Romans | Lecture 14 : BC303-Rom-20260922

Okay, welcome back after the break. Um, so we were studying Romans chapter 6 and we came up to verse um 6. Okay, Romans chapter 6 where he talks about the old man versus the he's talking about old man but we are also looking at uh the difference between the old man and the new man. Okay. So, we were talking about how when we are born again, we have the life and the nature of Jesus Christ in us. Okay. And the sinful nature no longer rules in our spirit. But you know, however, our mind still needs to be renewed so that we can learn to think according to God's truth. Okay? So our mind and our soul that is our bodies our will uh and our im our our our um sorry our mind our soul and our bodies need to be brought under the control of the new man that is operating in our spirit. Okay, that is why at times you will hear your spirit saying something which will be contrary to what your flesh is craving, desiring or calling out or crying out. Okay. So the body may still want to behave according to the old way of life. Your mind may want to think according to the old way of life. Your emotions, your will will be aligned to your old way of life. But we must be retrained. Okay, we need to retrain ourselves to live according to the new man or the new nature. Okay, now Paul explains how this is to be done in the rest of Romans 6. Okay, so the important truth to understand is this. In our spirit, we have the new man through Jesus Christ. Okay, now let's look at verse six. Can somebody read verse six, please? Knowing this, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. >> Amen. So, what does Paul mean by the body of sin? Now, the word body is used differently in the New Testament. In some places, body can mean what? In the New Testament, what does it mean? and actual physical bodies. What else it can mean? >> Huh? >> Person. Okay. So, some total or the measure of the entire person or something. Body also can mean what? Body of Christ. What is the body of Christ? Referring to the church or all believers as one body. So in this verse the body of sin refers to the totality or the full measure of sin and its power. Okay. And it says that the body of sin might be done away with. That means the totality the full measure of sin and its power can be done away with. So through our identification with Christ in his death the power of sin has been broken. so that we are no longer slaves to sin. Amen. Now, this is a powerful truth that Paul is teaching us in verse six. Because our old man was crucified with Christ and we no longer are under the dominion or the power of sin and our old man was crucified with Christ and the power of sin over our lives has been broken. Amen. Verse seven. Can somebody read verse seven? For he who has died has been freed from sin. >> For he who has died has been freed from sin. So what is Paul uh trying to say here? Now think of this in the natural. For example, a person you know kept drinking a lot of alcohol and that person died. Okay. So when he dies he's no longer able to respond to the demand of sin. Right? Even around his coffin, if you keep the world's best alcohol, he's not going to get up and drink it. Okay? A dead person cannot get up and he cannot continue drinking or committing sin. So Paul uses this picture to help us to identify or understand that the one who has died with Christ is freed from the dominion or power of sin. So once you are a believer that means you are dead in Christ you identify spiritually with his death and that means you are also free from the sin or of sorry you are free from the dominion or the power of sin. So what Paul is saying in verses 6 and 7 is that our old man was crucified with Christ. Amen. And the power of sin over our lives was broken. Therefore, we are no longer slaves to sin. Now, although Christ died on the cross many years ago, this spiritual reality of his death is ours today because we are united with him. And the truth that we are dead to sin and crucified with Christ and freed from the dominion of sin is the spiritual reality that we need to walk in today. Amen. So we can therefore we can say or we need to tell ourselves or make these declarations for ourselves that my old man was crucified with Christ that the power of sin over my life has been broken and these are important declarations that we need to make over our own lives and reiterate these truths in our own lives. Okay, that my old man was crucified with sin. The power of sin over my life has been broken. I'm no longer a slave to sin and I am dead to sin and free from its dominion. Amen. So these truths are ours in Christ Jesus and we must learn to live according to them. Amen. Now the devil may try to make us think that we are still under the control of sin. But Paul wants us to know what happened to us through our union with Christ. Okay. When we understand this truth, we can resist the lie that sin still has authority over us or that we must continue living as its slaves. And some of us think that ways, right? I can't overcome this sin. I'm a slave to this uh sin. Okay. Or this sin still has authority over our lives. But if once we understand this truth or this understand our union with Christ and what has happened as a result of that union with Christ that we are dead to sin that sin no longer has a dominion over us and that we have been crucified with Christ and the power of sin has been broken. Then this freedom that we receive enables us or this knowledge enables us to live in this truth and to walk in this truth. Amen. >> Okay. All of you with me? >> Yes. >> Okay. Any questions so far? Yes. >> Uh ma'am, as we know that uh if we sin knowingly >> and the word says that we are no longer slaves to sin. So uh if we keep on s sinning knowingly is it uh God will forgive us. So how? >> Oh so you Romans I think Romans chapter 4 or Romans chapter 6 says if you knowingly keep on sinning then we are treating the blood of a the covenant as an worthless thing and there is no more forgiveness of sins left but only a terrible judgment. See, so that means what? We know the truth. We know this is sin. And what are we doing when we do that? We are trampling the blood of the covenant underneath our feet. That means we're taking it very lightly for granted. And it says there is no more forgiveness of sins, but only a fearful punishment. See, so I we but that that chapter in Romans chapter 6 does not tell us what is that sins. But let us be careful. Okay. Any other questions? Yes. Yes. Who's selling the next question? >> Okay. That is ro Hebrews 10:26 and 27 says, "If you sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there is no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment. Hebrews 10:26 and 27. >> Huh? Then when we repent of our sins, God is faithful and just. He will forgive us of all our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Sorry >> ma'am. How long this is available? Is this grace or this is forgiveness that is going to give to us? >> Sorry, can you say that again? >> How long this is going to happen? Is is the grace which is sufficient for us or is the is going to help us? >> Not how long. I don't think there's a question of how long. The thing is once you have tasted and you have known um you know and experienced this thing and you continue in sin there is there's no grace. If you have tasted and uh experienced salvation then you would not take that grace for granted. See you will not taste that great grace for granted. >> Yes, I understand ma'am. But on certain places we fall into sin. We confess, we fall. We confess, we fall. And uh sometimes we feel mad. What? What is this happening? I'm keep sinning. But uh uh I'm not able to overcome that. In that case >> you do not say I'm not able to overcome that because you are already dead to sin. That is a truth. So the more you keep telling yourself I'm not able to overcome that you are believing the lies of the enemy. That's the lies of the enemy. What is your spiritual identification that you are dead to sin the power of sin no the dominion of sin no longer has any control over you. You have to exercise that. So you cannot keep saying I cannot overcome that. That is what Paul is trying to say. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Just a question uh pastor uh from what brother just mentioned. You know >> I know grace is sufficient but if a person keeps sinning and he's ignorant of the word I mean will there be >> a person keeps sinning in the sense of you mean a believer keeps sinning? >> Yes. A believer keeps sinning and then is ignorant of the word. I mean he's not been thought of the word. um he doesn't he doesn't know the word you know in a deeper way like we are studying today. So does that mean there is no grace for that person? What is the answer? What did we study in Romans chapter 1 and chapter 2? Jews have the what do the Jews have law. What do the Gentiles have >> conscience? your inbuilt law. What is the inbuilt law? Your conscience. Your conscience will tell you that what you are doing is wrong. And if you're a believer, you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ. If you can't read the word of God, you have the Holy Spirit who leads you, who guides you, who tells you, and you know what is right and what is wrong. Right. Yeah. >> Thank you, pastor. >> Yeah. I just threw this question there, you know. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No worries. I think it's very important. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Let's continue. Some good questions. See, that is where we need to understand. That's why Paul is so from the from the beginning he's going, right? And he's telling us all of that's why I said this is even if nobody reads any other book in the Bible they will know about uh sin the gospel of Jesus Christ the truth who for identification all of that is very powerfully presented here okay yeah >> ma'am I have a question >> yes >> yeah say u I'm working in an organization Mhm. Okay. Uh but my bosses always ask me to uh add up numbers uh when we submitted for the clinical registrations. It's a fake numbers actually and uh head count also fake in both the ways of paramedical staffs as well as doctors also. uh is that I by uh sometimes I disagree, sometimes I have to do it because I have to just obey him. Sometimes I say we have to obey the boss. So I mug up the numbers and submit it for the registration. So is am I right or am I wrong according to the scripture where I am? Am I going on the right path or wrong path? >> What do you all think? What do you all think? Right or wrong? I'm going to be honest, pastor. It's wrong. >> Yes, it's a lie. And God hates lies. The word of God says God hates lies. He detests lies. And who is the father of lies? Satan. He's the father of all lies. So that means we are just doing what he wants us to do. I know it's in it's it's being in a difficult place but I think you can tell your boss that you know you can tell your boss I don't I cannot do this this is it's it's um it's not morally right and it's not ethically right morally and ethically right and I don't want to do this which is not morally and ethically right and it's against my principles against my um my belief system and um according to what my scripture teaches is me. So you could have somebody else who can do just this part you know and you can they can submit it to you and you can son but you know is it okay going forward I don't do this I will do the rest of my work you know and I would like to do it with honesty and integrity but um you know this if you want you can give it to somebody else but you can also say that you know it's also in a good place where God has put you can tell your boss why not be honest and see How God turns around and you know works things for us. You know how he still in spite of our on God in our honest when we are honest he can still bless us you know because blessing and honor and good name uh comes from God you know and no one can stop that. Maybe the higher authorities can pull you up but you can say you can work you're working towards it and God can bring in more people and staff and you know help you to grow in your establishment but you can say if you continue to live lies and talk lies you know the blessings don't come in in not only in the the workplace even it affects our personal life. I think you can tell him that and you can ask >> I've been fighting for it and uh I I carry the struggles not only just in uh part of admin but in the credit management also uh I'm unable to take decisions whether I need to continue or whether I keep fighting with them. I think you can ask God to open doors of opportunities elsewhere where you can you know uh you can yeah God will open doors. He understands he will give you another job. Yes. >> Thank you ma'am. Please pray for me. >> Yeah sure. Thank you Lord. So inerson students can also pray in your Friday prayers. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. There's a ch struggles of the workplace. Very true. It's something that we all fight for. I know my sister also works in the multinational and she's very bold in her u moral and ethical values. She doesn't see whether it is the CEO of the company or anyone. She just outrightly says this is this is not what I do. This is not what I believe. This is what I can't do. This is not right. She will speak up. She will write up. She will fight. And I think God has uh established her in that place. No one can move her. No one can do anything, you know, because what she's saying is right and she has it all documented. Nobody can nobody can um touch somebody who does what is right. If you're wrong, they can pull you up and put you in, you know, uh, reprimand you and take you into custody and, you know, give you up to the police and things like that. But when you stand for the right, I think no one can even deny that because right is right. What can they say, right? Yeah. I know it's difficult. We'll pray. Yeah. Okay, let's move on. So go maybe you can just declare the truths in God's word and you know declare boldness and courage like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and say God you brought me to this place maybe for a specific reason. God has raised you up as a priest there. Say God I want you to bring in your kingdom principles, your kingdom values, your kingdom rule, your kingdom authority. Just move through this place, you know, and God can do it. There's nothing that he can't. Amen. Okay, let's move on. Verses 6 to 10, please. Can somebody read that? >> 6 8 to 10, dear. Sorry. 8 to 10. Now, if we die with Christ, we believe that we we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was uh raised from the dead, uh he can he cannot die again. Death. no longer has uh mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all. But the life he lives, he lives to God. Amen. Thank you. So verse eight, Christ died and rose again. And the story does not end with just crucifixion. If we believe, we have been united together with him in his death. uh you know Paul has already told us that you know um before in verses four and five that we also believe we have united together with him in his burial right we not only identified together with him in his death but also his burial and hence we believe we also have been united to him with him in uh together with him in his resurrection and we live with him that is truths that he's already presented in verse four and five and Paul says says the rest of it is also true. When Christ was raised up from the dead, death has no longer control over him. Okay? In the same way, these past things we have put behind have no more control over us. Just as death has no control over Christ, the same way the past things, our past sinful nature, past sinful deeds have that we have put behind has no control over us. So what does that mean? Verse four, we know that you know just as Christ was raised back from life by the glory of the father, we have to walk in newness of life. In the same way to be resurrected with Christ means that we are raised up to walk in the newness of life. Amen. So even as we are Christ died we are we died he was buried we are also buried he resurrected that means we also are resurrected or we are raised up to walk in the newness of life. Amen. So when Christ was buried we were also buried. What does that mean? It means an end to the old life. The old does not have anymore any claims over us as a person. Okay. Now, for example, a man with a huge debt. Okay. Borrow lot of money, couldn't pay it, he dies. Maybe he's so stressed out he dies of a heart attack. He's dead. And they bury him. Now the world has no more claims over him. They can't come to his grave and say hey wake up repay us right or if they have put court cases against him no one can come and stick the some summon of the court notice on his grave right and tell him wake up attend the court case it's over okay being buried signifies a complete transition right so a release from the old so we are completely free from the old. Amen. The old has no longer, you're able to understand, right, through these uh examples I'm giving you. We're completely free from the old. The old has no longer claims over us. So Paul is saying when Christ was buried, we were buried with him and the old life has no claims on us. So he says in the same way, we are raised from the dead just like Christ so that we can walk in newness of life. So resurrection means newness of life. Okay. So let's just look at how do we identify spiritually with Christ's death? How do we identify spiritually with his burial? How do we identify spiritually with his resurrection? How do we identify spiritually with his ascension and him being seated? And how do we identify with us being seated at the right hand of the father? So what when Christ died, we died with him. That means the old sinful nature. the our old man was crucified with him. Romans 6:6. We no longer have the sinful nature inside us. We are now partakers of the divine nature. How do we know that? Second Peter 1:E4. Okay. Says that we are partakers of the divine nature. Second Peter 1:4. And the power of sin over our lives has been broken. We are no longer slaves of sin. Romans chapter 6 verse14. So this is what it means that we spiritually identify with Christ's death, his crucifixion. Now how do we spiritually identify with his burial? When Christ was buried, spiritually we are also buried. That means we are separated from the old life. The old has gone. The new has come. We are a new creation. And the old has no longer claims over any part of us. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse1 17. Now how do we identify with Christ's resurrection? When Christ was resurrected, we also were raised up in him. Ephesians chapter 2:5. This means that we are brought from death to life. spiritual death. We are brought back to spiritual life from the p we are brought out from the power of Satan into God. Uh we read this in Colossians chapter 1 verse 13. And now we walk in the new life in the kingdom of God. Okay. So we have a new way of living and the power of darkness has no hold on us. Amen. How do we spiritually identify with his ascension? When Christ ascended, we ascended with him. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 6 also Colossians chapter 3:es 1:3. So we therefore set our affections on things above. So what does it mean that we ascended with Christ? How do we identify spiritually? That means we also ascended with Christ. That means we set our affections on things above. Our desires should be things of the kingdom, heavenly kingdom. Then we live with a renewed mind. We take on the thoughts and the ways of God and we see life from heaven's perspective. We see everything in the natural from kingdom perspective. Okay. And our life is hidden with Christ in God. So that what means to spiritually identify with his ascension. How do we spiritually identify with his sitting? When Christ was seated on the throne at the right hand of the father, we are also made to sit at the same place in a place of highest authority. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 6. We are seated in a place of authority and dominion in Christ Jesus with Satan and all his demonic forces underneath our feet. That means we have authority over Satan and all of his demonic forces. Amen. Okay. So, eternal life does not start in heaven. It begins or starts when we are born again. So, because all this is applied to us in an instant, you know, we receive all this as our spiritual inheritance the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. So right now we are already living and walking in this eternal life in this identification or the spiritual truth or the spiritual identification that is ours. So the life of God is in us. Amen. And we now uh know that some part of that is you know is is something that we can see it here. We can realize it here. But the complete fullness of life we will experience when we see him face to face. Okay. So that is what it means uh you know experiencing the eternal life. Now coming to verses um 9 to 10. We read that right 9 to 10. Can you read it again? Verses 9 and verse 10 please. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead he cannot die again. Death no longer has a mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all. But he but the life he lives, he lives to God. >> Okay? So what uh Christ died for, he died for once and for all. It's finished. The work is completed. Okay? death no longer has dominion over him, over Christ, and will always remain under him. Okay? So he's in verse 10, he's pointing to Jesus. He says, "Look at Jesus. He died to sin once for all and he lives and he's alive and he lives to God." In the same way, he says we should all we are also should consider ourselves dead to sin once and for all. and the life that we are now alive in Christ and we have to live for God. Amen. Okay. And then in verses 11 onwards 11 to 14 he talks about five action points to live free from sin. Okay. So before we look verses 11 to 14 any questions any doubts? Okay, let's move to verses 11 to 14. Please, can somebody read that? In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin regain in your m mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not off do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourself to God as those who have 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 your master because you are not under the law but under grace. >> Amen. Thank you. Then he begins verse 11. He says likewise. So now there is a connection what he said in verse 10 and what he's going to tell us now. So he's saying likewise in the same manner. Okay. Jesus died once and he's alive to God. That means he's fully consecrated dedicated to the father. Hence he's saying we too need to live in the same way. Okay. So the truth about our identification is a p that baptism that we bapt we are baptized into his death burial and all that is a powerful spiritual reality and a positional truth that we have and it should not just remain like this but something that we need to experience. So Paul is saying yes this is our identification this is powerful spiritual truth. It should not just remain as a truth but it should something become something that is more like an experience and a reality in our lives. Okay. So he says we must work with God for it to become an experiential reality. So we need to work with God so that whatever these truths are stating it becomes a reality in your life and in our life in my life. Okay. So we need to work it out. we need to walk in it and in our everyday life. So it's a process and in the rest of chapter six and you know up to chapter 8 he's talking about these practical actions that we need to take as believers to live a life victorious from sin because Paul knows you know by saying that we are dead to sin he still knows that we struggle with sin right so he's giving us some action points uh how to make these truths a reality in our lives so Paul presents five actions that we must take uh to live free from sin or he says as the truth of our identification is lived out like this. Okay. Verse 11, what does he say? Reckon yourselves. Okay. Verse 12, he says, "Do not let sin reign." Verse 13, he says, "Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness." Verse 13 again he says present yourselves to God and verse the another part of verse 13 he says present your members as instruments of righteousness. So five actions that we need to take. Okay. Now at this point we may seem that know taking these five actions is very difficult but Paul explains later about this in chapter 8 as well and he says we can even though that seems difficult we can do it how how can we do it with the help of the Holy Spirit. So it's not by our own efforts that we are able to live these out but the spirit of God would empower us. Okay. So verse 13, he says, "For if you live according to the flesh," Romans 8:13, look at Romans 8:13. What does it say? Can somebody read that loudly? Romans chapter 8 verse 13. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if the if by the spirit you put you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. >> So how can you put to death the misdeeds of the body? How? >> By the Holy Spirit. And what will happen when you do that? You will live. Look at what Galatians 5:16 says. Walk in the spirit and you shall not gratify or fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Okay. So, let's look at the first action point. What is the first action point? He says, "Reckon yourself." Verse 11. What does it mean reckon yourself? He says consider yourself. So the Greek word for reckon is an accounting word. Okay. So I'll give you an example. Example, say a man has 10 notes each worth 10 rupees. 10 notes each worth 10 rupees. However he counts, whichever way he counts, how much will it amount to? 10 10 rupees note will amount to how much? 100. 100. Yes. So in whatever way he counts it'll amount to the same thing. It'll account to 100 rupees. It cannot be disputed and cannot in any way be questioned. Right? Can't say hey these 10 10 rupees notes cannot amount to 100. You cannot be questioned or disputed. So he says in the same way you reckon yourself. That means you count it as a fact. You take this as a fact. That what is a fact? Consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God. Amen. You need to consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God. So like Christ, he died to sin once for all. But the life he lives, he lives to God. So the Greek word for reckon that Paul uses here is a word we have also seen before in chapter 4 okay which translated accounted counted imputed it simply means to put into one's account or put down into one's account. So when something is put into your account it is there and it is you can take it and it is for you to use. So he's saying count it as a fact. What should you count it as a fact? What should you count as a fact? Where you're dead to sin and alive to God. Amen. So you need to take that as a fact and keep telling yourself if you can't overcome some sin, you find very difficult. You have to say, "Hey, I'm dead to sin and alive to God." Okay? So as believers, you must say, "I am dead to sin once for all and I'm alive to God." Okay? So it means I once and for all embrace it. I accept it. I reckon it. I consider it. I take it as a fact that I'm dead to sin and alive to God. Which means I have nothing to do with sin. Amen. >> And I have everything to do with God. So we are alive to God, open in connection, in relationship with God. And now we live and move and have our being with him or in him. Amen. So we must embrace this truth, accept it as a fact, announce it and declare that we are dead to sin and that we are dead to sin in that we have nothing to do with sin. Amen. What is the second thing? Second action point. >> Do not let sin re. Okay. Do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies that you should obey its lust. So when I'm done with sin because I'm dead to sin and annihil myself as someone that sin does not reign in my body. So therefore do not let sin reign in your b mortal body. That means I refuse to give sin and any place in my body. Why am I dead to sin and alive to God? So sin has no place in my life. So hence the believer becomes intolerant to sin. Okay. So God has set us uh uh set our will free from the power of sin when we were cru when our old man was crucified you know um and we identify with Christ's crucifixion you know the body of sin is already destroyed and our in our spirit it is our spirit man is born again and is free from the power of sin okay but still sin still continues to reign in our mortal bodies, in our flesh, in our bodies, wanting to obey its lust. But however, we can and do have a choice, you know, to prevent sin from ruling over the desires in our natural bodies. Amen. We have the power, okay? Because we will we can let we we do not let sin re in our mortal body. So we can make this bold declaration that sin has no place in me. Sin will not rule over uh my natural appetites, my desires, my affections and sin will not rule over my mortal body. Can we say that if you really mean it? Sin has no place in me. >> Sin will not rule over my natural appetites. desires and affections >> and sin will not reign over my mortal body. >> I think I'll stop here because I can see everything going over your head. I'll just stop here. Okay. Any questions? Any doubts? Okay. No questions, no doubts. Okay? If not, we'll end class and I will meet you next week. Thank you everyone. I hope you enjoyed today's class. Not just enjoyed it. I hope you make these powerful truths uh a reality in your life. Walk in the newness of life. Declare it, believe it, uh reckon it for yourselves, count it as a fact, and live in it. Amen. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you, ma'am. >> Thank you. I'll see you next week. Thank you.