ALIVE IN CHRIST

Alive in Christ - Romans 6 verses 1-14

What makes you feel really alive? Maybe you have had experiences in your life where you have felt so alive and been thankful for being alive. We read quite a lot in the NT about being 'alive in Christ.' But what does that mean? What does it mean to you this morning to be 'alive in Christ?' Does it actually make a difference in your life? Should it actually make a difference in your life? T

Romans is Paul's great letter of explanation about the significance of Christ. If you like you could actually say that in this letter we encounter the gospel according to Paul. Paul wrote this letter in Rome around AD 57. In chapter 1 verses 16-17 he announces the purpose of the letter - the gospel is God's power for salvation.

Chapter 6 actually begins in chapter 5 verses 20-21 - read. If you look at these verses you see that Paul shows how the grace of God has overcome all sin - the more sin abounded grace super abounded. However, if you look at verses 1-3 of chapter 6 you will see how this has been abused by some within the church - read verse 1. Their argument went something along these lines - the more we sin the more grace abounds. Sin does not really matter because God will forgive anyway. Sin allows God's grace to operate. In verses 1 and 2 Paul refutes such an understanding of the gospel and states quite clearly that this is no way for Christians to live. In verse 3 he asks them to consider what has happened to them since they came to faith in Christ and were baptised. In essence he is saying "God forbid that you should continue to live a life of sin after you have come to Christ and been baptised." Paul is horrified by the thought that anyone who has been born again would continue, or wish to continue, in the old way of life. He makes it very clear in verses 3-10 that they have died to sin because they, the believers, have been united with Christ in his death and resurrection by faith. Christ's death was a death to sin and a death for the penalty of sin. Paul deliberately uses the picture of baptism here as a metaphor for what has happened to the believers spiritually. Please remember that Paul is here speaking of adult baptism and that he is writing to a people who came mainly from a pagan background or Judaic background. I believe more and more we will see adult baptism becoming the norm in all congregations - not because I don't believe in infant baptism but because those who come to faith in Christ will most likely not have been brought for baptism by their parents. In this 21st century we are more and more in a 1st century context for mission and evangelism, but that is an aside.

Let me explain Paul's argument in verses 3-10. If you picture the believers of Rome gathered at the rivers edge. The elders of the church are in the water and the newly converted believer steps down into the water and is plunged down under the water and brought up out of the water again. Paul says that the physical action of going down under the water and coming back up again is akin to dying spiritually to sin and being raised to new life in Christ Jesus. You go down into the water, as Christ went down into the grave, and die - you come back up out of the water, as Christ rose from the dead, to new life. Paul does not say this new life, this resurrection from the dead, is achieved by the act of baptism but that baptism is an illustration, a metaphor for, of this spiritual change that has come about in the life of the believer. The significance for Paul is that the old man, the old Adam, the old way of life has died and been buried and the new man, the new Adam, the new life in Christ has been raised to life. By coming to faith in Christ they have identified with Christ in his death and in his resurrection by faith and Christ, by the Holy Spirit, has identified with them in his death (for them) and in his resurrection (for them). That is the teaching of verse 4 - if we have identified with Christ in his death how will we not also be joined with Christ in his resurrection?

Verses 5-6 - Therefore, Paul says, having been identified with Christ in his death and resurrection - having been raised to new life the Christian believer walks in newness of life. The old life has gone. The old Adam has died. The old Adam was crucified on the cross with Christ. The old life of sin was buried in the tomb with Christ. The result of this in the life of the Christian is that they are no longer under the mastery of sin. The new life is a life alive in Christ and dead to sin. Before Christ the believer was dead in his sin, dead to Christ but when Christ came into his life by grace through faith, symbolised by baptism, then the believer died to sin and rose to new life in Christ. The result is that the body of sin is brought to nothing. The word 'For' or 'Because' in verse 7 leads is to the reason - nothing that is dead can live. To those who have come alive in Christ they have been set free from sin. Our sin deserved death and we have died (been crucified with Christ). Sin has no claim over the justified person.

They died to sin because they were buried with Christ and rose with Christ and are alive in Christ - verse 8. Do you notice verse 8 starts with an emphatic 'Now'? 'Now' carries the argument along. You see for a brief period of time, 3 days, death, as the executor of sin, held the saviour. Yet because he was without sin and was not guilty of any sin death could not hold him. Likewise it could not call him to experience death again (verse 9). Hence, he is alive forever more - Revelation 1.18. Since we have died with him we rise with him and our death in Christ is not the end in itself; by faith we go on to be alive in Christ. Paul tells us that death is now a defeated foe and no longer has dominion over Christ and because we are alive in Christ it no longer has dominion over us. At one time death ruled and held man in fear and captivity but no longer. Christ is supreme and reigns in glory.

Verse 10 once again we meet the word 'For' or 'because'. Again the chain of reasoning is being carried along. Jesus' death to sin was once for all - it was a unique death. In 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21 Paul tells us that Christ was made sin for us. He paid the penalty for sin and removed its sting from our lives. The resurrection marks the victory over sin and death and the life that follows resurrection is devoted to God. Therefore Paul begins verse 11 with the little word 'So'... in light of all that he has told the believers in Rome this is how they are now to think and live. Basically he is telling them 'Be what you are...in Christ.' Christ's death and resurrection has altered, changed forever, your status and position before God and therefore you should live in accordance with that new status and standing. Verse 11 is the first exhortation in the book of Romans. Up till this point Paul has been teaching doctrine in the letter to the believers at Rome. He has laid the foundations for their belief in Christ and now they are called to take seriously what he has taught them by living accordingly. It is not just to be an intellectual understanding, nor simply an emotional response to Christ but one which brings together the heart, the mind and their way of life - total commitment. Because Christ is dead to sin and risen to life again - that is how they are to understand themselves, see themselves and that is how to they are to live each day. They are to live lives that are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. That is the challenge isn't it?

Verse 12 - Paul ties what has gone before with the word 'Therefore...' in light of the truth of verses 1-11 certain things are to follow in the life of those who are alive to God in Christ. It is the duty of those who know the redeeming power of Christ to live as Paul instructs here. Godly, holy living is a necessity and not an option. They are no longer slaves to sin. We are no longer slaves to sin. In Christ they died to sin and sin's dominion over them died. In Christ we died to sin and its dominion over us died. They must not let sin reign. We must not let sin reign. Note will you that this verse assumes that sin is still with the believers in Rome, and consequently still with us. Sin is still a force in their daily life, just as it is in our daily lives. Yet Paul's point is that sin is no longer their master, nor our master. Sin is no longer supreme. Do not deny that you are alive in Christ by allowing sin to reign in your life. It is stupid to allow that which is defeated and dead to reign and rule in your life - this is Paul's argument to the Christians in Rome. Verse 13 - here is the practical instruction for the Christians. Another negative - 'do not offer' or 'do not present' yourself to sin but to God. The division is clear and the options are clear. You can present yourself to sin and be under its reign or, having come to faith in Christ, you can live accordingly. Namely, giving yourself to God, because you are dead to sin. Since you, the believer, belong to God your body is to be used for righteous purposes and not for unrighteousness. Paul is very clear here - it is with their bodies that they commit sin. Sin is personal. Sin is never impersonal and it is never harmless. Please note also that sin is not something out there floating around that comes and attaches itself to us.

Having stated the negative Paul then states the positive - 'present yourselves to God.' God is to reign where sin once reigned because in Christ he has taken the penalty for sin from our lives. Let God reign in your life. The energy, the time, etc that you once put into your sinful life is now to be put in to service for God.

In verse 14 we read some wonderfully liberating words. We are now under grace and not under law. The Roman Christians knew all about being under the law. They knew all about being under the Judaic law and also under Roman law. They knew about the penalties for breaking either law but having come to Christ they are no longer under law but under grace. Their standing before God is entirely dependent on grace and not on the keeping of the law - that is such a freeing experience for them. When they tried to be right with God by the law they only became aware of their failures. The law only increased their awareness of their sinfulness and their shortcomings. The law could not stop sin - it was too late and it could not save them from sin because it was too weak. Now things have changed because of Christ. As the writer to the Hebrews says 'at just the right time...Christ came ...' As Paul has argued here in Romans when Christ came he defeated sin and overcame death and so he is the victor, he is the man of strength and he alone can, by grace through faith, bring these people from the death of sin to resurrection life. When they, when we, come to Christ and by faith accept the grace of God we move from death to life and from a life of sin to a life of righteousness - see Titus 2.11-12. Christ removes the yoke of the law and puts on his yoke. A yoke is there to guide and direct an animal so that it keeps on the desired path. It is there to correct a straying animal when necessary. When we put on the yoke of grace it is not so we can go any direction we please but we are yoked to Christ and he guides, he directs and he corrects us along the path of new life.

So, are you alive in Christ? Do you believe you are alive in Christ? I am not asking: Do you feel alive in Christ? But do you believe what the bible teaches here: that you are alive in Christ this morning? If you believe it in your head then live it in your life - even if you don't feel it in your heart at this precise moment. You see feelings are fickle and changeable, with some people as changeable as the wind. If you base your Christian life on your feelings alone then you are in for a very difficult life. You may not feel alive in Christ because your feelings don't feel alive this morning - but the Word of God says you are alive in Christ. So who are you going to believe? The Word of God tells me I am alive in Christ and it calls me to live accordingly - dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. So what are you going to do? What are you going to believe? How are you going to live? Alive in Christ = dead to sin and alive to God in Christ.