are many who teach that the law, 10:29 that has nothing to do with our salvation now, 10:31 we're just under grace, we're under grace 10:32 and that's it. I would like to read for you 10:35 a paragraph taken from an article called 10:38 Review and Herald and it's dated March 8, 1881, 10:41 and it says this, It is the sophistry of Satan 10:45 that death of Christ brought in grace to take the 10:50 place of the law. Whose idea is this? 10:52 It is Satan's idea. The death of Jesus 10:55 did not change, or annul, or lessen in the 10:58 slightest degree, the law of Ten Commandments. 11:00 That precious grace offered to men through its 11:03 savior's blood establishes the law of God. 11:06 Since the fall of man, God's moral government 11:10 and his grace are what? Are inseparable. 11:13 They go hand in hand through all dispensations. 11:17 "Mercy and truth are met together; 11:20 righteousness and peace have kissed each other." 11:24 You see, you see, it's the devil who wants you to 11:27 think that grace now is all that you need 11:29 and the law is not binding anymore, 11:32 it's the devil who thinks, who wants to 11:34 tell you that you need not worry about the 11:36 law of God. Just claim his grace, 11:38 just claim his grace. Friend, that's the idea 11:41 of Satan. What is grace? What is grace today? 11:47 If you ask many Christian people, let's say what is 11:52 grace, many people will answer that grace is the 11:55 unmerited favor of God. It's a very popular 11:58 definition for this, for this word. 12:02 I'd like to read for you another quote 12:04 something also from the Review and Herald dated 12:06 September 15, 1896. This is so wonderful, 12:10 listen to this, By disobeying 12:12 the commands of God, men fell under the 12:16 condemnation of His law. This fall 12:19 called for the grace of God to appear 12:21 in behalf of sinners. We should never have 12:24 learned the meaning of this word "grace" had 12:27 we not fallen. God loves the sinless angels, who 12:32 do His service, and are obedient to all 12:35 His commands; but He does not give ú 12:38 These heavenly beings know naught of grace; 12:42 they have never needed it; for they have never sinned. 12:45 Grace is an attribute of God shown to undeserving 12:48 human beings. We did not seek after it, 12:51 but it was sent in search of us. 12:54 God rejoices to bestow this grace upon every 12:56 one who hungers for it. To every one 13:00 He presents terms of mercy, not 13:02 because we are worthy, but because we are 13:04 so utterly unworthy. Our need, get this 13:09 friend, our need is the qualification which 13:13 says, which gives us the assurance 13:16 that we shall receive this gift. 13:19 You see what it says here friend that we 13:21 were not originally designed to experience 13:23 grace, had we not sinned, we would not 13:26 have experienced it. But, grace, that 13:29 unmerited favor of God has been extended 13:32 to you and to I. Lets get back to our study. 13:35 Romans chapter 6 and now let's go to 13:39 verse 15, what then? Shall we sin 13:43 because we are not under law but under grace? 13:45 Certainly not! Certainly not! 13:49 Do you not know that to whom 13:52 you present yourselves slaves to obey, 13:54 you are that one's slaves whom you 13:56 obey, whether of sin leading to death, 13:58 or of obedience leading to righteousness. 14:02 Paul here saying, okay so you have 14:04 so have grace, you have grace, that doesn't 14:07 give you license to continue to commit sin. 14:09 That doesn't give you license to just take 14:12 advantage of God's mercy and sin 14:14 anyway, Paul is saying no, he is saying 14:18 should we, should we depend on God's 14:20 grace to the extent that we willfully commit 14:24 sin, knowing that God will be merciful? 14:26 Of course not, it's what Paul is saying. 14:30 And in verse 16, here's an interesting, 14:33 interesting point is that everyone is a 14:36 slave to something. Are you a slave 14:38 to something today? You see 14:41 he says either we're slaves of sin 14:44 leading to death or slaves of obedience 14:47 leading to righteousness? I would submit to you today, 14:50 there is nothing wrong with saying that you 14:52 are a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. 14:55 There's nothing wrong with that because that 14:57 means we are obedient to his will, obedient. 15:02 In verse 17 it says, But God be thanked that 15:05 though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from 15:10 the heart, that form of doctrine to which you 15:13 were delivered. And having been set free 15:17 from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 15:21 Or might call it servants, servitude of righteousness. 15:25 Paul is saying that, that everyone, we are all in 15:28 bound to something, we are all in servitude to 15:30 something. We be in servitude to sin 15:33 or to righteousness. Let's keep on to verse 20. 15:36 Verse 20 Paul says, For when you were slaves of 15:38 sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 15:42 What fruit did you have then in the things of 15:44 which you are now ashamed? 15:45 For the end of those things is death. 15:48 See Paul says he is saying here that, that when you 15:51 were in sin you couldn't care less about things of 15:53 righteousness, you couldn't care less about 15:55 things of God. And so you were free from those 15:58 things, had nothing to do with them or while you 16:01 were in that time he is saying what kind of fruit 16:04 did you have in your life? And now that you are 16:07 walking with Christ, now we look back on those 16:10 things of our own life and we're ashamed of them. 16:14 We're ashamed of those things because 16:16 they led to death. But, in verse 22 he says, 16:20 but now, Paul uses that a lot you know. 16:23 But now having been set free from sin, and having 16:28 become slaves of God, you have your fruit to 16:32 holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 16:36 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God 16:40 is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. 16:44 See Paul here is saying that now the fruit of your 16:47 life is going to lead to holiness and to 16:51 everlasting life, once you become a servant of the 16:54 Lord Jesus Christ and of course we all know that 16:57 passage of scripture Romans 6:23, I like the 17:01 fact, it just say, the wages of sin is death, he goes 17:05 ahead and he says but the gift of God, the gift of 17:08 God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. 17:12 So, now lets say that you have reached that point, 17:15 that you've reached that point of that you have no 17:17 longer, you're no longer being a slave to sin and 17:21 that you're living a righteous life with Christ, 17:24 letting him live out his life in you, what about 17:27 that past, what about the old things, what's 17:31 happened to all the old things of our life. 17:33 Let's look at the Second Corinthians 17:35 chapter 5 and verse 17. Therefore, if anyone is in 17:42 Christ, he is a new creation or a new 17:46 creature; old things have passed away; behold, 17:49 all things have become new. Now, all things are 17:54 of God, now all things are of God, who has 17:57 reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, 18:00 and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 18:05 that is, that Christ, that God was in Christ 18:08 reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing 18:10 their trespasses to them, and has committed to us 18:14 the word of reconciliation. You see when we, when 18:18 we make that step with Christ, when we begin to 18:21 follow him we are created new creatures. 18:26 And the old sins are not counted 18:28 against us any longer. If that is the case friend, 18:32 if the old sins are not counted against you any 18:34 longer then I would say don't let anybody else 18:38 bring up your past life, don't let anybody tell you 18:41 about what a bad person you were and of all the 18:43 bad things that you did. Friend, you can claim to 18:46 the promise that you are a new creature in Christ. 18:51 Can you be old and new at the same time, no 18:53 of course not? You can't be old and new, you can't 18:56 be dead and alive at the same time. 18:59 Someone comes to you and says, you sure were a 19:01 bad person, you tell them I'm a new creature in 19:04 Christ and the old the things are passed away. 19:07 We read in the book of Micah chapter 7 and verse 19. 19:13 Micah chapter 7 and verse 19; He will again 19:16 have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. 19:20 You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. 19:25 Friend someone once said, someone once said 19:28 that God has thrown my sins to the depths of the 19:30 sea and put up a no fishing sign. 19:33 Don't go get him and don't let anybody else go 19:35 and get those sins, those, those, those past mistakes 19:39 that you, that you've made. Let's look at Psalm 19:41 chapter 103. Psalm chapter 103 in verse 12, 19:48 it says this As far as the east is from the west, 19:54 So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 20:00 Why do you suppose that words are written here 20:03 East and West? Let me ask you a question, if you 20:06 get in an airplane and you begin to fly north, 20:09 how far can you fly north? I'm gonna assume 20:13 that, that someone is answering me out there. 20:17 How far can you fly north until you reach the North 20:19 Pole? That's the answer. Now what happens if you 20:21 keep going, are you flying north anymore. 20:23 No, you're now flying south, or say you 20:26 continue to south, how far can you fly south? 20:30 You can only fly south as long as you reach the 20:33 South Pole then you begin to fly north again. 20:36 But, lets have, lets turn around and let's say that 20:38 begin, that you get in your airplane and you fly east. 20:42 Is there ever a time that you are not flying east? 20:44 No, that's how far the God has removed your 20:49 transgressions. As far is the east from the west, 20:52 that is a never ending line, there is never a point 20:55 when they come, when they meet each other. 21:01 It says in the book of Hebrews 21:02 chapter 8 and verse 12. For I will be merciful to 21:10 their unrighteousness, and their sins and their 21:13 lawless deeds I will remember no more. 21:17 Why? Because God's forgetful? 21:19 No because he chooses not to remember them. 21:22 Also in Hebrews 10:16 and 17 it says this, 21:26 "This is the covenant that I will make with them 21:28 after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws 21:31 into their hearts, and in their minds I will write 21:34 them," then He adds, "Their sins and their 21:38 lawless deeds I will remember no more." 21:42 If God chooses not to remember your past 21:46 mistakes anymore then friend you and I should 21:50 put them away from us as well. 21:53 We read in John chapter 8 verse 31. 21:57 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 21:59 "If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. 22:02 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall 22:05 make you free." They answered Him, 22:08 "We are Abraham's descendants, and have 22:10 never been in bondage to anyone. 22:11 How can you say, You will be made free?" Jesus 22:14 answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, 22:17 whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave 22:21 does not abide in the house forever, but a son 22:24 abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, 22:27 you shall be free indeed. Friend, if you are abiding 22:32 in Christ then you can be free from sin, you can be 22:35 free from the curse of sin. In closing I would like to 22:40 look at one story in the book of Mark chapter 5 22:43 that just impresses me so much. Everyone has read 22:47 this story, we all know the story by heart probably. 22:49 Mark chapter 5 beginning at verse number 1. 22:54 Then they came to the other side of the sea, 22:56 to the country of the Gadarenes. 22:58 And when He had come out of the boat, 23:00 immediately there met Him out of the tombs 23:02 a man with an unclean spirit, who had his 23:05 dwelling among the tombs; and no one could 23:07 bind him, not even with chains, because he had 23:10 often been bound with shackles and chains. 23:12 And the chains had been pulled apart by him, 23:16 and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could 23:19 anyone tame him. And always, night and day, 23:25 he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying 23:27 out and cutting himself with stones. 23:32 I'd like to bring to you this point that this man 23:37 had superhuman strength. There was something 23:40 supernatural going on here because this man, 23:43 an ordinary man wouldn't be able to break these 23:45 chains and be wild like this all the time. 23:50 There was supernatural strength and 23:52 he was delirious. Continuing on, 23:57 When he saw Jesus from afar, he 23:59 ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a 24:02 loud voice and said, "What have I to do with 24:04 You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? 24:08 I implore You by God that You do not torment me. 24:11 " For He said to him, "Come out of the man, 24:13 unclean spirit!" Interesting point this 24:17 demon knew who Jesus was, it's ironic that the 24:22 people around there did not. It took the word of a 24:24 demon to point out the very son of God Jesus Christ. 24:31 So, what happened, reading on verse 9. 24:34 Then He asked him, "What is your name?" 24:37 And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for 24:39 we are many." Also he begged Him earnestly 24:43 that He would not send him out of the country. 24:47 Point number 3, the demon are at the mercy of Christ. 24:52 And so is every spirit that tries to 24:54 influence you and I today. Continuing on, now a 25:00 large herd of swine was feeding there near the 25:02 mountains. So all the demons begged Him, 25:06 saying, "Send us into the swine, that 25:08 we may enter them." And at once Jesus gave 25:11 them permission. Then the unclean spirits went 25:14 out and entered the swine, (there were about two 25:17 thousand); and the herd ran violently down the 25:21 steep place into the sea, and drowned into the sea. 25:27 The pigs ran down the mountain and they were 25:31 swallowed up by the sea. Ellen White points out 25:35 that the people in that time they were more 25:37 interested in their pigs than they were the 25:39 deliverance of this one who had been delivered 25:41 from these evil demons. We're continuing on, 25:48 verse 14, so those who fed the swine fled, and 25:53 they told it in the city and in the country. 25:56 And they went out to see what it was 25:58 that had happened. When they came to Jesus, 25:59 they saw the one who had been demon-possessed 26:02 and had the legion sitting and clothed 26:03 and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 26:06 And those who saw it told them how it happened to 26:09 him who had been demon-possessed, 26:11 and about the swine. Then they began to plead 26:14 with Him to depart from their region. 26:18 You see these people were more upset, these 26:20 people more upset losing their pigs then they were 26:22 to see, then they were happy to see this one 26:25 delivered from these demons. And in closing 26:28 we see it says in verse 18, And when He got into the 26:31 boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged 26:34 Him that he might be with Him. However, 26:36 Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go 26:38 home to your friends, and tell them what great 26:41 things the Lord has done for you, and how He has 26:43 had compassion on you." You see this man was to 26:47 be a witness to what had God had done in this life. 26:51 And I found this so interesting that Jesus gave 26:53 no reminders of what this man had used to be, Jesus 26:56 didn't say you know you used to be a wreck, you 26:59 used to be a mess, you really made some 27:00 mistakes, you have done some bad things, look at you. 27:04 No, Jesus said, go and tell what God has done for you. 27:09 Friend, there is a great lesson for us today. 27:12 Don't look back in the past and don't let others 27:15 drag you back into the past, don't let others try 27:19 and tell you that you are not a 27:21 new creature in Christ. If you have been born 27:24 again, if you have been baptize, if you have given 27:27 your heart to Christ, you have been born again and 27:30 you are new creature in Christ. 27:33 Scripture says there is therefore now no 27:35 condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. 27:40 What did, what did, what did Jesus say to that 27:42 women who was brought to him in adultery, neither 27:45 do I condemn you, go and sin no more. 27:49 Friend, you can have that assurance, I can have that 27:51 assurance that we can be free from sin today. |
Revised 2014-12-17