United With
Christ
Rom. 6:1-14
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that
grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How
shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know
that as many of us as were
baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we
were buried with Him
through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we
have been united together in
the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness
of His resurrection, 6 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 of sin. 7 For he who has died has been
freed from sin. 8 Now if we
died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9
knowing that Christ, having been
raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over
Him. 10 For the death
that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives,
He lives to God. 11 Likewise
you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God
in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in
your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And
do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin,
but present yourselves to
God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for
you are not under law but under grace. NKJV
Introduction
One who is United With Christ will, have New Directives, and a New
Life, caused
through their New Master; who gives a New Lifestyle. The Bible does say
all things become
new. What a joy to know Christ provides this kind of relationship.
1. United with
Christ Through . . New Directives. 6:1-3
A. New Directives of . . Abounding Grace. 6:1
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may
abound?
Illustration The new directive Christ gives includes
abounding in grace.
Donald Grey Barnhouse expressed it something like this, "my experience
with grace has not been
falling from grace but falling into more grace as I try to live for
Christ."
We certain do not want to abuse the grace of God by
Deliberately sinning, but when we sin His
grace does abound.
B. New Directives of . . Absolutes. 6:2
2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Illustration From Ronnie Dunn
Man Left Water on in Bath Tub Got Home and Tried to Mop up the Water.
He Did Not Turn off
the Faucet.
Got a Different Mop Etc. Finally Turned off the
Faucet and Began to Have Success.
God Destroys the Factory that produces Sin. Product No Longer Produced
God Did Not Fix the Old Nature. He Gave a New One.
God Does Not Want Us Reformed He Wants Us Dead
God Did Not Pour New into an Old Product.
C. New Directives of . . Awareness. 6:3
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ
Jesus were baptized
into His death?
Some say no absolute exist, but they do not know what
Christ provides, and we have a new
directive of absolutes through Christ.
Now all of the above makes the new directive of awareness.
We must not be unaware of the blessing given to us in
Christ.
Too few Christians really understand all Christ gives as
they become United With Christ.
2. United with Christ Through A . . New Life. 6:4-7
A. New Life . . Symbolized in Baptism. 6:4
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that
just as Christ was
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should
walk in newness of life.
B. New Life . . Substantiated in the Resurrection.
6:5
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death,
certainly we also shall
be in the likeness of His resurrection,
C. New Life . . Secured in the Crucifixion. 6:6-7
6 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 of sin. 7 For he who
has died has been freed
from sin. Our new life in Christ in symbolized, substantiated, and
secured.
It is symbolized in the act of Baptism.
Some Denominations make light of baptism, Some Make Too
Much Of Baptism.
The immersion of a believer symbolizes the new life in
Christ.
We symbolize the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
It also symbolizes our death to the old live and the new
live Christ gives. New life receives its
substantiation through the resurrection of Christ, and it is further
secured through the death of
Christ, and our consequent crucifying of the old life.
3. United with
Christ Through A . . New Master. 6:8-11
A. The . . Provision of Our New Master. 6:8
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
Him,
B. The . . Prevailing of Our New Master. 6:9
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.
Death no longer
has dominion over Him.
C. The . . Partnership with Our New Master. 6:10-11
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the
life that He lives, He lives to
God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin,
but alive to God in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
In our New Master we have provisions, prevailing, and
partnership.
We are provided this new life only through our new master.
Through Him we can prevail over Satan and death, and in
this relationship we enjoy a type of
partnership with Christ.
Death, Sin, and Satan do not rule over JESUS or anyone United With Christ, and received HIM As Their New Master.
4. United with
Christ Through A . . New Lifestyle. 6:12-14
A. The . . Reigning in Our New Lifestyle. 6:12-13 a
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should
obey it in its lusts.
13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to
sin, but present
yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of
righteousness to God.
DO NOT CONSTANTLY PRESENT
Your Body To Sin. V 13a
And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to
sin,. . ."
Romans 6:12
We can take the following steps:
(1) Identify our personal weaknesses,
(2) recognize the things that tempt us,
(3) stay away from sources of temptation,
(4) practice self-restraint,
(5) consciously invest our time in good habits
(6) lean on God's strength and grace.
(from Life Application Study Bible
Copyright Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Illustration
Weather Forcast For Christians: Reign Everyday
B. The . . Righteousness in Our New Lifestyle.
6:13b-14
". . . as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness to
God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under
law but under grace.
Of course our relationship with Christ produces a new
lifestyle.
The reigning of this lifestyle does not submit to sin and
Satan.
We reign with Christ's control. The righteousness this
lifestyle makes causes our life to be a
weapon for righteousness.
All of this portrays the truth that we are products of His
grace. Amen? Amen!
United With Christ
Through . . New Directives.
6:1-3
Through A . . New Life. 6:4-7
Through A . . New Master.
6:8-11
Through A . . New Lifestyle. 6:12-14