Christians Aren’t Just Forgiven, Part 2

Today on Summit life was changed career. God is told you it is worth that. If you are in Christ, you are no longer under the reign of sin to you to remember what Christ is made, you redirected herself dead to sin, because that's what you said and then you need to live according to your new identity.

You need to reckon and then you need to restore God at the center of your life at the master who brings life like with pastor. I'm your host Molly benefits and we're so glad you're with us today. So what does the Bible mean when it says that believers are dead to surely doesn't mean that Christians never mess up. I mean, let's be honest, I think every Christian still struggles with scent at some level so the natural question becomes, can anyone really be saved.

We are looking for answers in a new teaching series called phantom faith.

If you missed any of the previous programs always catch up online@jamiegreer.com now here's pastor Katie with a message from Romans six that he titled questions are just forgiven out yet what the Bible means what it says that were saved by faith. This week I want to talk about another misconception people have about Christian salvation and that is that Christian salvation is just forgiveness that the gospel is just God's agreement why got you said that you can hear that how we phrase the question about salvation you we say I want to risk the boys yet if you died tonight and gobble to say why should I let you into heaven, what would you tell it what I want to show you this weekend is that in the gospel are not only the resources to be delivered from the penalty of sin, to get the resources that you need to be delivered from the power of sin to it's not just forgiveness. It's also the power of new life to the question is not just if you died tonight and God said why should I let you into heaven, what would you tell him the question is also, if you get up tomorrow morning if you get up tomorrow morning. How is your life going to look different. The Christ is in it.

Romans chapter 6, Paul begins with the question here is the question what shall we say then are we to continue in sin that grace may abound, after what Paul has just taught about how salvation is a free gift that it is received, not achieved.

It's not something we do to earn it after Paul is taught all that the natural question is, well, we now have it like a divine Visa card with an unlimited balance if we could just run up as much sin. Charges one.

Jesus sorta got it covered. How can we died to sin still live in. But what does Paul mean when he says we have died to sin will only take what he doesn't mean what does it mean is that we are gradually moving away from sin gradually getting more more righteous, ambitious, died to sin is just a metaphor know he's a dead do you not know that all of us who been baptized into Christ Jesus. We were baptized into his death.

Putting sin to death was something that Christ did for us on the cross and when we are baptized into him. We are joined to his killing of our sin before we were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father. We also we too might walk in the newness of life. But on that unification. Paul says to Christ gives us access. Now Jesus is newness of why verse five we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Do you understand what Paul just said about the implications of that for the power and the potential that you have in your spiritual life.

There is no brokenness or no corruption in you that Jesus did not put in the gray and there is nothing that his resurrection cannot remove heal or redeem from you. This is what Paul is talking about in Romans six, to try to get really practical with you right so go to verse 11. Also you it's really down on in the weeds with us. Likewise you also you need to to reckon yourselves to be a dead Anita said reckon, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The rest of this passage is going to build on around to imperatives to verbs.

The first one is this right here reckon I told you it is an accounting term or you count one thing, as if it were another even though it is not Paul says you got a reckon that even though you don't feel you reckon and when you electing it. That's when God begins to infuse it in the Paul continues in verse 12 is your second.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness said you should present yourself to God as those who have been brought from death to life in your members to God as instruments for righteousness. You're such a command. Paul tells us after you reckon yourselves dead to sin, number two, you must restore God as the center of your life. You see, Paul says listen what this there is something at the center of your heart. It sits on the front there something every day you will present your members of your body in service to that think it's whatever it is that's most important to you, whatever you feel like that you have to have him to be fulfilled and be happy.

It's whatever you feel like you can't live without that thing controls you functionally that thing is become your master Christian counselor on David Palace and other others like you have identified a set of what they call core idols core masters in the human heart on the first. We talked about his power. There are certain people that are driven by a desire for influencer recognition that there are others that their God is control their going to be happy as long as everything is going according to their plan there others that what the core there heart is his approval.

They had this craving to be accepted or desired on then there are lastly here. Comfort.

There are some who what it means for them to be happy as they just want to be comfortable. There's nothing wrong, of course, with any one of these things in and of itself, it's want to become central in your life.

Ultimate when it becomes something that commands your obedience more than God does when you get up daily, and you think about how to pursue these things because without that thing you could not be happy.

That's why God is been displaced as your master, and that things become wicked, John Calvin, the theologian said that evil is not typically desiring something wrong, evil is usually wanting something good. Too much, if not desiring a bad thing. It's elevating a good thing to a God thing and they would come to God thing becomes a bad thing that Paul uses a very illuminating word in verse 12 of that old little say this get your Greek New Testament. You probably saw only read it.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body said to make you obey its passions. Pat network passions in Greek is the Greek word epic to me epic to me up for me. It just means a desire, a strong desire even when you add the little prefix epi to it, it means that the desire become so large that it controls your dominate you. I want money, no money. Money is a good thing. But if I can't have it. I'll be better not feel like I live a second glass life. Or maybe I'll even feel like life is not worth living, because it just be miserably poor so I worry all the time about not getting money or save money all the time rubbing jealous of those who have more than I do how overworked and even out sheet to get it. I want a family. I want a family and if I can't have that.

Well Mike that looks like it's worth living solace around feel sorry for myself and asked what I did wrong.

That would make God hate you like this or I'll obsess about finding a boyfriend or girlfriend and I'll be willing to compromise all kinds of standards just to have somebody with me because I can't be happy to live without companionship. Tim Keller says that there are three testable show you what your spiritual master is three kind of you know litmus test it first with anger and whenever something blocks you getting a good thing. You get upset, that's normal.

It's fine to demotion God created listen is something blocks you from getting an ultimate thing you'll just get angry you get at the angry you snap because they have threatened the core of your life, your life and see what you can't forgive somebody else is wherever you can't forgive somebody else is because they touched one of your spiritual masters fear is the second one is something good in your life is threatened. You get worried that that's natural phenomena. Kids are in danger. I get worried that's very natural but is something ultimate in your life is threatened so many thought you can't live without you are paralyzed your fear has become an epi fear.

You are so anxious about it that you can't think right you develop warrior anxiety problems. You get the panic attacks is your third when sadness when you lose something good in your life you grieving you. We which you should grieve and weep. But see, when you lose something ultimate you despair you fall apart you say life is not worth living any longer. You want to throw yourself off of a bridge receive those three emotions. The epi version of those three motion point where God is been displaced as the master of your heart. So again, just a little self-diagnosis where where what triggers those three emotions. Most of you, what is it throughout your life and it's got you the most angry.

What is causing them as worry what is causing the most sadness near the years.

We talked about this about told you this, to that sort of fight for dominance in my heart, but I've got one of them is under control. Which one of the reasons that when when I got married one of the things that my wife and I thought about as many married couples what he thought about money what is money for me that security and I was just convinced one out and open up our bank account. It would be anything left. There is no money there and I need that to feel secure about the future as long as there's enough in there to take care of emergencies go through a couple of months and I feel okay. If it's not there. I feel like you not just a just drive me bananas because it because it is control the other one is approval told you this before but I just got my life always felt like I was a good person of other people around me directly or tell me that I was also that's what I did is that it's in transfer that to our church and I became a passion about wealth of church like through the church is big means of doing something right right so that's why when I would preach a bad sermon, which is devastating.

I was just sad that you guys didn't get the pointer aboard you a little bit. I was like it was because it got to the core of who I was. If a mega preacher that I'm not worth anything before really like me and I just was after preach about so much of the next, we commence another yellow to show up that the sermon was just so bad aboard the yellow like like sometimes you just like an animal sounds crazy to you but I drive up and I'm like you. This is about your organization, you have to be here this is the week that all of you say you know what I'm sick of ever. That's for like seven times that same one he tells and I'm walking on my coming back and use go to another church and you listen to another preacher. I come here there's like I am. They have to be here and then there's my wife leaned on the front row GRI prejudice. You know whatever comes your iPod in and she's listening to Matt Chandler because he's funny and so you know it's in and want to run a preach on my boom just enough it's this kind of fear that begins to paralyze my life because the master that of live for his approval pulses you got everybody's gotta serve somebody. Maybe it was a ball that was Bob Dylan.

But Bob Dylan got it from Paul. He got it from Paul right here in chapter 6.

So Paul says his you to put God back in the center. Does everybody serve something receive you present yourselves.

Anybody was obedient slaves are to be slaves of the one you obey even a sandwich lease. The death of obedience with Lisa Rogers, of whatever master you choose to choose one leads you to a certain destination in every master that you choose.

Besides God destination, they lead you to rest of our teaching and just a moment. I wanted to quickly share a little bit about our know it's not enough to simply go through the motions of Christianity to train out our phantom faith for faith that truly led to get started created a book of devotionals for anyone who feels distracted and even disconnected at times and in addition we've got a set of 20 conversation cards help kickstart face-to-face conversations in your home. There's nothing greater than experiencing deep community with those we love. And what better way than to talk about things that matter not only to give us a call at 866-335-5220 or go online to Jeannie Greer.com and reserve your copy so if you enslaved like I was like will be flagged by constant self-pity, feelings of envy toward other people who have what you want. Hurt feelings.

We've always walking on eggshells because they say the right things to affirm. You would criticize you, you feel you have these feelings of inadequacy appearance like the comfort your slave the comfort that means that will couple versions of it you you can't say no to the pleasures of the body, yet addicted to sex or food or pornography or alcohol or something.

Another version of this a much more civilized version of this is you can never be generous with your money. Why, because to give away money for the mission or to share with somebody else drive deprives you assume the creature comforts that you love so you'll be generous is always about the fact you have the things you really want, which is not home by vacation. Robinette, car because you worship got a comforting you can be happy unless the right comfortable things around you. That's what you can't really be that generous or want to talk about somebody leaving to go to the mission field. You act like I'm talking to people from another planet. But why would you ever do that well. But I'll leave my comfortable home to live somewhere that's uncomfortable and wasteful, doing good, limited well live in another part of Raleigh-Durham whether Livingston intentionally somewhere. It's not comfortable you can do that because you worship comfort if you worship where we have a worship power you become domineering and vengeful parts even abusive ever saw yourself in the mirror you would like what you see, you're the kind of person. Also, talk about yourself all the time right here that God, you know, I am tired of talking about how awesome I am. Why don't you talk about how awesome I am for a while in the middle of nowhere for me you just become a person if your slave to control you worry all the time of Cecily you you you you you lose your temper a lot of people around you feel manipulated by you because you're trying to control them. The wages Paul says you see it says in verse 23 is death, but you know that verse. The wages of sin is death will probably never done is connected to the larger context. Paul is not just talking about going to hell when you die you talking about that we talk about a hell you begin to experience on earth before you ever get the hell in the afterlife, newly saying is that death is a law that begins to discuss this disintegrates you and ultimately one day when you do die and go to hell. It's just the fulfillment of the way that you lived on earth. The wages of sin is death by The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord pulses is another master. This master doesn't pay. He gives he gives you a gift, whereas every other master threatens you and fellowship you don't work enough for me. I'll make you miserable now to mastered us and I will money does work hard for me and you don't work hard enough for me to report and then when you're poor. I'll make you miserable. You will be cursed relationship so you better work for me. What if you're hot enough in your if you're skinny enough, then you'll get the relationship that you've always wanted.

You get the attention you want and then you'll feel like there were something you better start about body and you better get it down.

You better feel inadequate all the time because you got a five. That relationship is about that. Be miserable to work for me work for me.

God says I'll give you all my joy on my blessing as a gift. You have to work for anything you can't work for anything. You don't have to earn it. It's not a wages a gift every blessing that I have in Christ. I want to give it to you for free salvation my salvation my blessing my presence is not something you achieve. It is something you receive. Tim Keller has a wonderfully simple way of saying this, Jesus is the only master that you give yourself to the only master who if you find him will satisfy you and the only master that if you fail, and will forgive you see Jesus is more satisfying, and he's more reliable than money.

Why because he owns the cattle on a thousand hills and he promises to supply every need that you ever have, and he never crashes and never dipped below 12,000 you want to get up and switch on some business channel to figure out what he's what he's writing after the date he is more fulfilling and more comforting than romantic love is the earthly marriage could marriage is all they are supposed to be a dim shadow of heavenly love.

It turns out that the arms that we yearn for, and we sought in romance were actually his arms. It was his tenderness is security his companionship.

That was the ultimate fulfillment of those things Jesus is better than earthly pleasure is the fountain of all pleasures. Jesus is better knowing God is better than earthly power. Know what greater power could there be than for you know that the sovereign God who cherishes you has commandeered every molecule in the universe to work for his purposes and for your good, you'll get greater power than that Jesus is greater, the popularity to be known and honored in esteem by the God of eternity.

That is our that's the one who I want say I approve of you. Well done good and faithful servant matter what I compare God to God wins what Paul says is listen.

You have got to get God back at the center of your life do you reckon yourself dead to sin, realize that the way that you are living, you put something in your life that was leading you to death. You put God back in the throat and daily present your members.

They have that will lead you to life is a great illustration of this is you said I have a shellfish analogy analogy out.

I was shellfish allergy, not an analogy. He says what I do is I if I every shellfish. He says my throat constrict so you break out in a rash. I can hardly breathe is a problem is is I love shrimp.

I just love the taste of shrimp and season for years as a young man I just commence myself.

You know what willpower this time out each rent but I'll just come to mind my way over the thing he said it never worked. It never worked and he pulled up this whole thing.

He says the good thing is I have one of these is an EpiPen and EpiPen that you know if you eat shrimp and you stick it you know someone your body and your parents note it is and it counteracts the effects of the shellfish. Now he's not suggesting Norm I bet you just about that is a routine of life are you sick of an EpiPen piece of you. It sounds like that's what you're saying but since I sent him the gospel. That's how that works is sin is apathy media that begins to take over your whole body menu. Love the taste of it for a minute but it begins to constrict your your breathing even constrict your circulation in the begins to work. Death and the only way that you counteract that is a take the EpiPen of God's word and you gotta put it into your bloodstream and you gotta have a vision of God that begins to open up those passageways and open up what light what what what sin is created death. I got to re-infused with life policies. You gotta serve somebody. What you been serving lead you to death. You need a vision of God and his promises that will confuse you with life God needs to become epi-again in your life because he's only one that will give life to Paul begin this discussion with a question.

The question was really saved by grace is a free gift to just go on sinning like we have an unlimited spiritual budget to cover sent Paul's answer was God for bid.

Why, because sin is a trajectory that leads to death. If you really repented you want to be on that path and I believe you do want to be about how Paul would say that begs the question of whether you've ever really repented some like a lot of my heavenly visa card is repentance trying to use God for what repentance means is that you recognize I was walking the path that led to death. I want to walk a path that leads to life, and so I forsake this path to choose this one and if you are not choosing to follow after God that I don't care what prayer you pray, you didn't really become a Christian. Good repentance means a change of mind, a change of mind about one thing and beginning to pursue another one pulses after you have made that choice that you want to follow God. How is it that you begin to live victoriously over sin is your two steps you reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God you believe what God says you gotta believe that you're not a slave to sin anymore that you know they say that back in the days of the 19th century after Abraham Lincoln and baby Emancipation Proclamation, and even after the Civil War had been one of a whole generation of slaves. Former slaves who just could not get their mind around the fact they were free people because their identity for all their life and venomous life and they would say that when their other their former masters would come around.

Sometimes they would tremble and they would quake, and they would just begin to be servile do whatever was said right you want to tell these people you're no longer slaves. You are free you have to tremble and quaint, because you are not under the control that person anymore. Paul says when you become a Christian sin that old master comes around you. You want to listen to them anymore because they start saying things to you like you know what, you're always good to be an addict you're always good to be a failure. You're never going to get any better. You see what you've done in your life. That's what we can expect from you. Paul says in Romans six know no matter what you feel, no matter what you may have experienced God's told you in his word that if you are in Christ, you are no longer under the reign of sin and when you do phone the same. It's because you forgotten who you are seeming to remember what Christ is made, you need to reckon yourself dead to sin, because that's what you said and then you need to live according your new identity. You need to reckon and then you need to restore God center of your life master's life. All this starts with just trusting Christ begins just trusting Christ that what he has said about what he's done for you strip the gospel. The gospel is Jesus Christ is remove the penalty and the power for beastly me anymore. Encouraging you're listening to some it might. The Bible teaching ministry of Pastor Eisner and theologian Jeannie Greer.

We are just starting a new teaching series called phantom pain because of your partnership that your neighbors in your community can hear God's truth each day on this radio station so when you get a financial gift of $35 or more will say thanks by sending you our brand-new 15 day resource devotions for the distracted family earlier. It also comes with winning hard. Our goal is to keep you and your closest talking and communicating anything the relationship only the distracted world for six conversation build stronger friendship request these resources today when you call 665 24 donate online. Jeannie Greer.com hi Molly for events tomorrow. Katie talk about the problem were Christianity wondering when this Wednesday for Senate life