Freedom from the Law

(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the audio player shown.)

This is a message based on Romans 7:1-25, and is part of a series of messages that we have been giving on the book of Romans.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

As we return to our series of messages on Romans I just want to begin by summarizing what we have already learned through this comprehensive letter the Apostle has sent to the believers in Rome.

I have been reading a book by Dr. John Oswalt titled, Called to Be Holy. He does a splendid job of summarizing the content of these earlier chapters, so I would like to quote him.

In the first chapter [Paul] shows that the Gentiles knew enough of God not to become idolaters, and yet they did and in consequence have sunk to the most despicable sins. But in chapters two and three, he shows that the Jews have no cause for self-congratulation. If anything, their situation is worse because they have the written revelation and are thus responsible for their greater knowledge. But this greater knowledge has not resulted in the kind of obedience it should…. Paul can say towards the end of chapter 3, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

…If all humans stand condemned before God, and if there is nothing we can do to clear the charges from our record, what can we do? Paul begins to answer that question in 3:21. God has made his righteousness available to us through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ.

Regarding chapters 4 & 5 Oswalt continues by describing how the law was never given as a means to make humans right before God. Abraham was declared righteous because of his faith even before the law was given. Additionally, the Law is unable to remedy the sinful inclinations passed on to us from our first parents, but it functions to show us just how sinful we are and prepare us for the Cross.

Chapter five was as far as we got before the Advent Season a couple of months ago. Then we resumed our series a couple of weeks ago by looking at…

V.     God's righteousness is revealed through sanctification. (6:1-8:39)

I want to remind us briefly about what the word sanctify (ication) refers to.

In its earliest uses it referred to God’s “transcendence” and “otherness.” It also speaks of cleansing, or purity, as well as being separated from the common or ordinary. It emphasizes the fact that God’s people are distinguished by being cleansed from moral impurity and separated from common worldly purposes to be entirely devoted to God’s purposes.

The Apostle Paul, uses chapters six through eight to answer some of the questions that might arise out of chapters 4-5.

Quoting from Oswalt’s book again:

[the reader says] ….if none of my good deeds made me acceptable to God, and if they actually kept me from God, then it doesn’t matter how I live now that I have accepted God’s offer of Christ. In fact, if I just surrender to my sins, Christ will be free to give more of the grace he so much enjoys giving!

To all of this, Paul goes off like a rocket…. The very idea that Christians might think that they should just go on living in sin after they had received Christ’s forgiveness is abhorrent to the apostle…. So Paul says here, “Don’t you understand? Why did Jesus give his life for you – just so that he could stamp [the word] ‘justified’ on you? Never! He did it so that he could stamp his image on you!”

The last two Sundays we examined chapter six which showed that…

A.  Sanctification means grace has been victorious. (6:1-23)

“Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound!” (Quote from chapter five of Romans)

Today, we are moving into chapter 7 which addresses a question that Paul supposes will arise in the minds of his readers after they have read chapter 6.

We can imagine [their] response going something like this: “Oh, now I understand, Paul. We were brought into relationship with God by grace through faith, but to remain in that relationship we must live a holy life, and we do that by keeping the law. Right?” Paul answers, “Wrong! You cannot keep the law. If you attempt to do that, the law will only [condemn] you.”

In many respects, chapter 7 revisits some of the same points that Paul made earlier in chapters 4 & 5. So let’s turn to Romans 7 now to see what additional insights the Lord would have us discover regarding the whole idea of sanctification.

B.  Sanctification means the law has a purpose. (7:1-25)

i.  The purpose of the law is defined and illustrated. (7:1-6)

a.  Its purpose is to exercise dominion. (7:1)

Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?

The apostle starts his argument by reminding those who are already familiar with the law that the law exercises control or dominion. It seems like he is saying, “If you think that mere compliance with the law will continue to grant you standing in the grace of God, have you forgotten what the law is and what it does?”

b.  Its dominion is illustrated by marriage. (7:2-3)

For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. ³  So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.

There are a some commentators and plenty of preachers who have used this passage of scripture as a proof text about the issue of divorce. However, divorce is not the topic of discussion here. Paul is simply mentioning the aspects of the law that suit the illustration he is trying to make. Here’s the illustration…

When a woman is married to one man, she is bound by law to not be married to another man at the same time. But, if her husband dies, then she is free to marry another man.

c.  The believer is united to a new spouse. (7:4-6)

Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another--to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

The reference here is similar to the one Paul made in chapter six when he says we died to sin when we were baptized into Christ. That spiritual baptism into Christ made us dead to sin. Here he seems to be saying the same kind of thing that he wrote to the Galatians (2:20), “I am crucified with Christ…”

Wesleyan Bible Commentary - Just as a slave cannot serve two masters, a woman cannot be committed to two husbands simultaneously. But, when death ends the marriage relationship, the woman is free to bind herself to a new love relationship.

⁵  For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. ⁶  But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Living in the flesh made us condemned by the law, but now we are delivered from the law (and its condemnation) in order to serve God in the new life of the spirit of Christ and not under the curse of the law.

(According to Oswalt) There are four uses of the term “flesh” in the NT: (here, vv. 5, 18, 15)

• Refers to physical flesh (body) – 1 Jn. 4:2, 3 - Christ came in the flesh; good connotation in contrast to the way the Greeks thought of the body (i.e. evil).
• Refers to desires related to bodily needs, thus desires for sleep, food, water, sex, etc. – good or bad depending on degree to which one’s life is controlled by them.
• Refers to attitude which says “all there is to life is the satisfaction of bodily desire, and acquisition of material possessions – bad.
• Refers to attitude which makes human ability supreme. It refers to pride and self-will – very bad.

ii.  The purpose and character of the law is defended. (7:7-13)

In this next section (verses 7-13), Paul wants them to know that he is not “trashing” the law (to put it in contemporary language). Also notice changes in pronouns – “you” (1-4); “we” (5-6); “I” (7-25).

a.  The law was designed to expose sin. (7:7-11)

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? (hamartia; miss the mark) Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin (in me) except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." ⁸  But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.

Sin was dead in the sense that I knew nothing about it. But once I learned, then I desired my own way even more!

⁹  I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰  And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. ¹¹  For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.

“was to bring life” – i.e. that is what Paul expected it to do.

Wuest's Word Studies – Paul expected his … life under law to issue in the production of a testimony … that would be a living one, … accomplished through his attempt at law-obedience. But he found that mere effort at obeying an outside law resulted in defeat [condemnation and spiritual death]. [Refer back to v.1- dominion]

b.  The law is holy and good. (7:12-13)

Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. ¹³  Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.

Paul lays aside all accusations about the law being evil. No! The law is holy, just and good. The law did exactly what it was designed to do – cause me to become aware of what sin was and recognize it in my own life. But also, the law was designed to help me understand the holiness or “otherness” of God, and realize my own ungodliness.

iii.  The weakness of the law is explained and illustrated. (7:14-25)

There are many Christian authors and commentators who view these verses as Paul’s admission that it is impossible for a Christian to live without sinning.

But I agree with those who affirm that Paul is not talking about normal Christian experience or even his own experience as a believer. He is speaking about his experience, as a Jew, trying to live up to the law prior to his conversion.

“Normal Christian experience” cannot be described as “sold [like a slave] under sin” (5:14; compare 5:23) when he has already proclaimed in chapter six that we are either a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness - we can't be slaves to both.

a.  The Apostle’s experience validates the law.

The law is spiritual and I am carnal (v 14) – once again affirming the goodness and valid purpose of the law, but the problem he’s discovered is the flaw in his own spirit. “He prefers the tainted rather than the pure.” (Oswalt)

The rest of the chapter is Paul's own testimony that shows the validity of what he has been saying. Some people think that this is Paul's testimony as a Christian, but it surely portrays his striving to serve God before his conversion.

b.  The law is powerless to deliver or rescue.

O wretched man that I am – I’ve discovered the law couldn’t deliver me from my own fleshly passions and desires.

Conclusion:

So, looking at the title I have chosen for today’s message, one might think, “Oh, ‘FREEDOM FROM THE LAW,’ that must mean that I can live any way I want to live, because I’m “not under the law, but under grace.”

No, that is not freedom from the law, that is living against the law or “antinomianism.”

Paul wasn’t “anti-law” (against law), but he was free from the law. He had come to learn what it meant to live in the life of the spirit (which we will be talking about in the next chapter), and not suffer under constant condemnation of the law.

If I could share my own experience:

When I tried to live by obedience to the law, I constantly discovered my inability to be victorious. Whenever I failed, I would feel condemned and I would conclude I couldn’t live pleasing to the Lord, so I would just give up.

The law is still good in the sense that it reveals how I need to make adjustments to live holy like God and please him, but I have a whole different perspective now. I look to the Holy Spirit for help and I strive to make changes out of a motivation of love for God rather than a sense of self-satisfaction over keeping the rules.

The closing song I’ve chosen for today is:

His Way With Thee

Pay close attention to the words of these verses as we sing. Think of them in the light of the verses we’ve just studied.

Masters and Slaves

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is a message based on Romans 6:15-23 in which the Apostle Paul urges his readers to be slaves of righteousness rather than slaves to sin. It is part of a series of sermons on the entire book of Romans.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Last Sunday we resumed our series of messages through the book of Romans by looking at chapter six. The emphasis of this chapter is that Christians are expected to be consistently victorious over sin.

My heart is still just as passionate today as I felt last week about the theme of this chapter.

(In case there are people here today that missed last Sunday, I’ve never done this before, but I would like to urge you to go to our church’s website, click on “Resources” and listen to the sermon from last Sunday. If you don’t have internet, go back to the sound booth and sign up to get a CD of last week’s service.)

Until you get a chance to do that I want you to consider a few of the points that I made while introducing last week’s message. (Some of these points come from the speaker I heard in SC a couple of weeks ago.)

·        We [American] Christians do not want our faith to make us holy, we only want it to make us happy. (I’ve literally heard some people say, “God wants me happy, so whatever it takes to make me happy is God’s will.”)

·        Faith today [for most Christians] begins with personal felt needs and ends with convenience and simplicity. (In other words, many of us initially come to Christ because of some crisis that we want relief from, and then we continue living out our faith according to what is convenient or pleasant.)

·        The time spent watching TV by many Christians is 7 times greater that the time spent in all spiritual pursuits combined [i.e., personal devotions, church attendance, discipleship, etc.]. (It’s no wonder most Christians today live by moral values and priorities that are define by Hollywood.)

·        George Barna – “We have not transformed our culture because we are neither grieved nor embarrassed by our sin.”

·        Most people believe the message of the NT Gospel is, “How can my sins be forgiven and I be assured of heaven?”

·        But the real question is, “How can a deeply corrupted human being ever share the character of a holy God?” [and live once again in perfect communion with Him, both now and for eternity?]

·        I’d like to share two paragraphs from John Oswalt’s book titled, “Called to Be Holy.”

… the Christian gospel is not primarily about having one’s sins forgiven and spending a blissful eternity with God after somehow [managing to get] through this life with one’s faith reasonably intact…. The purpose of the Gospel is the same that God has had [ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, which is] the transformation of human [desires] and behaviors in this world with the consequent possibility of living with God through all eternity. The OT shows us what that transformation is, and the NT shows us what God has done to make [it] possible.

This means that unless Christians are truly transformed into the character of God, the whole purpose of the Church’s existence becomes blurred and confused. The world looks upon hateful, self-serving, undisciplined, greedy, impure and [immoral] people who nevertheless claim to the be the people of God, and says, “You lie!”

We learned earlier in the book of Romans that this defective condition of sin has been passed on to all humanity. We have inherited it from our first parents. But, salvation and redemption is all about restoring what was lost: the character and image of God within us, a relationship with God that includes genuine fellowship and intimacy with Him, and ultimately, the restoration of perfect peace and order He designed for all of His creation.

Today we are going to finish up chapter six and we will be starting with verse 15. If you are using one of the outlines to follow along, you will see that last week we considered…

i.   Victory comes through knowledge of the truth. (1-10)

ii.  Victory comes through identification with Christ. (11-14)

Now we are ready to consider…

iii. Victory comes through slavery to righteousness. (6:15-23)

There is a natural division here because of the same type of question that was first use in verse 1. (“What then?”) (v.1 “What shall we say then?”)

Last week I pointed out that in verse 1, the question, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” probably refers back to the statement in 5:20 “…where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”

Here in verse 15, the question, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?” is a direct reference to the previous statement in verse 14: “… you are not under law, but under grace.”

(Reasoner) “The verb “sin” in v 15 is aorist subjunctive, implying a single act of sin. In 6:1 the question is whether we should continue (present subjunctive) in a life of sin; in v 15 the question is whether we should sin even once.”

(I probably should point out here that Paul is not speaking about “sins of ignorance” or mistakes, etc. He is speaking about a willful decision to violate God’s will in order to have my own way.)

Paul, in his typical manner of writing, assumes that last statement is going to raise the question in the mind of his readers, “If we’re not under the law, but we’re under grace, then isn’t it okay if we keep sinning in order to exalt the grace of God?” (because the “law condemns, but grace forgives”)

Again, as in verse 1, Paul responds, “God forbid!” or “No Way!”

He then answers the hypothetical question by using another type of analogy: Slavery.

      a.  Slavery implies only one master. (6:15-20)

¹⁶  Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

(A. T. Robertson) Loyalty to Christ will not permit occasional crossing over to the other side to Satan's line.

Paul is clearly making a direct connection between the idea of servant (slaves) and obeying. If we are “obeying” sin, then we are the slave of sin. If we are “obeying” righteousness, then we are the slave of righteousness.

There’s only two options and it cannot be a mixture of both.

¹⁷  But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

Speaking to the believers, he reminds them that they were, in time past, slaves to sin, but they have been set free; just like a slave that has been redeemed.

The transition came about when they “obeyed from the heart” and were “molded” by the teaching they had received.

Their obedience here is characterized as “from the heart.” It was not mechanical, casual, or coerced. It was intentional and sincere - from the heart.

(Reasoner) This is an example of people who have allowed the teaching of the gospel to change them, rather than being changed by the culture to fit in with it. (Cf. Rom. 12:2)

¹⁸  And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

“having been set free;” “became slaves” – aorist verbs, denoting completed action.

¹⁹  I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

(Adam Clarke's Commentary) “As if he had said: I make use of metaphors and figures connected with well-known natural things; with your trades and situation in life; because of your inexperience in heavenly things…”

“slaves of uncleanness” – synonymous with “sin”, morally filthy.

“iniquity unto iniquity” – “lawlessness to more lawlessness.” Some think this is a reference of the sin nature producing sinful actions, or it may just be an indication that sin rarely if ever stands alone. One sin begets another, which begets another….

This obviously is the nature of slavery.

“righteousness unto holiness” – both righteousness and holiness (sanctification) are terms that describe the character of God. Justice, purity, separated from the ordinary or the common. Also, in contrast to the phrase “iniquity unto iniquity,” this description, “righteousness unto holiness” also implies the more we seek righteousness and holiness the more it produces.

²⁰  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Logically, if we are freed from sin in order to become slaves to righteousness, then the converse is also true – when we are slaves to sin, we are free from righteousness. You Can’t Serve Two Masters!

      b.  Slavery produces consequences. (6:21-23)

Whichever “master” we serve as a slave, either sin or righteousness, there will be consequences irrevocably attached to each one.

²¹  What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

The consequence of slavery to sin is first of all shame and regret in this life, and subsequently, death in the end.

²²  But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Slavery to God (equivalent to slavery to righteousness) results in a holy life on earth and everlasting life after this life.

²³  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
(Reasoner) “While v23 is almost always preached evangelistically, in context it is a warning to the believer that if he yields himself to the control of sin, that course of action will lead to spiritual death (see v 16)…. v 23 answers the rhetoric questions raised in v 1 and v 15. Shall we who have been saved by grace continue in sin? No, for to do so would bring spiritual death.”

 

Conclusion:

This entire passage seems to echo the words of Jesus that we read earlier in our Scripture reading: “No man can serve two masters…”

Paul has vividly illustrated that it is impossible for a Christian believer to serve two masters. You and I will either be a slave to Jesus Christ resulting in righteousness and ultimately, eternal life, or we will be a slave to Satan and sin, with the tragic consequence of death.

Which master do you serve?

As we close the service today with a communion service, I wish to transition from this message into the celebration of communion by reminding each one of us that Jesus suffered and died so that we no longer need to be a servant to sin. Let me repeat a portion of the quote I read at the beginning from Dr. Oswalt: “The OT shows us what that transformation is, and the NT shows us what God has done to make [it] possible.” The emblems that we share today are the symbolic evidence that sin has been conquered by the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of grace can give us victory to live as servants of righteousness.

Hallelujah!

What Does God Really Want?

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is a sermon based on Romans 6:1-14, and it is a continuation of a series of messages on the Epistle of Paul to the Romans. The series had been temporarily suspended during the Advent Season and the related holidays, and now has resumed.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Today we are picking up where we left off in our series of messages on the letter of Paul to the Romans. That last few messages I gave before the Christmas season, were dealing with the subject of justification in chapters 3-5. We learned that justification is primarily a legal term and it has to do with the idea that God clears our record of sin and he credits us with righteousness because of the sacrifice of Christ. We were under condemnation because of our sin, but we have been acquitted and pardoned.

In chapter six, Paul goes further to explain that the righteousness of God provided through Jesus Christ is more than just a legal transaction in our behalf. It is truly a gift of grace that actually produces the righteousness of Christ in our conduct or behavior. When God erases our record, we say that He imputes righteousness, but when He transforms us He imparts righteousness. The main emphasis of chapters six through eight is regarding the impartation of God’s righteousness, and this is usually referred to as sanctification.

The word sanctification is a noun that means “holiness,” “purity,” “separated from the ordinary,” and various other shades of meaning. In its most common form it refers to the fact that we are granted the same character of God, who is holy.

My heart is burdened and so full of passion for this subject, that I hardly know how to begin this message. I can promise you that this message isn’t offered with the intention of making us feel good.

The spiritual state of the evangelical church today is disheartening. Most people who profess to be born-again-Christians today think of salvation as merely God’s way of forgiving our past and giving us a “ticket” to heaven. They have no clue about the biblical mandate for each of us to experience a complete transformation of our motives, our attitudes, our values, and our conduct.

Most of you know that I recently attended a Pastor’s conference in S.C. The theme of the conference was the same as the book that was authored by the main speaker, “Called to Be Holy.” Since his topic coincides with our subject today in Romans 6, I want to share some of the things the speaker, Dr. John Oswalt, gave to us (his source for statistics was George Barna, a popular Christian researcher).

·        We do not want our Christian faith to make us holy, we only want it to make us happy. [The average Christian on the street today doesn’t seem to be all that interested in being as holy as God wants, only so long as they are happy. In fact, I’ve literally heard some people express the viewpoint that God wants me happy, so whatever it takes to make me happy is what God wants.]

·        Faith today [for most Christians] begins with personal felt needs and ends with convenience and simplicity [i.e. ease, comfort]. [i.e., we often come to Christ because of some problem that we want relief from, and we continue living out our faith according to what is convenient or pleasant, but avoiding, as much as we can, especially anything that requires sacrifice, work, or suffering.]

·        Christians watch TV 7 times more than the time they spend in all spiritual pursuits combined [i.e., personal devotions, church attendance, discipleship, etc.]. [It’s no wonder most Christians today have moral values and priorities that mirror Hollywood.]

·        There is no observable differences between the values of the church and the values of the world. The six primary values of each group were described as:

þ       Material well-being  

þ       Satisfaction

þ       Happiness

þ       Approval

þ       Comfort

þ      Convenience

·        George Barna – “We have not transformed our culture because we are neither grieved nor embarrassed by our sin.”

·        The message of the entire NT assumes the foundation/ background of the OT. The NT answers the questions of the OT. If you do not know the questions, there is a good chance you will misinterpret the answers.

·        The primary “answer” of the NT is the cross, but what is the question?

·        Most people believe it is, “How can my sins be forgiven and I be assured of heaven?”

·        But the real question is, “How can a deeply corrupted human being ever share the character of a holy God?” [and live once again in perfect communion with Him?]

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they died spiritually and immediately lost the intimate fellowship they had enjoyed, and they lost the holy, godly character they had been created with. We learned earlier in the book of Romans that this defective condition has been passed on to all humanity. We have inherited our first parents’ condition.

But, salvation and redemption is all about restoring what was lost: the character of God, the fellowship and intimacy with Him, and ultimately, the divine peace and order He designed for all of His creation.

IV. God's righteousness is revealed through sanctification. (6:1-8:39)

Wuest's Word Studies – So Paul proposes the question, "What shall we say then?" — say then to what? We go back to 5:20 for our answer which we find in the apostle's statement, "Where sin abounded, there grace was in superabundance, and then some on top of that."

The question raised shows that some had concluded that the more we sin, the more we demonstrate the grace of God, and they also concluded that sinning was a normal part of the Christian life.

(If sanctification means anything, it means that sin has been conquered. Or to state it another more positive way…)

A.    Sanctification means grace has been victorious. (6:1-23)

                       i.    Victory comes through knowledge of the truth. (6:1-10)

I am using this point of the outline to express the observation of Dr. Warren Weirsbe who pointed out that various forms of the word “know” are used 4 times in this chapter.

a.   The truth is we have died to sin. (6:1-7)

“died to sin” (v. 2); “baptized into his death” (v. 3); “buried…into death” (v. 4); “crucified with him” (v. 6); “dead with Christ” (v. 8)

b.   The truth is we are alive in Christ. (6:8-10)

The gospel of grace is two-fold: it makes us dead to sin, but it also makes us alive in Christ. Sanctification is not only separation from something, but it is joining in with something different. The primary emphasis in verses 8-10 is about new life in Christ, but the same concept has already been expressed in some of the earlier verses as well. (see vv. 4-5)

v. 8 – “…we shall also live with him.”

v. 9 – “…Christ being raised… dies no more.”

v. 10 – “…he lives unto God.”

                     ii.    Victory comes through identification with Christ. (6:11-14)

Wuest's Word Studies - The word "reckon" is logizomai, "to reckon, count, compute, to take into account…"

a.   Identification is a fact to be accepted. (6:11)

The whole point in Paul’s use of the word “reckon” is to get us to believe it without reservation. He also puts this in the form of a command. It isn’t an option, we must figure, compute that we are dead to sin and that we are alive to Christ.

b.   Identification is a fact to be practiced. (6:12-14)

Why do we need to accept the fact and “take it into account” in all that we believe?

So that it will affect our conduct. (v.12) “therefore” “let not…” (v. 13) “neither...”

Conclusion:

What does God really want?

I believe that if we truly understand the message of the New Testament (and particularly passages like Romans 6-8), we will come to understand that God wants us to be re-made in His image spiritually and morally so that He can once again resume intimate fellowship and communion with creatures that share His character.

 

Alpha Omega Center Update

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This is a guest presentation by Bonnie Schaefer, Executive Director of the Alpha Omega Centers in Slippery Rock, PA. and New Castle, PA. Bonnie spoke to our congregation on the National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday and gave us inspirational accounts regarding the ministry of the centers which minister to women who are faced with crisis or unwanted pregnancies.

Rev. Kenton Shaw (Guest Minister)

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Rev. Kenton Shaw presented the sermon at Wayside Community Church on 1/12/2014 while I was away. This recording is the message that he gave.

The Best Year Ever

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This is a message that discusses the kinds of "ingredients" that will help this new year become the best year ever. Several scripture texts are used for this sermon.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

We have made it through another year and we are gathered in this worship service on the first Sunday of a brand new year.

The message I felt led to bring today is just a general message of encouragement and hope. This will be a topical message and we will be looking at a number of different passages of scripture.

As I was thinking about what kind of message to share today I wanted to focus on a topic that is appropriate for the first Sunday of the new year. I wanted to focus on a topic that would be inspirational, yet challenging.

I was just trying to think of the kinds of things that need to happen in order to make 2014 the “best year ever.”

The list that I have come up with is not in any particular order, but they are just some things that I think would help make this the best year. There are certainly other items that could have been included in the list, and you may be inspired by something that is said today to come up with some additional items you might want to add to “your list.”

What are the ingredients that will help ensure that we do in fact have a Happy New Year, or the best year ever?

1. Re-orient my values and priorities.

Colossians 3:1-3 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ²  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. ³  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Far too many people, including Christians, think that happiness and contentment can be found in material possessions and wealth.

I mentioned this just last week, but we all have heard stories of individuals who acquired vast amounts of wealth and material blessings and yet were so unhappy and miserable that they wanted to die.

I believe, dear friends, that the secret to a happy life; a life that is fulfilling and satisfying, is to have my values and priorities re-oriented away from this world and material goods to the things that are spiritual and eternal.

1 Timothy 6:7-10 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. ⁹  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

The more that I am focused on acquiring financial wealth the less contented I will be, and the less contented I am, the more miserable I will be.

But if I am focused on things that are spiritual and eternal, I can be happy in the midst of circumstances that are less than desirable.

I will be able to have a great year in spite of my circumstances.

2. Focus more of my efforts on helping others.

Philippians 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. ⁴ Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

I don’t know of anything that robs me of joy and happiness any quicker than constantly being focused on myself; what I have or don’t have; and what I want/need.

On the other hand, I don’t know of anything that brings more joy and contentment than having the opportunity to help someone else in need and knowing that I have helped someone that is worse off than I am.

Along this same general theme, I would also especially mention the ability to help someone come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

If I can focus more of my time and energies on helping others come to know Christ and get ready for heaven, it will produce unspeakable joy and happiness for me.

James 5:19-20 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; ²⁰  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

How happy would a person be knowing that God has used them to help “save a soul from death?”

3. Purpose to become more Christ-like in my personal life.

If I purpose in my heart to be more like Christ, then whatever I may face that helps me acquire His attributes will be worth it, and I can remain peaceful and rejoice in the end results.

1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: ¹³  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

If I constantly remind myself that my goal in life is not comfort, but conformity to Christ, then I’ll have an entirely different outlook on adversity and trouble.

Hebrews 12:7, 9-11 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? ⁹ Further-more we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? ¹⁰  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. ¹¹  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Conclusion:

As we proceed through this year the circumstances we face may not be very pleasant, but if we have stayed true to our Lord, it will be a good year. We may have to endure a great deal of adversity, but if we have grown in our faith, it will be a good year. We may have much more sorrow than we ever imagined, but if we have become more like Christ, it will be a good year. When 2014 has come to an end if we are able to look back and see that we have weathered every storm and have not only survived, but we have thrived by growing stronger in faith and have helped others come to know our Lord and Savior, then it will be the best year ever.

In order for this to be possible, we will need an abundance of God’s grace. I’m thankful that the Word tells us “He giveth more grace.” (James 4:6)

If we find ourselves growing weak and faint, He can give us more grace.

If we find ourselves lacking Christ-like spirit and attitudes, He can give us more grace.

If we discover we are becoming self-centered rather than focused on others, He can give us more grace.

No matter what we face that may threaten to derail our spiritual goals, God is able to give us more grace to come through victoriously.

Whom Do You Seek?

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is a message that is related to the story of the wise men in Matthew 2 and the amount of effort they expended in order to seek for the Christ child. The message discusses the need to diligently seek the Lord.

Introduction:

The message today is sort of a sequel to the message I gave a couple of weeks ago regarding the Wise Men.

In my previous message we tried to provide a number of different insights regarding the details of the story to help us understand it better.

It is intriguing to me to consider the amount of effort it must have taken for the Magi to seek for the new King.

No author that I checked seems to know for sure which country the wise men would have journeyed from. Suggestions have included Chaldea, Persia (east of Babylon) and Parthia (northeast of Babylon). Any one of these countries could have meant a trip of a few hundred miles to several hundred miles.

We do know from the implication of the story in Matthew 2 that the wise men first saw the star two years prior to the meeting in Jerusalem with King Herod. So it is safe to assume that their journey took most of that time. How many threats and dangers would they have endured in a journey of that length?

Let’s consider for a moment the text verse that I have chosen for this message, just for the purpose of using the last part of the verse… “Whom seek ye?”

As you may know, the verse is taken from the narrative about the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. So, it is taken from the end of his life rather than the beginning, but I wanted to emphasize the question that Jesus poses to the officers, “Whom do you seek?”

As we tie this question in with the Christmas story of the magi, who came to Jerusalem seeking the Christ child, I want to ask you this morning, “Whom do you seek?”

I want to propose to you the idea that we need to follow the example of the wise men and seek diligently for the Christ in order to find Him and enjoy the benefits of knowing Him.

There are many references in the Bible about seeking the Lord. I would like to use several of those references today to admonish us to engage in an earnest seeking for God.

As we approach this subject today, I want us to consider three important points about seeking the Lord.

I. Our seeking must have God as the object.

II. Our seeking must be diligent.

III. Our diligent seeking will be rewarded.

I. Our seeking must have God as the object.

Psalm 27:8 (NKJV) ⁸  When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."

The Psalmist had a positive response from the depths of his own heart when he understood God to be calling him to seek Him.

From that heart-felt response, there was a determined willingness to follow through with earnest seeking after God.

Psalm 34:10 (NKJV) ¹⁰  The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

In this reference, the Psalmist is emphasizing the fact that one of the by-products of seeking the Lord is that God will provide the other important needs in our lives if we seek Him first.

Cf. Matthew 6:33 “Seek ye first…”

It is true that this reference specifically mentions the “kingdom of God.” But, the point is that “all these things” were by-products of seeking after God and His kingdom rather than seeking primarily for the “things.”

People in the world have always sought for various things to satisfy their inner longings and desires. They may seek for happiness, wealth, fame, and numerous other “objects” that they believe will satisfy the deepest desires of their souls.

Yet, we’ve heard and read story after story of those who did achieve great wealth, fame or prestige, but still did not find satisfaction in their soul. It is because we are spiritual beings, created in the image of God and with a inborn desire to know God.

We must learn early in life that what our soul truly desires is to know God, and by seeking and finding Him, we can find happiness and contentment.

II. Our seeking must be diligent.

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) ⁶  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

A. Diligent seeking involves one’s entire being.

Deuteronomy 4:29 (NKJV) ²⁹  But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

To seek with all the heart and all the soul implies seeking with our entire being. It is intense and purposeful. It implies singleness of mind and objective.

This kind of seeking is consumed with finding and is passionate about it.

B. Diligent seeking is not sporadic or hap-hazard.

1 Chronicles 16:11 (KJV) ¹¹  Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

Luke 11:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹  "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

You have probably heard me say this before and others as well… the tense of the verbs in verse 9 indicate continuous action. Thus, “keep on asking; keep on seeking; keep on knocking.”

C. Diligent seeking includes:

1. Searching the Scriptures

2. Prayer

Daniel 9:3-4 (KJV) ³  And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: ⁴  And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

No one has ever obtained what they needed from the Lord by trying to convince God how good they are; how worthy they are; or how it would be in God’s best interest to respond to them.

3. Fasting

Ezra 8:21 (KJV) ²¹  Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

“afflict” – trans. “humble” in several places. Seems to carry the idea of self-denial and self-chastening.

III. Our diligent seeking will be rewarded.

2 Chronicles 15:1-4 (NKJV) ¹  Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. ²  And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. ³  For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; ⁴  but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.

Ezra 8:21-23 (KJV) ²¹  Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. ²²  For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. ²³  So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

This verse references Ezra’s return from captivity with a large group of exiles and they sought the Lord for protection from their enemies.

Jeremiah 29:13   And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

See Luke 11:10 above

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) ⁶  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

God doesn’t mock the person who diligently seeks for Him. He doesn’t play games with us. He gladly responds with a “reward.” That is, whatever He sees is the need of our heart and life.

Conclusion:

2 Chronicles 12:14 (KJV) ¹⁴  And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

A short but sad commentary on the life of king Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.

Failing to seek the Lord resulted in all kinds of evil.

Seeking the Lord is not just for the unsaved, the non-Christian or the wicked. All of us who claim the name of Christ need to also seek the Lord for repeated revival and refreshing from His Holy Spirit.

The prophet Daniel and other godly servants of the Lord had times when they earnestly sought the Lord.

Our closing song emphasizes the testimony of those who have found what they were seeking for.

Hallelujah I Have Found Him! (Satisfied )

Let us all purpose this morning that we will be people who are seeking the Lord with all our hearts and all our souls.