How Do We Live Under Grace?
Sermon
Newcastle, July 7th, 1995
Sydney, November 18th, 1995
Phil Hopwood
Theme Scripture:
Romans 6:15-18
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are
slaves to the one whom you obey -- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to
obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to
be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were
entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (NIV)
INTRODUCTION:
I. AS WE ALL KNOW-THE CHURCH TEACHES THAT WE ARE NOT UNDER THE OLD
COVENANT
A. AND WE HAVE MADE A DRAMATIC REAPPRAISAL OF OUR VIEW OF THE LAWS OF THE OLD COVENANT
B. WE TURN TO MANY VERSES, INCLUDING HEBREWS 8:13; EPHESIANS 2:14; ACTS 15, THE ENTIRE BOOK OF GALATIANS, TO SHOW THAT THE LAWS THAT WERE GIVEN TO MOSES ARE NOT IN FORCE FOR CHRISTIANS
Galatians 3:23-27
23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith
should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might
be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the
supervision of the law.
26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were
baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (NIV)
II. THE QUESTION THAT IS OFTEN ASKED, AND HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY ASKED ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE TIME OF PAUL;
A. MANY FIND IT EASY TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE CANNOT EARN SALVATION BY LAW KEEPING;
B. BUT FEEL THAT THE LAW OF THE OC IS A VITAL AND INDISPENSABLE GUIDE TO RIGHTEOUS LIVING
1. That without the constraint and supervision and clear cut directions and moral boundaries of the laws and commandments of the OC, that people will lapse into permissiveness and a life without constraint or morality
PURPOSE:
A. IF WE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW BUT UNDER GRACE
1. How do we know how we are to live as Christians?
2. Do we have guidelines any more?
a) Or are we completely free from guidelines commands and instruction in how to live- in what is right and what is wrong?
B. START BY MAKING TWO POINTS:
BODY:
I. IF THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHES THAT WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE JURISDICTION OR SUPERVISION OF THE OLD COVENANT
A. WE NEED TO TRUST THAT GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING
B. WE NEED TO PUT OUR OWN FEELINGS OR DESIRES- FOR A SYSTEM OF EXTERNAL CONSTRAINTS , PRECISE RULES AND LEGISLATIVE BOUNDARIES - ASIDE
C. INSTEAD OF DECIDING FOR OURSELVES WHAT WE FEEL IS THE BEST WAY FOR GOD'S NEW COVENANT PEOPLE TO BE TAUGHT WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG,
D. WE NEED TO SEEK HIS HELP IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT HE HAS TO SAY ON THE SUBJECT OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A RIGHTEOUS LIFE FOR A CHRISTIAN
1. And accept that he no longer rules our lives through a precise set of do's and don'ts
SECOND POINT:
II. THERE SHOULD BE NO DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER WE ARE TO DO GOOD WORKS OR NOT:
A. WE ARE;
B. THAT IS WHAT WE TEACH, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY THAT IS WHAT SCRIPTURE TELLS US;
Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 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. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)
C. PLAINLY WE ARE NOT SAVED BY OUR WORKS
D. BUT NOW WE ARE SAVED--BY GRACE ALONE, THROUGH FAITH ALONE, WE ARE NOW GOD'S
WORKMANSHIP; CREATED IN JESUS CHRIST TO DO GOOD WORKS
1. BUT WHAT ARE THOSE GOOD WORKS God has saved us, and recreated us to do?
E. ANOTHER PASSAGE THAT TALKS ABOUT GRACE AND THE NEW LIFE WE ARE TO LIVE IS IN
ROMANS 5 & 6
1. And that is where we will spend almost all of our time today;
III. ROMANS 5:19- 6:18
Romans 5:19-6:18
19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
A. OBVIOUSLY WE CAN ONLY BE FORGIVEN BY GOD'S GRACE
CH 6: 1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
B. PEOPLE ASKED THIS QUESTION BECAUSE IT SEEMED THAT SINCE OUR SALVATION IS ENTIRELY DEPENDENT ON GRACE AND NOT WORKS- THEN IF WE SIN IT DOESN'T MATTER
1. Paul answers boldly
2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.
C. AS BAPTISM PICTURES SO GRAPHICALLY,
1. Our sinful self was buried in Christ's death
2. We were then raised to live a NEW LIFE
 | a) NOT to relive or continue the old sinful life |
v5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin -- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
3. Plainly we are not freed to live as slaves to self, to sin, to our carnal nature, doing our own thing, sinning and disobeying God
| a) That is precisely what we have been RESCUED FROM |
D. BUT AGAIN WE ASK WHAT SORT OF BEHAVIOUR, WHAT STANDARDS ARE WE TO LIVE BY?
v 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
| a) It may not be immediately obvious, but here is the answer as to how we are to
live--what our guidelines are for this life -- (1) -- and what these good works are that we have been created to do b) Freedom from sin is not a one time thing
c) Dying to, and being free from sin is a continuing hallmark of new life with Christ
d) As we live with him
|
v 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
2. We are to count ourselves, figure out the plain fact, and realise that we really have been made dead to sin
| a) Dead to its power, it corrupting influence and it's penalty of death b) We are to count ourselves "alive to God in Christ Jesus"
|
3. Jesus Christ in us, is our LIVE IN GUIDE for righteous living
| a) He fulfils, he supersedes, he replaces, he makes redundant the external, supervisory role of the Old Covenant law |
Galatians 3:23-27
| 23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith
should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be
justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of
the law. 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who
were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (NIV) b) This way of the spirit and faith in Jesus Christ as our Supervisor, and guide, our Lord and Master- is far superior to the incomplete and ineffective temporary legal system of the Old Covenant c) What would you rather be clotheed in Jesus Christ or clothed in the OC law (a) [-that system served more to reveal unrighteousness than true righteousness which is from the heart and not just a matter of external do's and don'ts and ritualistic observances] d) Plainly, under the New Covenant-Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are our guide as to the will and the righteous way God has for us to live v12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. |
4. Because of the great sacrifice it took to make us righteous-we should willingly, out of gratitude and love-offer our whole being to Christ for him to use as an instrument of righteousness
| a) We should no longer obey, or as the Greek implies, not heed or listen to our carnal
desires [Everett Harrison in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, says; The word "obey" has as its root idea "listening" or "heeding." If the body is kept mortified, it will have no ear for the subtle suggestions of evil .] |
5. Vse 13: We are to offer our lives to God, "as instruments of righteousness"
| a) This implies that we are to be instruments of God, to be used by Him in His work
Romans 12:1-2 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual {Or reasonable} act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)
|
back to Romans 6:
| v 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. |
6. We are not to be servants, instruments, weapons or soldiers of sin,
| a) We are to surrender ourselves to be God's servants, His instruments b) Why? - vse 14: "because we are not under law but under grace"
c) Famous British theologian, John Stott, says of this verse;
d) If we are under the law, we are mastered, condemned and taken over by sin
v15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! |
7. Paul again makes it very plain that "we are not under the law"
| a) And he again asks; Now that law no longer condemns us as guilty, and now it has
ceased its role as supervisor and guide to what is right an wrong b) Now we are freed from having to obtain righteousness through obeying the OC law c) Shall we now live as we please? |
E. EVERETT HARRISON HAS SOME HELPFUL COMMENTS AS WELL, THAT FIT IN WITH OUR ORIGINAL QUESTION;
1. How are we to live now that we are freed from the supervision of OC law by grace?
| Paul has just affirmed, "You are not under the law." He goes on to show that this does not mean we are free from the demands of righteousness. It would be strange and contradictory if those who are under grace should evidence a manner of life inferior to the standard held by those who are under law. As a matter of fact, the believer must face the fact that his salvation actually means a change of bondage. As he once served sin, he is now committed to a life of practical righteousness. ...Now the question is "Shall we sin [in any given case, or sin at all] because we are not under the law but under grace?" Law is supposed to be a restraining influence. If one moves our from under that umbrella, will he not be exposing himself to the danger of committing sin even more than in his previous situation? |
2. This is a question that many ask.
| a) Harrison continues; In answer, Paul appeals first of all to a fact familiar to all-namely, that whatever one submits to becomes his master. ... To commit sin, then, puts one in bondage to sin, and sequel is death. The other option is a life of obedience resulting in righteousness. Paul is happy to acknowledge that his readers have renounced the service of sin and are now wholeheartedly obeying Christian teaching (v17). |
F. LET'S READ WHAT PAUL SAYS IN VERSE 16, 17 AND 18, THEN COME BACK TO MAKE MORE CLEAR THE ANSWER TO OUR QUESTION;
1. How are we to know the way we are to live now we are under grace and not under the law?
| v16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you
are slaves to the one whom you obey -- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to
death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though
you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you
were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to
righteousness. (NIV)
|
IV. WHAT IS THE "TEACHING" OF ROMANS 6:17 THAT WE ARE TO OBEY?
1. Everett Harrison continues on where we were reading before to answer that;
| By virtue of becoming Christians, the believers had obligated themselves to obey what we might call the law of Christ (Gal 6:2). Even though he had not founded the Roman church, Paul was confident that those who had preached the gospel there and taught the converts had reproduced the characteristic teaching that had been standard from the beginning (Acts 2:42) |
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (NIV)
| Just as the gospel had certain ingredients, so the teaching relating to the life of the believer was expected to live was standard throughout the Church. ...The teaching of Jesus and the apostles, especially in terms of the demands of discipleship, the ethical requirements of the faith, and the principles that must guide believers in their relations one to an other and to the world became in time so definite and fixed that one could go from one area of the church to another and find the same general pattern. The law was a fixed, general entity with precepts and prohibitions. Grace has its norms also. The term that most adequately describes the standard Christian instruction is "righteousness." |
[As we read in the following verse of Romans 6: (verse)
| 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. ] ...To be set free from obligation to serve sin means entrance upon the service of righteousness. There is no middle ground, no place in Christian experience where one is free to set his own standards and go his own way. ...To be free from the bondage of sin is a great boon in itself. But life cannot be lived in a vacuum. Service to righteousness means positive achievement that adds meaning to life. |
B. BRETHREN WE ARE NOT WITHOUT GUIDANCE IN GOD'S WAY OF RIGHTEOUS LIVING;
C. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN AND ARE TO DEVOTE OURSELVES TO FOLLOWING THE LIFE AND THE TEACHING OF JESUS CHRIST
1. The teaching contained within the New Testament
2. The inspired and preserved writings and teachings of Christ and those He appointed to lead His Church
| a) These teachings then interpret the teachings of the entire Old Testament, and shows how it is to be viewed, and how it is to be interpreted and applied for Christians who no longer under the Old but are under the New Covenant |
3. The life of Christ, His teachings, as well as the inspired teaching of the apostles, and His living in us through the Spirit all direct us in a righteousness that takes over from and exceeds that of the OC law.
| a) Such teachings as found in the Sermon on the Mount, and the fruits of the spirit of Galatians -- reveal a way of life and a standard of morality which far surpasses that of the Old Covenant |
D. THE WILL OF GOD, THE MIND OF GOD THE WAY OF GOD, THE ETERNAL MORAL LAW OF GOD IS SUMMED UP IN ONE WORD
1. LOVE
| 1 John 4:7-12 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (NIV) |
2. Love, not Old Covenant law is the key to living as God lives
E. THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD WE HAVE PLAIN DIRECTION IN THE WAY OF JESUS CHRIST, THE WAY OF THE FATHER, THE WAY OF LOVE
1. This the way we are to live under grace, free from being under the law, and free from sin
V. OPTIONAL QUOTE:
A. JERRY BRIDGES, TRANSFORMING GRACE--LIVING CONFIDENTLY IN GOD'S UNFAILING LOVE
| Paul realized his unqualified presentation of the Gospel of God left him open to being
misunderstood. Paul himself knew that his insistence on the pure grace of God without any
admixture of commitment or discipline or obedience on our part could cause us to
misunderstand him. He knew his readers could respond with this attitude: "Well, if
that's true, let's go out and sin all we want. The more we sin, the more we cause God's
grace to abound." This type of response is always a possibility. In fact, if our concept of grace does not expose us to that possible misunderstanding, then we do not thoroughly understand grace. I believe it is because we are afraid of this attitude that we often change the doctrine of grace into a doctrine of works. ...And just as the preaching of justification by grace is open to misunderstanding, so is the teaching of living by grace. The solution to this problem is not to add legalism to grace. Rather, the solution is to be so gripped by the magnificence and boundless generosity of God's grace that we respond out of gratitude rather than out of a sense of duty. ...I firmly believe in and seek to practice commitment, discipline, and obedience. I am thoroughly committed to submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of my life. ...I am committed to seek to act in love toward everyone. But I am committed in these areas out of a grateful response to God's grace, not to try to earn God's blessings. a) Recommend Jerry Bridges books; Transforming Grace and The Discipline of Grace.
|
CONCLUSION:
A. EVEN THOUGH WE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW BUT UNDER GRACE- WE ARE NOT AT SEA, WE ARE NOT WITHOUT DIRECTION, WE ARE NOT WITHOUT INSTRUCTION
1. Christ and those He appointed as the leaders of the early Church, have left us a clear set of teachings
2. We are called to do good works-to obey from our heart-the teaching that has been entrusted to us
3. We are to live the way of Jesus Christ
| a) He is the ultimate expression of the will of God for our life John 14:6-7 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (NIV) |
4. The Old Covenant law failed to bring true righteousness-- and it has been superseded
5. Let us put our complete faith in Jesus Christ and rely on Him, and him alone to lead us in the way and
the truth and the life
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Everett F. Harrison, Romans, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, Frank Gaebelein, General
Editor., 1981, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, p.71-72
John R.W. Stott, The Message of Romans, 1994, Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester, England. p.181
Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace--Living Confidently in God's Unfailing Love, 1991, NAVPress, Colorado Springs, Colorado, p. 74-75