INTRODUCTION

Have you ever tried to help an addict? Maybe it was a drug addict, a porn addict, a gambling addict, or an alcoholic. You’ve tried everything and yet it’s getting no better, only worse. So many false dawns, so many disappointed hopes. How can we beat addiction?

Or maybe it’s yourself. You’re in the grip of a destructive habit that you’ve tried to deny, minimize, excuse, or beat, but it’s stronger than ever. How can we beat addiction?

The Apostle Paul proposes three ways to beat addiction that involve three ways of viewing yourself.

• See yourself as dead with Christ (6:1-11).
• See yourself as under grace (12-14).
• See yourself as a slave of righteousness (6:15-22)

It’s this latter view that is our focus in this sermon.

BACKGROUND

• Romans 5: Grace frees us from the law’s penalty for sin.
• Romans 6: Grace frees us from the law’s powerlessness over sin.
• Romans 7: Grace frees us from the law’s provocation of sin.

Our passage, Romans 6:15-22 begins with these verses: What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey (15-16).

What kind of slaves are we or were we?

1. WE WERE WEAK SLAVES

The Slaver

“If you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death” (16). “You who were once slaves of sin” (17). You were “slaves to impurity and lawlessness ” (19). “You were slaves of sin” (20).

The slaver is the person who buys and owns the slave. The slave is his property. In Paul’s teaching, the slaver is sin, which he also calls “impurity and lawlessness.”

Most people view sin as beautiful, kind, helpful, loving, compassionate, fulfilling, freeing, and tolerant. It’s no wonder then if people want sin, want to sin, and think they will find the best life in sin. What a difference it makes when we take the biblical view of sin as a slaver. Then we see sin as ugly, hideous, cruel, hateful, merciless, draining, binding, and intolerant.

The Slaves

“If you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves” (16). “For just as you once presented your members as slaves” (19).

The slaves come to the slaver called sin and say, “I want to be your slave and therefore I present myself and all my members to you to do with me as you please.”

Sometimes we think that sin just happens out of the blue. “I don’t know what came over me….What just happened?” But Paul teaches us that sin is a choice to present ourselves and our members to sin. Sin does not just happen. No, it’s a personal choice to give ourselves to the slaver called sin. Others say, “It’s just the way I am, I can’t help how God made me.” Paul says, every sin is an active choice of sin as our slaver.

The Slavery

Sin “leads to death” (16). You are “slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness” (19). “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death” (20-21). “The wages of sin is death” (23).

What does this slavery look like? Death, lawlessness, ‘good-less,’ barrenness, shamefulness, death, and more death.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Are you addicted? This explains why. You have chosen to be a slave of the worst ever slaver. It’s a choice, a deliberate decision to present yourself to that sin. Don’t blame, genes, circumstances, upbringing but your choice.

Are you tempted? Here’s how to escape. See sin as it really is, by seeing the slaver as he really is, the slaves as they really are, and the slavery as it really is. The temptation will weaken and you will get strength to overcome.

WHEN WE CHOOSE SIN
WE CHOOSE SLAVERY

How do we get free from this slaver and this slavery? We need a new slaver.

2. WE ARE POWERFUL SLAVES

The Slaver

“If you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey…of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (16). “You have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed” (17). “You have become slaves of righteousness” (18). “Present your members as slaves to righteousness” (19). “You have become slaves of God” (22).

Paul is aware that picturing the Christian life as slavery is potentially problematic. That’s why he says, “I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations” (19). He says, it’s not a perfect analogy, but it’s good enough to make at least some valuable points and offer some practical help for the Christian life.

Paul sees the Christian life, not as just deliverance from slavery to freedom, but deliverance from bad slavery to good slavery. The Christian’s slaver is “obedience,” “the standard of teaching to which you were committed,” “righteousness,” and “God” all different ways to view this slavery. The Christian does not pass out of ownership but from bad ownership to good ownership.

Sin-slaves think God-slaves have the worst slaver in the world – ugly, hideous, cruel, hateful, merciless, draining, binding, and intolerant. Paul wants God-slaves to view their slaver as beautiful, handsome, kind, helpful, loving, compassionate, fulfilling, freeing, and forgiving. What a difference it makes when we see God and his standards in this way.

The Slaves

“If you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey” (16). “So now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification” (19).

The slaves come to God and his Word, and say, “I want to be your slave and therefore I present myself and all my members to you to do with me as you please.” This is an active deliberate presentation.

The Slavery

Obedience from the heart “leads to righteousness” (16, 18) which is committing “to the standard of teaching” (17), “sanctification” (19), holy fruit (22), unashamedness (21), freedom from sin (22), the free gift of eternal life (23).

CHANGING OUR STORY WITH GOD’S STORY

Are you done with sin’s slavery? Go to God and say, “Free me to be your slave. Take my heavy chains off and put your yoke upon me because your yoke is easy and your burden is light (Matt. 11:30). Your commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). Make me your slave, addict me to righteousness, for my good.”

You can’t stop sin without replacing it with its opposite. Just stopping will always stop. Instead, you need a new slaver and a new slavery. You break bad addictions by replacing them with good addictions.

STOP BAD SLAVERY
WITH GOOD SLAVERY

SUMMARY

A NEW CHAPTER

Look at your addiction through the lens of this passage. It will cause revulsion and rebellion against your slaver. You will be revolted and repulsed by your choices. It will stop your excuses, justifications, and evasions.

Look at godliness through the lens of this passage. You will see living as God’s slave is beautiful, attractive, valuable, wise, and productive. You will want that and go after it. A different view of your life will produce a different life.

Prayer. Good Slaver, enslave me to all that is good: for my good, others good, and your glory.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Make a list of everything people can get addicted to?

2. How do people usually try to beat addiction?

3. How did this passage change your view of sin?

4. How did this passage change your view of the Christian life?

5. Describe the ways in which God is a better slaver than sin.

6. How would you use this passage with an addict (or yourself if you are one)?

PDF OF SERMON NOTES

INTRODUCTION

God is a pleasure seeker. He loves pleasure and looks for pleasure. Where does God look for pleasure? He looks at you, Christian, for his pleasure. He looks for pleasure in you. He made you to give him pleasure and he enjoys any pleasure you give to him.

This may sound heretical to you. That’s because we often associate pleasure-seeking with sin and condemn such pleasures as sinful pleasures. We’re therefore reluctant to view pleasure in any kind of positive way for ourselves and we’re especially resistant to the idea of God seeking and savoring pleasure for himself.

But the Bible teaches differently. Just because we tend to pursue pleasure in sinful ways, in sinful things, and to sinful degrees, that doesn’t mean God does. Rather, God pursues pleasure in holy ways, in holy things, and to holy degrees. He loves pleasure and looks for pleasure in you, through you, and from you.

That’s an amazing thought, isn’t it? That you and I can give God pleasure. We can please God. How though? How can we give God pleasure? Psalm 147:10-11 tells us how not to do it and also how to do it.

BACKGROUND

In the first sermon of this series we started with God’s purpose which is to glorify himself in grace-and-truth filled relationships. In the second sermon we turned to look at our own purpose and saw that our first purpose is to glorify God in grace-and-truth filled relationships. In this sermon we’ll look at our second purpose, which is to give God pleasure.

Verse 10 warns us about what God does not take pleasure in. “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man” (10). The Psalmist is describing the greatest military machine and military muscle of his day, the kind of impressive man-made sights that people often enjoy viewing.

We enjoy seeing military power. We’re impressed with SEAL Team 6, with Marines, with Stealth Bombers, with the Abrams battle tank, with Cruise missiles, with laser-guided bombing, and so on. The nations of the world put on military parades and air shows to bolster national pride and confidence. But such military might is not God’s favorite sight. He is not moved to marvel at muscles or metal.

There’s a place for national defense, of course. God puts “the sword” in the hands of civil governments to punish evil doers and protect good-doers. God therefore approves of the just use of force by just authorities. However, no matter how much God approves of such, it’s nothing compared to the pleasure God takes “in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love” (11). This is the opposite of human confidence, it’s God confidence.

NB: This does not mean that God is unhappy and we make him happy. We have to hold two truths together: (1) God is infinitely happy; (2) God finds pleasure in his people.

So what does God get pleasure from?

1. OUR AWE GIVES GOD PLEASURE

“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him” (11).

Although many find pleasure in the fearless, God finds pleasure in fearers, God-fearers. Although people are impressed with military might and muscle, God is impressed with spiritual fear and awe. When God sees us respond to him with appropriate awe, fear, and respect, he is delighted.

Most fear is a horrible experience for the one who is afraid and for those around the person. We hate to fear and hate to see fear in those we love. But this kind of fear is something we want more of, both for ourselves and others. We love to see it in ourselves and others, and God loves to see it even more.

Fear usually makes us avoid what we are afraid of. The fear of God is different to all other fears. It’s pleasant rather than painful. It makes us run towards the One we fear rather than away from him. It produces wordless worship sometimes and word-filled worship at other times. It makes us praise the One who awes us rather than criticize him for terrorizing us.

This fear is not just an Old Testament response to God, but a New Testament response to God (Matt. 10:28; Acts 9:31; 1 Pet. 1:17; Rev. 14:7). As Sinclair Ferguson put it: “The fear of the Lord is that undefinable mixture of reverence, fear, pleasure and joy which fills our hearts when we realize who God is and what He has done for us.” Although Old Testament events and words prompted holy fear of God, New Testament events and words prompt even holier and greater fear.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Give God pleasure to enjoy God’s pleasure. There are some people we love to please. It might be a boss, a colleague, a spouse, a family member, a friend, a team-mate, etc. We love putting a smile on their faces and are careful to avoid anything that would make them frown. Who better to please than God? What greater smile can there be than God’s smile. Imagine how you would feel if God smiled at you with joy. You don’t have to imagine it. You simply have to believe it based upon this verse. Giving our great God great pleasure is our greatest pleasure too. This is why we are here, this is our purpose – to give God pleasure.

GIVE GOD PLEASURE
TO GET GOD’S PLEASURE

I love giving God pleasure. What else can I do to give him pleasure?

2. OUR HOPE GIVES GOD PLEASURE

“The Lord takes pleasure…in those who hope in his steadfast love” (11).

Hope is a rare experience today. We live in a pessimistic and nihilistic time and place. Few expect better days ahead. Most expect things to get worse for them and their children in the future. There’s a deep dark sense of foreboding around, that we are on the wrong track and no one knows how to get back on it.

But as God looks down on these billions of despairing hearts, he sees some here and there that look and sound different. They are bright, cheery, happy, and hopeful. Why? They are hoping in God’s steadfast love. They look ahead with an expectation that God’s steadfast love is in them, with them, for them, and ahead of them. Their future view is filled with the hope of increasing encounters with and experiences of God’s steadfast love.

They’ve already looked back in faith to God’s steadfast love that was demonstrated at the cross. But they also look forward in hope to God’s steadfast love being demonstrated in their life, in their death, and especially in eternity. They have a good hope (2 Thess. 2:16), a lively hope (1 Peter 1:3), a sure hope (Heb. 6:19), and a happy hope (Prov. 10:28; Rom. 5:2).

It’s strange to hope in the one we fear and to fear the one we hope in. That seems an impossible pairing. But not with a Gospel understanding of hope and fear. As John Piper put it: “It means that we should let the experience of hope penetrate and transform the experience of fear, and let the experience of fear penetrate and transform the experience of hope.” It’s to feel completely safe in the refuge of God’s love even when the greatest storm is raging all around you. Or again as Piper says, “The fireside fellowship is all the sweeter when the storm is howling outside the cottage.”

God detects every moment of hope in our hearts. Every time we look ahead with optimism that we will experience God’s steadfast love, he sees it, recognizes it, and responds to it with joy.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Hope in God’s steadfast love when you:

• Believe the Gospel. 
• Read your Bible. Instead of opening it with limited expectation, expect to be embraced by God’s love.
• Witness to unbelievers. Instead of expecting failure, expect God to embrace the person with his love.
• Go to church. Instead of going expecting little or nothing, expect to enter God’s loving embrace.
• Raise kids. Hoping in God’s steadfast love for his covenant kids pleases God more than “perfect” parenting.
• Suffer. Instead of seeing suffering as a denial of God’s love, view it is a door to God’s love.
• Are lonely. You may not have much hope of human love, but you can still have God’s steadfast love.
• Are dying. Instead of seeing your hope diminishing as you age, expect to see it grow stronger and clearer.

Every time you hope in God’s steadfast love in this way, you give God pleasure and therefore fulfill your purpose. Aren’t you so glad that giving God pleasure is so easy? It doesn’t require tons of words or works, just hope in God’s steadfast love.

HOPE IN OUR HEARTS PUTS
HAPPINESS IN GOD’S HEART

SUMMARY

A NEW CHAPTER

God is a pleasure seeker. He loves pleasure and put us in the world to give him pleasure. He’s also designed us so that we get the greatest pleasure when we give him the greatest pleasure. Every ounce of awe and hope in our hearts fills his heart with pleasure. God doesn’t just tolerate us, but actually appreciates us and gets pleasure from us.

You are a pleasure giver. Your primary purpose is not to get pleasure but to give pleasure. Your aim is not your own pleasure, but God’s pleasure. As you fulfill that purpose you will be fulfilled. As you give God pleasure, you will get great pleasure from his pleasure.

Prayer: Pleasure-seeking God, give me awe and hope so that I can give you pleasure and so fulfill my purpose on this earth.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. “God is a pleasure-seeker.” What’s different between this and sinful pleasure-seeking?

2. How often do you think about how to give God pleasure? How can you increase that?

3. What kind of fear displeases God and what kind of fear pleases him.

4. Which life circumstances help you to hope in God’s steadfast love?

5. How much awe and hope in our hearts is needed to give God pleasure?

6. Are we to be pleasure-seekers or pleasure-givers?

PDF OF SERMON NOTES.

INTRODUCTION

“We’re not under law, but under grace.” This is one of the most misunderstood and misused lines in the whole Bible. I’ve lot count of the number of times I’ve heard someone say this, or I’ve read it online. Usually the context is one Christian telling another Christian that they’ve done something wrong, they’ve sinned, they’ve broken one of the commandments. The offender then replies “I’m not under law, but under grace.” They’re basically saying that they no longer have any relationship with God’s law, no obligation to keep God’s law. Instead, grace has freed them from any and all obligation to the law: “I’m not under law, but under grace” they assert.

They are quoting Scripture and they seem to be quoting Scripture rightly. Romans 7:14 does say “We’re not under law but under grace” and that contrast seems to indicate that grace has freed us from all connection to the law. So are they right? Does grace free us from all and every relationship to the law of God? Does grace free us from the law?

BACKGROUND

The first step in interpreting any words is to look at the context. When we do that we discover that whatever this line means, it cannot mean that Christians have no relationship to God’s law.

• What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (1-2).
• We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin (6).
• So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin (11)
• Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions (12).
• Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness (13).
• For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (14)
• What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! (15)

Whatever this disputed line means, it clearly cannot mean grace frees from all obligations to God’s law, or that grace gives us a license to sin. So what does it mean? It teaches that grace changes our relationship to the law, but in what way? Let’s look at the context again for some of the broader themes.

• Romans 5: Grace frees us from the law’s penalty for sin.
• Romans 6: Grace frees us from the law’s powerlessness over sin.
• Romans 7: Grace frees us from the law’s provocation of sin.

Does grace free us from the law?

1. THE LAW IS POWERLESS OVER SIN

Under law

To be “under law” (14) is to be ruled by the law as a way of salvation and sanctification. Your only hope of heaven and holiness is your obedience to God’s law. The law is your master, your ruler, your ever-demanding never-satisfied dictator. It cannot share the throne with grace because they are mortal enemies. You are either under the law or under grace (14).

Sin reigns in our body

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body” (12). “For sin will not have dominion over you, since you are not under the law” (14). If the law is our master, sin is our master. If the law reigns over our hearts then sin reigns in our bodies. If the law is our heart-master, sin is our body-master. They are joint monarchs and unite to exert their joint reign over our souls and bodies.

Our passions obey sin

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions” (12). When the law is our master, sin controls our body, and our passions are out of our control. As sin works in our bodies, it stirs up sinful desires, urges, and passions.

Our members are presented to sin

“Do not present your members to sin” (13). As these sinful desires, urges, and passions grow in power, we eventually end up presenting the members of our bodies to sin. When the law controls us, sin reigns, our passions boil over, and we turn around to sin and say, “Here are the members of my body for you to use as you wish.” Have my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my hands, my feet, my sexual organs, my brain, my imagination. I present them all to you my master.”

Our members are instruments of unrighteousness

“Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness” (13). Sin then plays our members as an orchestra of instruments that produce a cacophony of disharmony in ours’ and others’ lives.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Do you recognize yourself in this story? Start at the beginning and work your way forwards through the chapters to figure out the ending. If law is in any way your hope of salvation and sanctification, of heaven and holiness, then your story is going to end in a discordant bedlam. Or start at the end and work your way backwards to figure out what’s wrong. You’ll trace it all back to the fundamental problem in your life. The law is on the throne of your hopes for salvation or sanctification.

WHEN THE LAW REIGNS OVER YOUR LIFE
SIN WILL RAIN DOWN ON YOUR LIFE

How do I change this story to a better ending? You need a better beginning.

2. GRACE IS POWERFUL OVER SIN

Under grace

To be “under grace” (14) is to be ruled by grace as the only way of salvation and sanctification. What Christ did for you is on the throne of your heart and shares no space with what you did, do, or will do for him. Grace has dethroned the law as your master and sits on the throne alone. As verses 1-11 made crystal clear, grace means Christ has done it all. Instead of a throne that has the banner “Do and Don’t” it has the banner “Done.” You are under that grace.

God reigns in our body

If “under law” means that sin reigns in our mortal body (12) and that sin has dominion over us (14), then “under grace” means the opposite. God reigns in our bodies and God has dominion over us. Grace is the throne that God sits on. From there, he claims our whole body as his and refuses to allow any space or second to the law as a way of salvation of sanctification.

Our passions obey God

When God sits on the throne of grace in our hearts and claims ownership of us, then we no longer obey our sinful passions, emotions, desires, feelings (12). Most of them are still there, but they are weakened and aging and gradually being replaced by more orderly passions that love to please God.

We present ourselves and our members to God

“…present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness” (13). We not only present our members to God, but our whole selves. We unreservedly give our whole being and whole body to God because he brought us from death to life. We say, “Here are the members of my body for you to use as you wish.” Have my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my hands, my feet, my sexual organs, my brain, my imagination. I present them all to you my master.”

Our members are instruments of righteousness

Present yourselves and your members to God “as instruments for righteousness” (13). God plays our members as holy instruments which result in a beautiful harmony of righteousness. It’s God’s finest symphony to take old abused instruments and turn them into a holy and heavenly sound.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Do you recognize yourself in this story? Start at the beginning and work your way forwards through the chapters to figure out the ending. If grace is your only hope of salvation and sanctification, of heaven and holiness, then your story will have a beautiful tune and vocals. Or start at the end and work your way backwards to figure out what’s made such a difference to your words, actions, etc. You’ll trace it all back to the fundamental Master of your life, the reigning principle. You are under grace. Grace is at the controls of your life.

WHEN WE ARE UNDER GRACE
WE ARE OVER SIN.

SUMMARY

A NEW CHAPTER

We are not under the law. Praise God because the law can only produce sin, disobedience to the law. The law binds us to ungodly living that grates on God.

We are under grace. Praise God because grace alone can produce holiness, obedience to the law. Grace frees us from the law as our hope of salvation and sanctification and fills us with hope of full salvation and sanctification.

Prayer. God of all grace, thank you that being under grace means I am free to be holy, able to obey the law, and produce a God-like sound with my life.

PDF OF SERMON NOTES

INTRODUCTION

Why am I here? Have you ever asked that question? Why am I here? If you haven’t you should. If you have, you’ve maybe got a blank where an answer should be. Or maybe you’ve had lots of answers which you’ve rubbed out and replaced and you’re not sure if your present answer is the right one. Or maybe you’ve got the completely wrong answer.

Our answer to this question usually results in a picture in our head about what life is all about. As Rick Warren put it in The Purpose Driven Life, “The way you view your life determines how you live your life.” Our metaphor of life determines our purpose, expectations, values, relationships, goals, priorities, words, acts, etc. Warren gives some examples, and I’ve added a few of my own. Think of how each of these pictures of life changes our view of life and the way we live our life.

• Life is a circus: I’m here for entertainment.
• Life is a bungee jump: I’m here for thrills.
• Life is a minefield: I’m here to avoid life blowing up in my face.
• Life is a puzzle: I’m here but I have no idea why.
• Life is a carousel: I’m here for nothing but just same-old, same-old, round and round.
• Life is a marathon: I’m here to endure and persevere.
• Life is a competition: I’m here to win and beat everyone else.
• Life is a party: I’m here for the fun and games.
• Life is a beach: I’m here for maximum leisure time and minimal work.
• Life is a bank: I’m here to get more money, spend more money, invest more money.
• Life is a workshop: I’m here to work as hard as I can for as long as I can.
• Life is Instagram: I’m here for as many likes and followers as I can get.

These are worldly pictures of life that will have worldly results in our lives because they are worldly answers to the question “Why am I here?” What’s the biblical view of life? What does God want our view of life to be? How does God want us to answer “Why am I here?”

BACKGROUND

In the first sermon of this series we started with God’s purpose because we will never find our personal purpose unless we discover and submit to God’s purpose. We discovered that God’s purpose is his glory which he primarily achieves through grace-and-truth filled salvation of sinners. He glorifies himself in grace-and-truth filled relationships. He makes himself great again in grace-and-truth filled relationships.

Why am I here?

WE GLORIFY GOD IN GRACE-AND-TRUTH FILLED RELATIONSHIPS

If God glorifies himself in grace-and truth filled relationships, then we might expect to find that we glorify God in grace-and-truth filled relationships too. That’s exactly what we find in 1 Corinthians 10:23-33. We glorify God in grace-and truth filled relationships with others. That’s how we make God great again.

Just to be clear, it’s not that God ever ceased to be great or that his greatness has ever faded. No, his glory is always infinitely great. However, his glory can be hidden, obscured, unseen, or unappreciated. Think of a theater, in which the star actor is on stage but behind the curtain. The actor is still the same superstar but the curtain hides him. Or the actor can be on stage with the curtain pulled back but there’s no spotlight on him and therefore his star qualities are obscured. Or the actor can be on stage, with the curtain pulled back, and the spotlight on him, but there are people in the audience distracting everyone so that the star’s abilities go unseen and unappreciated. In all these scenarios, the actor is still a superstar, but his star qualities are hidden, obscured, unseen, or unappreciated. Similarly, God’s glory is always the same, but it can be hidden, obscured, unseen, or unappreciated. We make God great again by unveiling, spotlighting, seeing, and appreciating God’s glory. And we do that through grace-and-truth filled relationships.

Pursue the good of others (23-33)

The Corinthian church was in really bad relational shape. The Corinthians’ relationships with each other were such a mess that God’s glory was hidden, obscured, unseen, and unappreciated. One of the areas in which Paul saw major problems was the way they made decisions in the “gray areas” of the Christian life.

One of the gray areas for the Corinthian Christians was whether Christians could eat food offered to idols. Idolatry was not a gray area, but a black-and-white truth area. It was clearly wrong and forbidden (14). That truth must not be sacrificed. But what about the food offered to idols in idol temples? Could Christians eat that meat when it was sold afterwards in the market? Some Christians said yes, and some said no. The “yes” group didn’t care about how their “yes” impacted the “no” group and the “no” group wanted to impose their “no” on the “yes” group. Paul’s opinion was that it was a gray area that Christians could agree to disagree on. He offered them six criteria to help them navigate this relational challenge in a grace-and-truth filled way.

Before we look at these questions, let’s bring it into the modern world. A similar question arises over how we use social media. Obviously some uses of social media are sinful and wrong (pornography, hook-up apps, gambling), but there are gray areas over what we should post and what posts we should follow. The questions Paul proposes are therefore helpful in our world too,

• Will this help or harm others? (23a)
• Will this build up or break down others? (23b)
• Will this do good or do bad to others? (24)
• Will this strengthen or weaken the conscience of others? (25-30)
• Does this put an obstacle in the way of faith? (32)
• Does this help people to be saved? (33)

Notice that where truth is not at stake, the underlying principle is “grace.” Grace meant putting the interests of others first. Grace meant dealing with people not as they deserve but in mercy. Grace meant putting the salvation of others before personal comfort. Grace meant forgoing something legitimate if it hurt someone else’s conscience. Grace meant pursuing others good before our own. Grace meant sacrificing self but never sacrificing the truth. NB: Grace does not mean there are no consequences for sin, as the God of all grace also disciplines his erring children and disciples.

Pursue the Glory of God (31)

In the middle of proposing these six criteria, Paul says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (31). He directly connects the pursuit of God’s glory with the pursuit of others’ good. In other words, we glorify God in grace-and-truth filled relationships. That’s why we are here. We are here to make God great again and the primary way we do that is in grace-and-truth filled relationships. Just as God glorifies himself in grace-and-truth filled relationships, so we glorify God in grace-and-truth filled relationships. That’s our number one purpose in life. It’s not work, money, marriage, fun, pleasure, power, etc. It’s God’s glory in grace-and-truth filled relationships. We are to reflect God’s grace and truth in our relationships. Whether we are eating and drinking, not eating and drinking, or whatever we are doing, all our focus is on glorifying God in grace-and-truth filled relationships. We make God great again and so fulfill our purpose by making God great again in grace-and-truth filled relationships. Grace-and-truth filled relationships make God great again by unveiling, spotlighting, seeing, and appreciating God’s glory.

There’s another Bible passage which parallels this one. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17). It’s very similar language to 1 Corinthians 10:31. It’s about glorifying God in whatever we do. But again, look at the context. Verses 8-16 and 18-22 are all about grace-and-truth filled relationships. God has chosen relationships as the primary place in which we glorify him.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

How you can unveil, spotlight, see, and appreciate God’s glory in the following relationships?

• Your parents (Eph. 6:1-3).
• Your children (Eph. 6:4).
• Your spouse (Eph. 5:22-33).
• Your siblings (1 John 3:17-18).
• Your friends (Prov. 18:24).
• Your enemies (Matt. 5:43-48).
• Your neighbors (Mark 12:31).
• Your workplace (Eph. 6:5-9).
• Your church family (Eph. 4:15-16).

In each of these relationships are you (1) Sharing the Gospel? (2) Putting others good first? (3) Sacrificing yourself in the service of others? (4) Resolving conflict? (5) Speaking the truth in love?

WE MAKE GOD GREAT AGAIN
BY MAKING OTHERS GREAT AGAIN

SUMMARY

A NEW CHAPTER

Jesus made God great again. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). He did this perfectly and constantly in grace-and-truth filled relationships. He made God great again not only as the perfect model for his followers but the perfect Savior for his trusters.

How can you make God great again? Think of one relationship in which God’s glory is being hidden, obscured, unseen, and unappreciated. Take grace-and-truth filled steps to unveil, spotlight, see, and appreciate God’s glory. In doing so, you will fulfill your primary purpose.

Prayer. Glorious God of grace and truth, help me to unveil, spotlight, see, appreciate, and show your grace-and-truth filled glory in all my relationships.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What is your “picture” of life?

2. How would you have answered the question “Why am I here?” before this sermon?

3. How can you show God’s glory in grace-and-truth filled relationships?

4. How can you help others unveil, spotlight, see, and appreciate God’s glory?

5. In what relationships did Jesus show God’s grace-and-truth filled glory?

6. Name one relationship you will work on and how you will do it?

PDF OF SERMON NOTES

INTRODUCTION

Should we sin bigger to make grace bigger? If grace super-abounds where sin abounds (Rom. 5:20), should we make sin abound so that grace abounds all the more. It seems to make sense to us, doesn’t it? It obviously made sense to Paul’s readers too. If greater sin makes grace greater, surely we should sin the greatest sins to make grace even greater. “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom. 5:20). “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” (Rom. 6:1). Should we sin bigger to make grace bigger? Should we sin the greatest sins to show the greatness of grace?

This is obviously an extremely important question and our answer will be hugely influential on our Christian lives. So, let’s see how Paul answers in in Romans 6:1-11.

BACKGROUND

In general terms we can summarize the first four chapters of Romans as follows:

• Chapter 1. The Gentiles are guilty
• Chapter 2. The Jews are guilty
• Chapter 3:1-19. Everyone’s guilty
• Chapter 3:20-31. Get from deadly guilt to healthy joy through faith in Jesus.
• Chapter 4. Follow Abraham’s example of faith in the promises and you’ll inherit the world.
• Chapter 5:1-5. God invites us into his love through trouble
• Chapter 5:6-11. God proves he loves us (with the graces of substitution, propitiation, and reconciliation)
• Chapter 5:12-21. God proves he loves us with the grace of representation.
• Chapter 6:1-11: Super-abounding grace means super-abounding holiness.

Why shouldn’t we sin bigger to make grace bigger?

1. WE DIED WITH CHRIST AND TO SIN

When Christ died, we died with Christ

Truth 1: Christ is every Christian’s representative (Rom. 5:12-21)

Truth 2: When Christ died and was buried, every Christian died and was buried with him.  All of us who have been baptized into (“united with”) Christ Jesus were baptized into (“united with”) his death” (3). We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death (4). We have been united with him in a death like his (5). We know that our old self was crucified with him (6). Now if we have died with Christ (8).

Christ acted as the representative of all his people, the one for the many. Therefore, whatever he did, his people are regarded as having done. They were united to him and with him throughout his birth, life, and death. We are therefore regarded as having lived his life and died his death. He died for us and we died with him. We are identified with him in all he did and was done to him. We have a perfect solidarity with him.

When Christ died to sin, we died to sin

Truth 1: When Christ died, he died to sin. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all (10).

Truth 2: We died with Christ and therefore we died to sin as well. How can we who died to sin still live in it? (2). So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin (11).

Truth 3: Dying to sin means being freed from a legal connection to sin. Death severs all legal relationships. Our old self was crucified with him…For one who has died has been set free from sin (6-7). Just as Christ’s death severed (freed from) all his legal connection to and relationship with sin/guilt, so his death severed (freed from) our legal connection to and relationship with sin/guilt. This was a once-for-all, unrepeatable, decisive, emphatic, and effective separation and disconnection.

As much as Christ was severed from his legal connection to sin, so we are to reckon/consider ourselves severed from all legal connection to sin/guilt. It’s not “imagine this to be true” but “consider this as really true.” Be fully persuaded and convinced. Travel back in time to see how much Christ was freed/severed from sin and consider yourselves equally free/severed from sin/guilt. View yourselves like this. Make this part of your identity. It’s not “Die to sin” but “Think of yourselves as already dead to sin/guilt.”

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Time travel to the cross by faith. “Consider yourselves dead to sin” is the first exhortation in Romans. Paul is saying, “Go back in time to the cross and see yourself as freed from sin’s legal hold as much as Christ was.” Just as the older slaves found it hard to see themselves as free even after the Declaration of Emancipation, so Christians can struggle to see themselves as free from sin even after the cross’s Declaration of Emancipation.

Die to sin by faith. This is not sanctification, but prepares the way for sanctification. The more we can see ourselves as dead to sin in the past, the more we will die to sin in the present. “Our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (6),

WHEN CHRIST DIED TO SIN
I DIED TO SIN
SO I WILL DIE TO SIN

So, I died with Christ. Did I also rise with Christ?

2. WE LIVE WITH CHRIST AND TO GOD

When Christ arose, we arose

Truth 1: When Christ arose, every Christian arose with him. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his (5). Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him (8).

When Christ lived to God, we lived to God

Truth 1: When Christ arose, he rose to a new kind of life. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God (9-10). It was not only a life severed from sin’s penalty and consequences, but a life for God completely unhindered by his previous legal relationship to sin, guilt, and death.

Truth 2: We rose with Christ and therefore rose to a new kind of life also. In order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (4). How do we get that newness of life? You also must consider yourselves…alive to God in Christ Jesus (11).

Christ’s post-tomb life was very different to his pre-tomb life. He was completely disconnected from death and completely connected to life. He lived to God before the tomb, but it was a life impacted by sin, death, and God’s anger. He lived to God after the tomb on a different level, unhampered by sin, death, and God’s anger. There was nothing between him and God, there was no curse mixed up in God’s blessing. It was a life under the brightest smile of God’s blessings. That’s how we are to view ourselves, and insofar as we are able to realize and embrace this new kind of life, we will experience the daily reality of that new life for God.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Time travel to the empty tomb by faith. We are not only dead to sin by Christ’s death, we are alive to God by Christ’s life. It’s not “Be alive to God,” it’s “You are alive to God.” Reckon that, realize that, recognize that.

Live to God in faith. The more we see ourselves as alive to God in the past, the more we will live to God in the present. Old life will be replaced with newness of life. Questions such as “Should we sin bigger to make grace bigger?” will not even cross our minds because of the cross. Instead we’ll ask, “How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (2).

WHEN CHRIST LIVED FOR GOD
I LIVED FOR GOD
SO I WILL LIVE FOR GOD

SUMMARY

A NEW CHAPTER

Are you tempted to commit sin? How can you defeat present temptation, especially when sin is using its best/worst arguments? Travel back to the cross and see yourself dead with Christ and dead to sin. Read yourself Romans 6:1-11 in the shadow of the cross to escape the darkness of sin.

Are you tempted to run from service? You want to serve God but you see your weakness, you see difficulties, you fear failure. Travel back to the empty tomb and read Romans 6:1-11 in the light of the empty tomb to receive the power of seeing yourself raised with Christ.

Prayer. Eternal God, take me back to Christ’s death and resurrection to make your grace super-abound by realizing I died to sin with him and rose again to new life with Jesus.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. When have you been tempted to sin bigger to make grace bigger?

2. Why is union with Christ in his death and resurrection so hard to understand?

3. How often do you reckon or consider yourself dead to sin and alive to Christ?

4. How would this “considering” of your union with Christ affect your sin/service?

5. Can you think of another illustration (apart from time-travel) to explain this truth?

6. How can you make grace super-abound?

PDF OF SERMON NOTES.

INTRODUCTION

We are living in uncertain and anxious times. The world has been and is being de-stabilized by moral confusion, natural disasters, the specter of World War III, and a global pandemic. Many feel disoriented, unsafe, fearful. It’s hard to plan or have any sense that there is a bigger plan.

All of us crave both a sense of personal purpose for our lives, but also a sense that there is an overall purpose to this earth. But many have neither. This results in drift, laziness, a sense of meaninglessness and pointlessness and languishing. At every stage of life – kids, teens, young adults, middle-aged, and retirees – we hear the questions: “Why am I here?….What’s the point?….Is there any purpose to all this?”

Cornell University Professor of Psychology Anthony Burrow is an expert on purpose. His research found that having a sense of purpose:

• Is essential to our well-being.
• Is a mood regulator and a de-stressor.
• Helps us overcome difficulties and persevere through hard times.
• Make us more attractive to others because people sense a directionality about us.
• Improves our health and increases longevity.
• Slows cognitive decline and lowers the risk of developing Alzheimers.
• Is associated with higher income and net worth.
• Less impulsive decisions and more self-discipline.

Purpose also energizes our daily life, calms us in stressful situations, simplifies decision-making, directs our career, and prepares us for eternity.

Do you see how important a sense of purpose is? It’s worth pursuing, isn’t it? But before we look at our personal purpose (which we’ll do in the coming weeks), as Christians we must begin with the overall purpose, the big purpose, the most important purpose, which is God’s purpose. What is God’s purpose? We start with that because we will never find our personal purpose unless we discover and submit to God’s big purpose.

BACKGROUND

Paul references God’s purpose three times in the first eleven verses.

• “…according to the purpose of his will” (5).
• “…according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ” (9).
• “…according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (11).

What is God’s purpose?

1. GOD’S PURPOSE IS OUR SALVATION

God’s purpose is a plan with three phases.

Phase 1 (4-5): The Eternal Past (Pre-history)

God chose his people for holiness (4). Before the world was, before there was an atom of this world, God picked a people. Even knowing that they would fall into sin, he chose them so that they would one day be a separate and blameless people.

God predestined his people for adoption (5). God did not keep his people at arms length, but his salvation was all about bringing his people into his family as his adopted children through his eternal Son.

Phase 2 (7-9): Time now (World History)

Jesus blesses his people (6). God’s blessing is found in his beloved Son Jesus Christ, and nowhere else.

Jesus redeems his people (7). Jesus’ blood paid the debt of all his people, buying them back from slavery.

Jesus forgives our sins (7). He releases us, looses us, frees us from the guilt of sin.

Jesus reveals his wisdom (8-9). God lavishes his grace by blessing, redeeming, forgiving, and teaching us.

Phase 3 (10-11): The Eternal Future (Post-History)

We will have a united future (10). When time has reached its end, when it’s full-time for world history, God will unite his divided and separated people together forever.

We will have a rich future (11). God has planned a rich inheritance for us to enjoy that will never lose its value or run out.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Praise God because his purpose is unchangeable. God only has a Plan A. His plan has never changed, is not changing, and will never change. Take security and strength from the unchangeable purpose of God (Col. 1:16; Rom. 11:36).

Praise God for his purpose of grace. His aim is our salvation. His love is available now in Christ. Get to Christ to participate in God’s plan by faith. There we find God’s blessing, redemption, forgiveness, and wisdom.

Praise God that his purpose will be accomplished. Unlike all our purposes and plans, God’s purpose and plan will succeed in every single detail. No one can defeat his plan, thwart his plan, slow his plan. Trust God’s wise plan and good purpose in every area of life so that you can fit your life-story into his bigger story.

PRAISE THE PLANNER BY 
SINGING TO THE SAVIOR

Why does God focus so much on our salvation?
Because it’s the way to display his greatest glory.

2. GOD’S PURPOSE IS HIS GLORY

“…to the praise of his glorious grace” (6). “…so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory” (12).

In the Bible, the word “glory” means literally “heavy” or “weighty”. Glory is something that makes a joyfully weighty impression on others. It leaves people awestruck and amazed. That’s why we speak of “a glorious sunset,” or “a glorious view.” It’s a sight that impresses us with its beauty, power, size, rarity, etc. We are stopped in our tracks and stunned into silence or into praise of the sight or sound. It’s one of those rare moments or experiences that we never forget. We feel fulfilled, completed, satisfied. It’s the peak of human existence, what we sense we were made for.

God’s aim is his glory in our salvation by grace. His ultimate purpose in our salvation is his glory both here on earth and hereafter in heaven. He has designed our salvation in such a way that it results in a joyfully weighty impression sometimes in the present and all the time in the eternal future. As we see his salvation more and more, we see, feel, and experience his beautiful weighty glory more and more, we are stunned into silence and awed into praise more and more. We feel more and more fulfilled completed, and satisfied. We realize this is the peak of being human, it’s what we were made for, it’s what fits who God is and what we are so perfectly. Our salvation is to the praise of his glorious grace and for the praise of his glory (6, 12).

Some have said that God’s pursuit of his glory shows that God is egotistical and selfish. However, although human pursuit of personal glory is always egotistical and selfish, that’s not the case with God’s glory. How so? First, because his glory is the result of our salvation (and so benefitting others), and, second, his glory is the reward of our salvation (and so benefitting others). God has so designed his glory that it is advanced in his being other-centered, and it is seen and displayed in a way that satisfies and completes us.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Be saved to give God’s glory. The most important priority in our lives is to fulfill God’s plan of his glory. Nothing is more vital than that we cooperate with that, support that, and advance that plan. There’s only one way to do that and that’s the salvation we spoke about earlier in this sermon. That’s not a one-off event, but it can grow and increase the more we are saved from sin and to holiness, and the more we understand, appreciate, and communicate our salvation.

Be saved to enjoy God’s glory. Your salvation will give God glory, and that glory of God will satisfy and complete you. Seeing and savoring God’s glory will be your finest moments in life. That’s why worship is so wonderful. When we join our voices in praise of God’s gracious glory and glorious grace, we are operating at our highest human level of existence. It’s what makes us what God intended us to be.

WE ARE SAVED FOR GOD’S GLORY
WE ARE SATISFIED WITH GOD’S GLORY

A NEW CHAPTER

Remind yourself of God’s purpose every day. Keep God’s overall purpose before you in good times and bad, in exciting times and boring times, in making decisions about how to allocate your resources, in moral and relational choices. Go back to the benefits of purpose in Burrows research and feel that in real life as you confidently trust in God’s purpose.

Admire Christ’s embrace of God’s purpose. Jesus believed in God’s purpose, embraced God’s purpose, pursued God’s purpose, loved God’s purpose (Ps. 21: 5-7; Luke. 22:42; John 17). His salvation of sinners brought the greatest possible glory to God and his grace.

Prayer. Glorious God, help me to believe in your purpose, embrace your purpose, pursue your purpose, and love your purpose through your salvation of me and through me.

PDF OF SERMON NOTES