The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying grace. The title of the study is "What's So Amazing about Grace"
There could have been no grace whatsoever for us but for the fact that God the Son volunteered to take our place and redeem us: Grace... came through Jesus Christ.
Grace brought freedom from the bondage of slavery of sin and the freedom to serve God without guilt. Grace gave the Christian Freedom from fear. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from worry. Freedom from emptiness. Freedom to overcome rage, sensuality, envy, pride, insecurity, and selfishness. Freedom to walk in love, faithfulness, patience, grace, and compassion. Sensing God’s presence like never before. Joy that flows like a fountain. Peace as stable as a mountain.
Even though our Great Emancipator Christ, paid the ultimate price to overthrow slavery to sin once for all most Christians act as though they are still held in bondage. Strange as it is most seem to prefer the security of slavery to the risks of liberty. To tell the truth, most Christians have been better trained to expect and handle their sin than to expect and enjoy their freedom.
How is it possible to break the habit of serving the old master of sin and start enjoying the benefits of being free? To walk in freedom and experience the liberty of our new lives, we must know some things, consider something, and present something.
We are using the books, "The Grace Awakening: Believing In Grace Is One Thing. Living it is Another", and "The Grace Awakening Workbook" by Charles E. Swindoll. You can study along with us by clicking the above links or the images after the notes.
These are the notes to Session 8
Ephesians 2:6-9 NIV And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Freedom from addiction. Freedom from fear. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from worry. Freedom from emptiness. Freedom to overcome rage, sensuality, envy, pride, insecurity, and selfishness. Freedom to walk in love, faithfulness, patience, grace, and compassion. Sensing God’s presence like never before. Joy that flows like a fountain. Peace as stable as a mountain. You don’t have to live as you once lived or be who you once were.
Emancipated? Then Live Like It
Romans 6:15-23 NIV What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rather than reaching out for the joys and risks liberty offers, many of us cling to the familiar “security” of spiritual slavery. And that’s exactly what our old master, the devil, wants us to do. He uses every weapon in his arsenal to convince us that grace didn’t really free us, that we’re still guilty, and that we’ll never be able to live without our old slave ways.
Yet, many Christians today do the exact same thing in their spiritual lives. They embrace freedom with their words, but their actions show that they either don't understand what it means to be free or they fear their newfound freedom.
Three analogies regarding slavery to sin . The first analogy is grim:
Romans 3:10-18 NIV As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
All of us were born in bondage to sin.
• No one righteous
• No spiritual understanding
• No worthwhile achievements before God
• No purity, no innocence, no peace, no hope, no escape we were unable to change our enslavement to sin
The second analogy is glorious: A day came when Christ set us free.
Romans 3:21-22 NIV But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
To qualify for freedom, you don’t have to be born in a certain country. You don’t have to speak a certain language. Your skin doesn’t have to be a certain color. You don’t have to be educated or cultured or make a certain amount of money or fulfill some list of requirements. There is absolutely no distinction. Why?
Romans 3:23 NIV for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Because we have all sinned then all sinners are savable. How is that possible?
Romans 3:24 NIV and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
The price was His death. By doing so, He said to every one of us, in effect, “You don’t have to live in slavery anymore. You're free. You’re free to serve Me for the rest of your life.”
The third analogy I find in Romans 3 is tragic because many Christians still live as though they are enslaved.
We rationalize around our sin; we act hypocritically; occasionally we lie and cheat and steal. Then with a shrug we say, “Well, you know, man, nobody’s perfect.” In effect, we are saying, “I’m still enslaved. Sin still overpowers me. I’m so ashamed. But I just can’t help it.”
Because Jesus set your free you are free from being overpowered by sin. You can live above enslavement because of grace which awakens, enlivens, and empowers our ability to conquer sin.
Once we truly grasp the freedom grace brings, we can spend lengthy periods of our lives without sinning or feeling ashamed. Most of us are so programmed to sin that we wait for it to happen.
To tell the truth, most Christians have been better trained to expect and handle their sin than to expect and enjoy their freedom. The shame and self-imposed guilt this brings is enormous, to say nothing of the “I’m defeated” message it reinforces. We begin the day afraid of sin. We live ashamed. We go to bed with a long list, ready to confess. If it isn’t very long, we fear we’ve overlooked several “hidden sins.”
Romans 6:1-15 NIV What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!
Two kinds of people, identified in this scripture who were spiritually emancipated but still living lives of slavery: grace nullifiers and grace abusers.
The grace nullifiers are addressed in 1-14 starting with verse
Romans 6:1 NIV What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
What’s the answer to that question?
Romans 6:2 NIV By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
What he is really saying is;
By no means!”
• “Away with such a notion!”
• “Perish the thought!”
• “Never, never, never!”
• “What a ghastly thought!”
Why would emancipated slaves who have been freed from sin and shame return to live under that same domination any longer?
We have been programmed to think, I know I am going to sin, to fail . . . to fall short today. Since this is true, I need to be ready to find cleansing. You have not been programmed to yield yourself unto God as those who have power over sin.
How much better to begin each day thinking victory, not defeat; to awake to grace, not shame.
Many Christians just can’t let go of the past they are grace nullifiers
J. Vernon McGee told the story of a lady who lived in the Deep South and had a close relationship with her childhood sweetheart. She fell in love with him and ultimately married him. Their life together was not perfect, but it was rewarding. There was faithfulness and there were times of joy.
This continued for years, until he was suddenly taken from her side by a heart attack. Not being able to part with him visibly, she decided to have him embalmed, put in a chair, sealed up in a glass case, and placed immediately inside the front door of their large plantation home. Every time she walked through the door,
she smiled, “Hi, John, how are you?” Then she would walk right on up the stairs. Things rocked along as normally as possible month after month. There he sat day after day as she acknowledged his presence with a smile and friendly wave.
A year or so later she decided to take a lengthy trip to Europe. It was a delightful change of scenery. In fact, while in Europe she met a fine American gentleman who was also vacationing over there. He swept her off her feet. After a whirlwind romance, they got married and honeymooned all over Europe. She said nothing about ol’ John back on the farm.
Finally, they traveled together back to the States. Driving up the winding road toher home, her new husband decided, This is my moment to lift my bride over the threshold and to carry her back into her home . . . this wonderful place where we’ll live together forever. He picked her up, bumped the door open with his hip, and walked right in. He almost dropped his bride on the floor! "Who is this?” “Well, that is John. He was my old man from—”
“He is history; he’s dead! “The new husband immediately dug a big hole and buried her former old man in it, case and all.
That’s exactly what Christ has done! However, without realizing the effect, many Christians put the old man in a case and greet him every morning and cater to him every day of their lives. We live as though our “old man” is alive, even though we are dead to him. He has no right to be in our conscious thinking. We serve a new Master. Being creatures of habit, we still prefer the security of slavery to the risks of liberty.
1 John 1:8-9 NIV If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 tells us what to do when we have sinned.
Now read
Romans 6:13-14 NIV Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
This tells us what to do to resist the sin patterns that we’re accustomed to following.
Do you lean on the truth of Romans 6:13 as much as you trust the teaching of 1 John1:9?
Why do most of us find it easier to fail and be forgiven rather than to yield ourselves to God before we fail?
How is it possible to break the habit of serving the old master of sin and start enjoying the benefits of being free?
We must claim and walk in our freedom from sin’s control.
Romans 6:5-14 NIV For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
What can we do to keep our old master out of control? Paul presented three practical applications in Romans 6. He advised that to walk in freedom from the old master and experience the liberty of our new lives, we must know some things, consider something, and present something.
“know” some things
Romans 6:3, 6, 9 NIV Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
“Consider” something
Romans 6:11 NIV In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
and “present” something
Romans 6:13 NIV Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
Know
Romans 6:3-7 NIV Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
The word baptism here is not referring to water baptism. Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
The word baptizo primarily has to do with identification. It was a term that was used in the first century for dipping a light-colored garment into a dye that was, let’s say, scarlet.
Once the fabric was dipped into the scarlet dye, it would be changed in its identity from its original color to scarlet. The act of dipping it, resulting in changing its identity, was called baptizo. It is the Greek term from which we get our English word baptism.
When we believed in the Savior’s death and resurrection, we were “dipped” into the same scene. Our identity was changed. We didn’t feel it, we didn’t see it, we didn’t hear it, but it did happen.
When we came to Christ, we were placed into Him and His death became ours, His victorious resurrection became ours, and His “awakening” to new life became our “awakening,” His powerful walk became our powerful walk. Before we can experience the benefits of all that, we have to know it really know it.
The Christian life is not stumbling along Jesus lives in me and I live in Him. His power becomes mine. His very life becomes my life. His victory over sin is my victory over sin. I no longer need to live as a slave to sin.
Romans 6:8-10 NIV Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
We hear Christians say, and I’ve said it myself we have to crucify ourselves daily. Well if we are in Christ and He has already been crucified once for all that means He died to sin and so did you and me.
Death to sin is an accomplished act, a finished fact. Theoretically, it has all been taken care of. A victorious walk begins with us knowing this for a fact. Christ’s Emancipation Proclamation has put to death the whole idea of slavery to sin. Having died to sin’s power, we are now free to serve our new Master.
Not until you and I know that we are dead to sin’s control and alive to God’s power through Christ will we live like victors, not victims.
Now that we know we are free we should consider something.
Romans 6:11 NIV In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
The Greek word we translate count or consider means “to calculate, to take into account, to figure.” It is a financial term, an accounting term. Rather than meaning “act like it is so,” it means “reckon it true.
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