Freedom From Sin

Introductory Thoughts

The common views among professing Christians today can be summarized by saying they often have a very loose and easy view about sin. Sin has been insulated to be “mistakes,” “bad choices,” “the result of abuse, alcoholism, drugs, bi-polarity,” or any other excuse for what is, in a very simple word, “sin.”

Some Biblical facts about sin

Sin is and has always been the source of all evil, rebellion, disease, and misery in the world
Sin is universal—Rom 3:9-12, 3:23
One man’s sin brought death to the world (Rom 5:12)
Sin’s payoff is death—Rom 6:23
Sin is never God’s fault—Ps 51
Sin is our fault.—Ps 51, James 1:14-15
Doing anything that is not from faith is sin—Rom 14:23
Neglecting to do that which we know we should do, is sin—James 4:17
To lust after a woman, hate in your heart, or desire that which belongs to your neighbor is sin—Mat 5:21-48
Transgressing God’s Law (in any of its forms) is sin—1 Jn 3:4
All unrighteousness is sin—1 Jn 5:17
Your sin will find you out—Num 32:23

Myths about sin

Myth #1: All sin is the same—that is obviously not true, becaus the consequences of some sins far out weigh the consequences of others.
Myth #2—As believers, we can’t help sinning—this passage we are studying today puts the lie to that idea.
Myth #3—As believers, we can be perfect—no one can seriously believe this unless he takes a very loose view of what sin is—1 John 1:5-10 for the contrast.

1. Therefore—the context
a. The first anticipated question—Rom 6:1-2
b. Our identification with Christ—we have been baptized into His body by the Holy Spirit, and we have been identified with Him. Through Him we have life—6:3-5
c. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
d. We have traveled the road from knowing to reckoning—we have taken it to the bank that the old man is dead, and therefore we are no longer subject to the old man’s desires and sinfulness.

2. Don’t Do IT!—Rom 6:12 “… Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
.
a. First, this is a command, a present imperative—do not continue to let sin reign over you…
b. The verse, in the Greek, begins with “NOT!”—Literallyè “NOT therefore do let reign, sin…”
(1) Sin says “yes,” the demonic forces we wrestle with say “yes,” people who want us to sin with them say, “yes,”
(2) But the Bible says, “NOT!”
c. Not what?
(1) Don’t let sin “reign.”
(2) Do NOT listen to or “obey” sin; YOU are in charge.
(3) We are no longer in the kingdom of Satan, so we are not obligated to follow his kingdom’s way—Col 1:13, Eph 5:1-8
(4) In your mortal body—our human nature is the part of us that is subject to the temptation to sin. Again, our bodies and minds are not inherently evil, but they are inherently corruptible.
(5) Sin attacks our minds (2 Cor 10:5-6) the enemy casts about to snag us—James 1:14-15, our body weighs in, letting us know what its desires are.
(6) But we do not have to give in—we are not in that kingdom any more.

3. The two alternatives—6:13 “…And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God…”
a. The Theological background: spiritual warfare
(1) 2 Cor 10:4-6 è the battlefield, the strategy
(2) Eph 6:10-18 èthe weapons
(3) Mat 4:1-11, tactics è how to fight
(a) Zec 3:1-6
(b) Mat 16:19-24
b. The Linguistic Background: Two Kings, Two Kingdoms
(1) Sin—
(a) “reigns” over those who are in that camp
(b) Lightfoot—“Sin is regarded as a sovereign (v 12) who demands the military service of its subjects, levies their quota of arms (V 13)and gives them their soldier’s pay of death (v23)…”
(2) Righteousness—the kingdom of the King of Kings, who secures the release of the captives, bids them join HIS forces, where He will equip them (Eph 6:10-18) and give them eternal life (6:23)
(3) Instruments
(a) From “hopla,” (s Hoplite), a heavily armored and armed infantryman
(b) This is all about spiritual warfare—the illustration of controlling African wars by who gets the gunpowder.
(4) The question is this: Which Army will you choose?

c. Do not present your body to the army of darkness, to sin—“don’t go on presenting your body…”
(1) Pr 1:10
(2) Pr 4:14
(3) Ps 1:1-3
(4) Instruments (weapons) of unrighteousness
(a) Weapons do not operate themselves
(b) Our bodies do not rule, if we fall into sin, it is because we “gave it up”
d. Do present your body to God—Rom 12:1-2
(1) Aorist imperative—do it now, once for all!
(2) As being alive—we are alive, through Christ
(3) Instruments of righteousness—weapons of war!


4. Sin Cannot be King—Rom 6:14 “…For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace

a. First, no dominion for sin.
(1) Sin will launch guerilla raids and cross-border attacks
(2) Sin may take some territory, if we do not resist
(3) But if you are born again, sin will not have dominion over you.
b. Law Vs. Grace
(1) Law is an enslaving taskmaster—Gal 3:10-13
(2) Law can only convict, not save—Rom 3:19-20
(3) Moses can only hurt, never heal.
(4) Grace is freedom to serve God—Gal 5:1ff, cf. 5:19-24
(5) Only Grace can defeat sin—Eph 2:10