Pastor David R. King
Ne New
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that,
“just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin — because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness,
“but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace .”
and are an inseparable pair.
NOT = ends up living under sin’s power .
NOT = ends up living under sin’s power .
NOT = sin’s attraction is irresistible .
The Upward Spiral of Discipleship
Living alive to God begins with dying to sin. Living dead to sin happens as a result of living alive to God.
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
The meaning of “alive to God”.
The meaning of “alive to God”. • vv.2,4 – a “new life” of dependence. • v.5 – “united with Christ”. • v.8 – living “with” Jesus. • v.9 – a reflection of Jesus’ resurrection. • v.10 – “to” God, not merely “with” Jesus. • v.11 – an imitation of Jesus, to live as Jesus lived. • v.12 – a new Master • v.13 – offering my whole self “to God“. • v.14 – new citizenship “under” grace.
The meaning of “alive to God”. • It is a new life under God’s control and connected to Him in all things. Colossians 3:2-3,8-10
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God… But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these:
“anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
Jesus was dead to sin and alive to God. • There is a direct parallel between Jesus’ life and our discipleship.
Jesus was dead to sin and alive to God. • How was Jesus “dead to sin”? o Through His life – Jesus confronted the dark kingdom and announced the Kingdom of God. 1 John 3:8
“The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”
Jesus was dead to sin and alive to God. • How was Jesus “dead to sin”? o Through His death – Jesus first died in sin, and then took sin in His body to the grave. 1 Peter 2:24
“‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross’, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness…”
Jesus was dead to sin and alive to God. • How was Jesus “dead to sin”? o Through His resurrection – Jesus’ resurrection broke the power of death and sin. v.9
Jesus was dead to sin and alive to God. • How was Jesus “alive to God”? o Through His life – Jesus completed the work the Father sent Him to do. John 17:4
(Jesus prayed to the Father) “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”
Jesus was dead to sin and alive to God. • How was Jesus “alive to God”? o Through His death – Jesus was obedient to the Father in His death. Philippians 2:8
“And being found in appearance as a man, [Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!”
Jesus was dead to sin and alive to God. • How was Jesus “alive to God”? o Through His resurrection – Jesus’ resurrection was through the glory of the Father. v.4
Jesus was dead to sin and alive to God. • Jesus lived a God-connected life even though He was God! John 9:4; 5:17,19,36; 10:30
“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”
“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” I and the Father are one.”
“For the works that the Father has given me to finish — the very works that I am doing — testify that the Father has sent me.”
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves (dead to sin) and take up their cross (dead to sin) and follow me (alive to God).”
Application – How can we live “alive to God”? 1) Through our life, death and resurrection.
Application – How can we live “alive to God”? 2) Do what the Father is doing.
“… whatever the Father does the Son also does.” “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”
Application – How can we live “alive to God”? 2) Do what the Father is doing. • As brothers and sisters of Jesus, the way to be “dead to sin” and “alive to God” is by imitating Jesus.
Application – How can we live “alive to God”? 2) Do what the Father is doing. • Can I say these things about my life like Jesus did? • Is my agenda for me the same as Jesus’ agenda for me?
Application – How can we live “alive to God”? 3) Join ECB in joining Jesus in His work.
The 4 E-values are a way of training to live “alive to God” as a Church.
Worship – alive to God’s glory. We turn from our lordship to God’s supremacy.
Community – alive to God’s people. We turn from our selves to other believers.
Scripture – alive to God’s Word. We turn from our wisdom to God’s wisdom.
World – alive to pre-Christians loved by God. We turn from self-concern to a world that needs Jesus.
Application – How can we live “alive to God”? 3) Join ECB in joining Jesus in His work. We are “alive to God” through engaging the final work of God on earth before Christ comes again.
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
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