Expound: Romans 6-7 - Part A

We have an impulse to go in one direction, but we have an impulse to go on the other direction. That's what we are told we are told to feed the spirit because the one that you feed is the one that wins the nature you feed one is always on top of the spirit start the flesh, but the flesh and start the spirit we are constantly pulled in different directions by 02 which is the new Deal and connect with Skip Skip shears of battle strategy that will help you fight against your flesh and cultivate your new nature in Christ before we begin to share about a resource that will encourage even more in your joy in the midst of hardship is a hallmark of the Christian life. But is it really possible is when you hike sometimes. What starts out as a happy tramp turns into a really daunting road and we have to figure out how to navigate.

A lot of times God's purpose in allowing trials is to give us opportunities to grow to the point where we genuinely experience joy in the midst of trial were not appraised trials with courage, wisdom yes joy with one use booklet happy trials when you get $20 or more today to help keep this Bible teaching ministry of the air will send you a special bundle of three booklets by Linda happy trials don't test me and speak no evil pitcher bundle three booklets for gift of $20 or more by calling 800-922-1888, or give online securely connectwithskip.com/offer that's connectwithskip.com/offer. Let's get into to the Romans chapter 6.

As we begin our study. Spurgeon once preached a message called grace abounding over abounding sin. Great title was a great sermon and he based it on what we read last week where in chapter 5, verse 20.

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound the work sin abounded, grace abounded much more then he gets into the sixth chapter where he begs the question he asks like a rabbi would ask anticipating blowback, he asks a series of questions he says shall we continue in sin that grace may abound if when we sin, God pours out his grace. I just keep sending and get soaked by God's grace, he answers that by saying God forbid we who have died to sin should not live any longer in it when he gets down in chapter 62 verse six he says, knowing this our old man was crucified with him that the body of sin might be done away with. If you remember last week we told you that Greek word is Art Deco which means to put out of business so effectively. God hung up a sign for the devil over your life that says out of business. You have no business here and this one is redeem this one belongs to me. He's he's mine.

She's mine that's all good news that's all wonderful to know but we still have a battle we kinda left off last week in Galatians 5 where Paul said look, the flesh lesser wars against the spirit of the spirit against the flesh. These two are contrary to one another so that you can't do the things that you would so we experience in our real life existence. This inward battle couple of weeks ago I was speaking at a pastors conference down in Florida and on one morning that I had off I went over to one of Disney's parks which are open. By the way, and it was animal kingdom, and there was this cool lizard in one of these little aquariums called a skink and a skink is a very smooth shiny kind of stubby lizard kinda cool looking, but it reminded me of an article they were at that I had read about a skink. He said what are you doing reading articles about skink solicited this they found in Jacksonville Florida in unusual skink because this skink was born with two heads, one at each end of its body. It was a two-headed skink that's unusual right K a skink is unusual but come on, a two-headed skink is really weird, especially when it's at either end of its body. Now imagine being that poor little skink you have a head in each end of your body. You want to go in one direction that had wants to go in that direction, and the legs are just sort of uncoordinated, not knowing which way to go. Much of our life is lived like the two-headed skink.

We have an impulse to go in one direction, but we have an impulse to go on the other direction. That's what we are told, if we are told to feed the spirit because the one that you feed is the one that wins the nature you feed is the one that is always on top. So feed the spirit start of the flesh rather than feed the flesh and starve the spirit so how do we do that exactly and I said we need last week.

We kinda left on as I said we need a battle strategy and there is one there are four things that Paul says we need to do to make this a reality.

Number one, we need to reason there are certain things we have to know and we have to know them well and that is one of Paul's favorite words in this section in chapter 6, verse three, he said.

Or do you not know, and then he tells them what they should know than verse six, which I just read. Knowing this, that her old man is crucified with him that the body of sin should be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin, for he who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing there's that word again knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead, dies no more death no longer has dominion over him, so there are certain things that you need to know if you want to grow you need to know certain things, certain doctrines, certain truths. David said your word. I have head in my heart that I might not sin against you. You want to stop sending their certain truths. You need to hide away in your heart you need to know some people say well it's not about head knowledge.

It's about heart knowledge and kinda tired of hearing that little phrase it's wearying because it's it's misleading.

There are certain things you need in your head.

It needs to be had knowledge before I can ever become. Let's just call it that hard knowledge before become something deep in you. You have to know what you have to realize so doctrine always comes before duty. Learning always comes before living so that's why Paul will often say you need to know this.

You need to know that you need to know the other thing and so he is big on that. The second step after reason is to reckon I'm using his term.

A look at verse 11. Likewise, you also reckon your selves to be dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Just proves that Paul was from Texas. I had an uncle used to say that an anagram on uses a they were from Texas, but it would say I reckon that's true. I reckon I suppose that's what the word means the Greek word here is login semi which means to suppose or to count on to suppose or rely on so there certain things that you know in your head, and then you move them to the area of conviction was not just you know the facts. I mean you really lean on those that you really you really believe those facts in in the heart of hearts in in your the deepest core of that's the idea, I reckon not.

I suppose I reckon you know and so he Paul really wasn't a Texan. He but he was from South's Alysia so he was from.

Technically, the south of his region so that as any glaring at all but but you know am I in the past I've often kind of a make fun of Texas, but the last few days and kinda wish I lived in Texas. You know, you know, we used to be part of Texas. Here New Mexico used to be part of Texas you think they take it back on and on and on. Sorry about that is just so likewise.

Also, you reckon suppose calculate login semi estimate believe in the heart of hearts that you are dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. So the first step is theology.

That's what you know. The second step is theology is what you become based on what you know.

Based on these facts. Therefore, I am counting on this and that. Think of it this way. It's like somebody gives you a check and you stare at it's on your desk.

You look at anything that's a cool check that's that's a lot of money that's great.

Well good I'm glad you know that I'm glad you are supposing that that is yours. But there comes a point where you need to turn around and sign your name on it you endorse it and you take it to the bank and you cash it and you enjoy the funds that have been given to you. So that's the idea of what gets him on I'm going to endorse the check that God is given to reckon it to be so that's the second step. The third step is to resist for verse 12 says therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its less and do not present your members as instruments of righteousness to sin, so we reason we reckon and we resist now the fact that Paul writes it this way. Don't let that happen.

Don't don't let sin reign shows me that we have an element of control so you can't say, well, the devil made me do it or that's just the way I am. Or, you know, I have an Italian background were hot-blooded or I'm Irish you know how we are. We get angry so you can't you can't wrote you can. Those are excuses those are reasons. Those are just excuses. So you and I we have an element of control. It says in the book of James chapter 4 resist the devil and he will flee from you, then just say he'll flee from you. You have to do something. You have to add your cooperation. You resist the devil and he will flee from. I've always loved what Martin Luther had to say about temptation.

He said you can stop the devil from or the birds. You can't stop birds from flying around her head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair. You can't stop the devil and his demons from doing what they do, but you can resist his work in your life so you reason, you reckon you resist, but there is 1/4 step in that is to replace so notice in verse 13.

Don't present your members as instruments of unrighteousness is sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members. That is your body parts.

Your bodily members as instruments of righteousness to God. This is where the battle changes when we replace the up till now it's it's all defensive positions.

It's like well this temptation is really real.

There certain things I need to know in their certain things I need to reckon because because these things are happening to me and to defend myself. I need to know I need to suppose reckon and resist, but then we turned around.

The best defense is a good offense. This is where our our weaponry becomes offense if it's not that we just say no to the devil we say yes to God.

This is where we we stopped to say no you're not can use my hands devil know your company's my eyes and my lips using God. I want you to use my hands and my lips and my feet. I'm presenting myself to you to work.

Paul love to use. By the way, and it'll it'll derive its fullest explanation. By the time we get to the 12th chapter where he says I urge you to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service is the most logical thing you could do so in the Old Testament think of Aaron. Aaron, the high priest when he was dedicated for his service he went to an interesting ritual. They took blood. The blood of a animal and they put it on his right here the tip of his right thumb and the tip of his right big toe and that interesting little ritual met the idea I want to hear your voice. I want it. Do your will. I want to walk in your will and your ways.

That's the idea. So he was presenting his members, his body parts to God.

Likewise, we do that to him, Lord, what, what's the best way to fight a battle when the devil comes at you get engaged in God's work. So, you're so busy doing God's work you don't have a whole lot of time to entertain the temptation. You're so busy working for the Lord. You're not thinking about all the resisting that you're doing. Got it. You've shifted the battle now. If you have a marginal note like I do in your Bibles for the word instruments does it say weapons mine does.

It says for instruments is a little one and a marginal note that says or weapons, because that's the literal rendering and it's a military term instruments is a military term for weapons. So imagine your holding a gun in your facing your enemy and you say to your enemy because your shoe is on site here, hold my gun so I can tie my shoe.

That's stupid. You just presented your instrument. Your weapon to your enemy don't get close to your enemy with your weapon present your weapons to general Jesus who teaches you how to make war and win the battle and get engaged in his work and stay engaged in his work so present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments or weapons of righteousness to God for sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace. Just make a mental note of that verse. Keep that verse sort of tucked away in the back of your mind because he's gonna take a diversion and get right back to that he can make a parenthetical statement and they get get right back to that. I love this idea though of replacing behavior with other behavior because you know I suppose that, especially during times of coven like this where we we tend to spend a lot of time alone, and engage in enormous amounts of self-pity. When we could be thinking with all this spare time. How can I be a blessing to somebody else and how could I be an instrument to spread God's love.

God's grace God's truth to someone who really needs to hear. I love that thought that that's where we use calamity as opportunity when we present ourselves to God for his use in there's a song I remember hearing it as a new believer, but I come to find out it was written really. In 1922. Sort of an old hymn, but it gets re-released in every generation.

Lauren Daigle just did a beautiful cut evidence, turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

I think this that sorta captures this idea of giving yourself, presenting yourself as instruments as members for God to use remember hearing a story about a little girl who is being tucked in to bed at night and it was successful.

The little girl went to sleep. Couple hours later, mom heard a thud on her daughter's bedroom floor, followed by a huge whale cry she had fallen out of bed.

Mom crushed and picked up her daughter comforted her and tucked her back in Benson sweetheart. Why is it you fell out of bed and she said I don't know mommy, but I think I stayed too close to where I got in I find that's our problem were in Christ that we stay right on the edge we want to live on the edge man we want to stay close to the border. No, no, move in closer to the heart of Christ. Get away from the borderlands go deep in and the deeper you go in you do that by presenting yourself to God.

Lord, I'm I'm yours to use, what then verse 15. What then shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace.

Since were not governed by the law anymore were dead to that that's over, shall we continue in sin because were not under the law. Same idea, certainly not. No way José God for bid.

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one slaves whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness. The Jewish rabbis had an idea saying about the law.

The Torah, the commandment of God. They referred to the law as a sea dog and a sea dog is the Hebrew word for a fence it's offense to God is given us to protect us and so if you say were not under the law you're calling for the fence to be removed. Paul, you're saying there's no protection. There's no parameters God has given us the say Iago the protection the fence and so if you take it away were just going to perform lawlessness pulses God for bid. Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves as slaves to obey, you are that one slaves whom you obey. Paul would say this to those who would say that he would say the best fence is a decision that you make that leads to a destiny that you undertake you. You make a choice you make a decision to present yourself to God. When you do that over and over.

It leads to a destiny you become a slave of that you we understand what slavery is like, especially if you have struggled with addictions. You make a choice choice leads to another choice to another choice to another choice. Pretty soon you have you have something that is routinely set up at your go to response. You can become addicted to a number of things you can become addicted to your phone as I fear so many have that screen is and in front of them. Anyway, I'll get off of that.

So what happens in any form of addiction. After you make a choice in a series of choices.

Those choices become easier to make resistance becomes harder.

Pretty soon you find yourself powerless. Jesus even talked about this, he said, don't you know that whoever you you commit yourself to.

You become a slave of that person. Those that person slaves are that things slaves you are so the ideas you is is who is your master who are you serving a what is your master passion. You can tell your master is by finding out what your master passionate. What is you love to do more than anything else would you gravitate toward more than anything else and it always eventually gets down to this issue who owns you. Who really owns you who's calling the shots, so all I am not a good choice. The heart is deceitfully wicked above all else who can know it that that old little saying that is so true, so I thought, reap an action.

So an action, reap a habit.

So a habit, reap a character so it character, reap a destiny. So the best fence the best parameters in your life is to make a decision that leads to a destiny I'm his slave. He's my master calls the shots that Skip the message from the series expound to Skip with an important message for you.

We all suffer from fatal disease of virus if you will. It's the SIN virus sin, but because of God's extravagant love you and I have been given the ultimate cure to Jesus.

Work on the cross we want to share that amazing news with as many people as possible and to your generous gift today. You can help do just that by connecting others with the message of God's love.

Here's how you can give today visit connectwithskip.com/donate to give a gift that's connectwithskip.com/donate or call 800-922-1888, 800-922-1880 thank you for your generosity coming up tomorrow Skip Heitzigs.

It helps us understand the significance of believers being the bride of Christ. The idea of intimacy as portrayed by American where the light of Christ Mary that speaks of intimacy speaks of the kind of intimacy that I think God wants is not only to enjoy