Death to Sin, Life With Christ

No, but first of all, when we look at Jesus Christ's responsibilities, first of all, it was Jesus Christ actually who brought the Egyptians out of slavery. It was the God being that became Jesus Christ. It was the Word. He's the one that brought the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.

He was the one that brought them out of the burdens that they were going through. It was He who led them out. He was the one that was there, the pillar of the cloud by day, so that there wouldn't be too much sunlight in the desert that would overwhelm His people. And He was the pillar of fire by night, where they could see and have some warmth. It was Jesus Christ. Let's take a look at that in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 1. And just as it was Jesus Christ who saved Israel from slavery, it's Jesus Christ who is saving us from spiritual bondage. It is Jesus that's leading us out of spiritual Egypt today.

Let's notice 1 Corinthians 10, verse 1. 1 Corinthians 10, verse 1. It says, Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant how that all of our fathers were under the cloud, and they all passed through the sea. Later referenced as a baptism, in a sense.

And all were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. And they did all eat the same spiritual meat, and they all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, or accompanied them, or went with them, and that rock was Christ. It was Jesus Christ that was with them, that accompanied them. It's not well known. God's revealed that to us. And so many striking parallels of a spiritual nature, freed from slavery, the Egyptians were freed from slavery, we are freed from the slavery of sin by Jesus Christ.

The same God being the Word, baptized in a sense in the Red Sea. We go through a baptism, and then we begin, in a sense, our wilderness experience, on the way to the Promised Land, just as we are headed towards the Kingdom of God. A time of testing, sometimes.

And then, of course, the parallel there in Egypt with Pharaoh, we have a spiritual Pharaoh that we deal with, Satan the Devil, that's trying to enslave us. There's so many parallels that we can look at when we talk about this. Well, let's notice we're in Exodus. Let's go to Exodus 6 and verse 5. And we'll see what Christ was willing to do for the Israelites to get them out, and where He was going to lead them. Exodus 6 and verse number 5. He says, I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel. I've heard their groaning, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.

I remembered my promise that I made to their ancestors, that I was going to bring them to a good land. Because we had a relationship, we had an agreement, and I told Abraham that his descendants were going to come to a wonderful Promised Land. He says, I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore, say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you.

I'm going to buy you back. And I'm going to do it with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments. And He did with great judgments, didn't He? And I'm going to take you into my bosom. I'm going to take you to me, for a people. And I'm going to be to you, a God. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God, which brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I am going to bring you to a land.

It's a Promised Land. This is the type of Master we serve. You know, the Egyptian Masters were very different. You know, in a sense, we're going to have to serve someone. We can't serve two Masters. We will eventually serve only one Master. In a sense, we have to ask ourselves, who do we want to serve? Who do we want to be enslaved to? Because we're going to serve a Master. What type of Master do we want to serve? This Master says in verse 8, and I'm going to bring you into the land.

He's referring to the Promised Land concerning that which I promised. I swore it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I said, I'm going to give you a heritage. I'm going to give you a home. I'm going to give you a place. There's going to be abundance. There's going to be abundant living. And then he puts a period at the end. He says, I am the Lord. Let's notice what Jesus Christ also declared in Psalm 105, verse 36. Psalm 105 and verse 36. Sometimes a question that we need to ask during the Days of the 11th bread, as we examine ourselves, is examine, whom are we serving?

Who are we going to serve? What type of Master? Which Master are we going to serve? Psalm 105 and verse 36. This is referring to the Word, the One who became Jesus Christ. He says, And He destroyed all the firstborn in their land, the first of all their strength. And He also brought them out with silver and gold. He made sure that they had something when they came out. And there was none feeble among His tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them had fallen upon them.

Verse 39, And He spread a cloud for a covering, and a fire to give light in the night. The people asked, and He brought quail, and He satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water came out. It ran into dry places like a river. And He remembered His promise, His holy promise that He had made, and Abraham His servant.

He brought out His people with joy. That's the type of Master that we have. As He brings us out of slavery, His chosen ones He brought out with gladness. And He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, and they inherited the labor of the nations. And verse 45, That they might observe His statutes. In other words, that He might serve Him. To serve His statutes, and keep His laws. Praise the Lord. Let's notice Luke 4 and verse 15. We notice the spiritual parallels in these verses. Let's notice to what Christ is doing today with us. Luke 4 and verse 15.

He's bringing us out of slavery as well. Luke 4 and verse 15. The same Jesus whom the Father used to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. The Father is using to bring us out of spiritual Egypt. It says in verse 15 of Luke 4, And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. So whatever He was speaking, it was making sense. And there was glory among many that were there. And He came to Nazareth where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up to read.

And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Isaiah, and when He had opened the book, He found this place where it was written. He's quoting now from the Old Testament, from the book of Isaiah. The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to those who've been captive. This is part of the responsibility of Jesus Christ. To heal the brokenhearted. We're talking about spiritual issues when we talk about broken hearts, don't we? And when we talk about captivity, we're talking about the slavery of sin here, and how it has damaged so many things.

Damaged ourselves, our own sins damage ourselves, and our own sins damage other people. They create problems and difficulties, and He's come to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance. Wow! Freedom! From someone who's been in slavery, from someone who's been a captive, and a recovering of sight to the blind, so that people can really see the truth and understand it.

The light, in other words, of the truth. The recovering the sight of the blind, as well as to those that maybe were physically blind. He heals that as well. He heals... that's one of His names. He's a healer. And notice, to set at liberty, to free those that have been bruised, those that have been beat up, is what it says here. Let's jump to verse number 20.

And He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister, and He sat down, and it says, The eyes of every one were upon Him. What is He going to say next, in other words? Eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on Him, and He began to say to them, This day, this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears.

In other words, this event is going to mark the beginning of deliverance. The beginning of deliverance. Jesus Christ came to free us from slavery.

Let's notice Acts 26 and verse 14. Acts 26 and verse 14. The context here is the apostle Paul has had a vision, and Jesus Christ is speaking to Him. If you have a red letter edition of the Bible, it may be there in red. In fact, it would be there in red if you have a red letter edition. We'll pick it up in verse 14. I'm really going to focus on verse 18, but we'll pick up some of the context here in Acts 26 and verse 14. It says, We had all fallen to the ground. I heard a voice speaking to me, saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. I think some translations say pricks. In other words, it is hard to go against the grain or go against something that would hurt you. And Saul said, Who are you, Lord? Saul didn't know for sure who he was dealing with. And Christ responds right away, I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness. Both of the things which you have seen and the things which I will yet reveal to you, I'm going to deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles to whom I send you. But this is what I want you to talk about. Verse number 18, to open their eyes. We talked about that already, didn't we? About that Christ is going to open the eyes of the blind. To open their eyes in order to turn from darkness to light. And from the power of Satan, and he has power, brethren, he has power. He has power to enslave us, and he utilizes sin to do that. He spreads those yeast spores. And from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins. So Christ is doing his part, isn't he? He was the sacrifice, so that our sins could be forgiven. They could be removed, remitted, if you will, to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance. And now we're not talking about the Promised Land, we're talking about the Kingdom of God. And an inheritance among those who are sanctified, set apart, in other words, by faith in Me. Let's take a look at another one of Jesus' responsibilities over in John 1, verse 26. As the Son of God, one of His responsibilities for the family of God. John 1 and verse 26. This is the time when John the Baptist is preaching, starting to prepare a way for a coming Messiah, the Prophet, to come. It says in John 1, verse 26, John the Baptist is referring to, answering them, saying, I baptize with water, but there stands one among you that you do not know. It is He who comes after Me, He's preferred before Me, who's sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. These things were done in Bethabara, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. And the next day, John saw Jesus coming towards Him, and he said out loud, and probably some of His disciples were around Him, He said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The responsibility that Jesus Christ has is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. You know, at the culture of that time, the disciples were probably very, very surprised when John the Baptist said this. When he said, Behold the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. They had been thinking about a Messiah that was going to come, that was going to deliver them, that was going to throw off the shackles of the Roman occupying force, and begin to restore Israel to its prominence, blessed by God, the nation that was supposed to be alight to the rest of the nations.

But when John put it that way, his disciples were probably very puzzled, because they knew the reason for a lamb. All of the sacrifices for all of the centuries was done because of sin. And God said, Well then, you have to take a lamb. An animal has to die, has to have its throat cut, and there has to be blood. They knew about, in Egypt, they had been celebrating annually the Passover where a lamb would be brought into their home for a few days, and then it would die, and that blood, in a sense, saved the people from death. And so John's disciples were possibly stunned. They knew, since they were young, the use of a lamb.

And now John the Baptist says, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, a human being. John is saying, Look, this person is the Lamb of God. And so God was beginning to help them to understand that the Messiah, the Deliverer, was not necessarily going to work the way they had thought.

He had to die so that all of us could be saved from death. We could have eternal life. Let's notice 1 Corinthians 5. 1 Corinthians 5.

This was Jesus's responsibility. You know, those lambs had to be perfect. You took your best. One without blemish, without spot.

And it was picturing Christ all along. He sacrificed Himself, the meaning of Passover, the responsibility He had. 1 Corinthians 5 and 7. We read this a lot during the Days of Unleavened Bread, and there's a reason for it, because it shows a couple of things. That the brethren there, which were a Gentile church, were observing these days.

And also it shows that Jesus Christ had a role to fulfill as the Passover. 1 Corinthians 5.

We get caught up here to you.

He says, therefore purge out the old leaven. There's something that we have to do. Purge means you put it out. You clean it out. We have to purge out the old leavens, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed.

He was killed. He died for us. That was the role that He played. That was one of the main responsibilities that He had. He had to die.

So that we could live.

What about us? What about you and I? What about our responsibilities? Our responsibilities tie in very, very closely with the days of 11 bread. And the meaning that this day has, that God has for us. Let's turn over to Mark 8, verse 34. Mark 8, verse 34.

Mark 8, verse 35. It says, when He had called the people unto Him, and with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and let him take up his cross, and follow Me. He says, Who's ever going to follow Me? You've got to deny yourself. Take up your cross.

And notice what He says in verse 35. And whoever will save his life shall lose it, but whoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospels, the same shall save it.

Maybe we haven't thought about this before, but when it comes to the sons and daughters of God, and the responsibilities that we all have, we know Jesus Christ died. Now Christ says to you and me that we have to die. We have to die. Maybe not in the same way that He did. Notice it says here in verse number 35, Whoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospels shall save it.

So what are our responsibilities? Christ was the firstborn Son of God. He had responsibilities. He had to die. He was a sacrificial Lamb. He laid down His life for us so that our sins could be remitted. And today, we as sons and daughters of God, just as Christ died, we have to die.

But it's not in the same way. Brother, we have to die. But not in the same way. We're going to look at that. If we have to die, but we don't die in the same way that He did, well then how do we die? How is it that we die?

Verse number 35, For whoever will save his life shall lose it. But whoever shall lose his life for My sake, the same, shall save it. For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own eternal life, or his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, there's a lot of the breaking of the laws of God that's going on in this adulterous and sinful generation, of Him also the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the Holy Angels.

Brother, let's turn over Romans 7, verse 4. Romans 7, verse 4, kind of a springboard scripture here. This is a scripture that some people take a look at and say that, you know, we really don't have to observe the law anymore. That the law is dead. That Christ paid the penalty. And He's done it all. There's nothing more that we can do.

It's a text that many actually Christian denominations turn to, to say that no one has to keep the law of God anymore. And this belief actually undermines the truth of the meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread. Let's take a look at Romans 7, verse 4. Seems like no question incites more controversy among Christians a different face than is God's law abolished.

And for some reason, this is a difficult law that no one can keep. And God wouldn't have us to do it. That's why He abolished it through Christ. And they utilize several scriptures to try to prove that point. And this is one of them here. Let's take a look at it. And let's rightly divide the word of truth here as we go along. Romans, chapter 7, verse 4.

Some say the law is dead. That's what some say here in verse 5, or in verse number 4.

Verse 5, Brother, let's talk about this. Does this say that the law no longer has any effect?

Well, let's notice verse 4. Well, before we do that, let's keep our finger here and let's go back to Romans, chapter 3, and verse 31. Romans, chapter 3, and verse number 31.

Because Paul here, in this very letter, just a few chapters prior to this, he's already talked about the law. He's already communicated his thoughts on this law. Let's take a look at what it says there. Romans, chapter 3, and verse number 31.

He says, Do we then make void the law through faith? He asks the question, do we abolish the law through faith? Do we make it void? Do we make it of no effect through faith? He says, no, absolutely not. He says, I don't want you to get the wrong idea. No, when it comes to the law, it does not then made void by faith. Certainly not, he says. On the contrary, we establish the law. Now, this is the same letter. This is a few chapters prior to this, when he's talking about the law. The law isn't dead. It's actually been established, is what he's saying here. Let's go back to Romans, chapter 7, now, verse 4. Romans, chapter 7, verse 4. In fact, before we get there, I'll give you a reference of a scripture here, Isaiah, chapter 28, verses 9 and 10, where it talks about, for us to be able to truly understand scripture, it's line upon line and precept upon precept. It's here a little and there a little, and we can't just take one verse out of the context and establish an entire belief and doctrine. You'll find that in Isaiah, chapter 28, verses 9 and 10. But right now, let's go back to Romans, chapter 7 and verse 4. And I'll make a point here, and this will be one of the first of a couple of points we'll be making here as we address this particular topic. Is that, as we notice verse 4, it's not the law that is dead. Let's take a look, close look at that. It's actually converted Christians that have become dead, not the law. Let's read it. Romans 7, verse 4. Therefore, my brethren, so he's talking about converted Christians, you also have become dead to the law. Not that the law is becoming dead, but you have become dead. So Paul didn't say the law was dead, he said you have become dead. Brethren, in what way have we become dead? We're still alive, here. We haven't died. In what way then do we become dead? What's he trying to tell us here? Now it's clear, it says you are dead. It does not say that the law is dead or has died. It doesn't say that here. If it says that, it's not here. It's going to have to be on some other scriptural reference that we would say that the law is dead. But it's not here, not in this context. We'd have to turn somewhere else. But it says you are dead. So if the law did not die, what did? It says the brethren did. You have become dead to the law through the body of Christ. So what does that mean? That we've become dead to the law through the body of Christ. If you are a converted Christian, if you've been baptized and you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and become one of God's sons and daughters, how is it you die to the law? How do you die to the law? How is it you become dead to the law as it says through the body of Christ? Well, let's look at another point here. Paul's actually talking about a very, very complicated situation, but he's trying to help us to understand. He's trying to help to make it clear. A second point is this. That being dead to the law involves not having the death penalty hanging over us. Being dead to the law involves not having the death penalty hanging over us.

The law says that if we break it, the wages of sin, it's death. It's death. So if we break it, there is a death penalty. That's Romans 6, verse 23. The wages of sin is death. Let's notice Romans 5, verse 12. Romans 5, verse 12. What is God trying to reveal to us here? We know Christ died, and that started the process through Passover. He did His part. His responsibility involved death. Somehow, our responsibility involves death as well, but not in the same way. But then, in what way? What way do we die? Romans 5, verse 12. It says, therefore, just as through one man, sin entered the world.

Well, what's sin? What's sin? What can we find in the Scriptures, a definition for what sin is? Some of you know. 1 John 3, verse 4. 1 John 3, verse 4. Sin is the transgression of God's law. I like it when there's a Scripture that says, sin is, and then it gives you a definition. It's clear, then, from God's Word. Sin is the transgression of the law. It's the transgression of God's law. So it's a transgression of God's commandments, of His words, of His clear instructions of what He would have us to do, as His sons and daughters. So here in Romans, chapter 5, verse 12, it says, therefore, just as through one man, referring to Adam, sin entered the world, and death threw sin. And thus death spread to all men, because all have sinned. So, brethren, we see here that sin is the transgression of God's law, and it says because of that, the consequences are death. Death. And it's talking about eternal death. We're talking about ceasing to exist forever. So we want to make sure we understand that. Well, let's go back to Romans, chapter 7, and verse number 5.

Because we want to understand that being dead to the law involves not having the death penalty hanging over us because of the breaking of the law, or because of sin. Romans, chapter 7, verse 5. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the law, were at work in our members, to bear fruit to death. Okay, that makes sense. In the past, when we were in the flesh, before we began to understand God's ways, and we were breaking the law, it says, For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the law, because the law does tell us what sin is, it says which were aroused by the law, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work, in you and in me, in our members, to do what? To bear fruit. And what was that fruit? Death. Death. It's death. Verse 6. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died. We died. To what we were held by. So that now we should serve a different Master. In other words, in the newness of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Brethren, there's a law that says if we break God's law, that we die. We die. It's called the law of sin and death. Let's notice that in Romans 8 and verse 2. Romans 8 and verse 2. It says, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Brethren, we needed to be delivered from the law. We needed to be delivered from that. We needed Jesus Christ to come. Because if He wouldn't have come, we wouldn't have had any hope. Because of the penalty of death. We would have had to pay that penalty. We would have had an obligation. As it says in verse number 4. We had an obligation to pay. Verse number 4 of Romans 8. That the righteous requirement of the law. What's that? That's death. The righteous requirement of the law is if we break it, there's a penalty. The law of sin and death. That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but now are walking according to the Spirit. Brethren, it says, if we no longer walk according to the flesh, but we begin to walk a new way of life according to the Spirit, it says the righteous requirement of the law has been fulfilled in us. But how do we die? How is it that we die? We're delivered from the righteous requirement of the law. How is that done? A couple of ways. Twofold. We've touched on it already. It involves death. In order to escape death, it involves death. We talked about the fact that Christ died so that our sins could be covered for their mission of our sins. It took His death to do that. Well, then how do we die? And what way do we die? Let's go to 1 Peter 2, verse 24. 1 Peter 2, verse 24. Who Himself bore our sins in His own body, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you are healed. Further notice that in order to escape death, this eternal death, somebody had to die. It says Jesus Himself bore our sins in His own body. But then it goes on to say that we, having died to sins. How do we do that? How do we die to sins? That we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness. Let's go to Romans 6, verse 1. We see now, or are beginning to see, that we have to die too, but exactly how? And in what way? Romans 6, verse 1. Romans 6.

What way do we have to die? Verse 1 of Romans 6. What shall we say then, shall we continue in sin? Paul says that grace may abound. He says, shall we continue to break the law? Which is because that's what sin is, the transgression of the law. Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound? He says in verse 2, certainly not. How shall we who died to sin? It's noteworthy, he says again and again, that you and I have to die to sin. What's he talking about? What's he trying to help us to see?

How shall we who have died to sin, how can we continue in it? That grace may abound. As he says in verse number 1. Shall we continue to sin? Should we continue in sin that grace can be abound? And he says, no, no, certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? If we've died to sin, why would we want to live any other way? Why would we continue to live in a sinful way?

Why would we want to transgress the law of God? This is what he's getting at. Verse number 3. Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ's death, or baptized into Christ, Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death? Now here he's bringing up death. His theme continues to come up time and time again. Verse 3 says that Jesus Christ died. And then it says, we are baptized and we're baptized into his death.

Therefore, verse 4, understanding that we were buried with Him through baptism into death. Now he's beginning to tell us, he's beginning to shed a little bit of light on this. How do we die? When we went under the waters of baptism, we were buried with Christ. We were buried with Christ. He died. He literally died. But it says, we were buried with Him through baptism into his death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we should also walk in newness of life.

For then something has to die. Something in you and me has to die for us to be able to escape eternal death, so that we can live. It's not only what Jesus Christ did that was vital through His death, but we have to die too. He keeps talking about this in verse 5. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.

Brethren, how are you and I united in the likeness of His death? How does that happen? He begins to explain in the next verse, verse 6. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him. Our old man, brethren, when we became baptized, we went under the water of baptism. For some of you, that's ahead of you. For others, we've already done that. And we go under the water of baptism, we died with Christ.

And our old man is crucified just like he was crucified. We come to the point where we think, you know what? There's something that's wrong with my life. It's not going well.

I know I'm not obeying God the way that I should. I'm not becoming the kind of person that He's trying to create in me. Brethren, when we come to that point in our life, when we come to that point in our life where we're baptized, we're buried with Him through baptism into death, as it says in verse 4.

It says in verse 6, then the old person is crucified, is dying. Death. Not the same way that Christ died, but a death nonetheless. Paul is sharing some pretty deep things here, really, isn't he? He's trying to help us to understand that not only did Christ have to die in order for the penalty of sin to be removed, which was the right just requirement of the law, but we have to die also as sons and daughters of God.

How do we die? We crucify the old man. That the body of sin might be done away with. And other translations say destroyed. We have to crucify the old man so that the sins, or the body of sin, as it says here, might be destroyed. And then it says in the latter part of verse 6, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

That we should no longer be slaves to sin. But after this death has happened, who are we going to serve? Who are we going to obey? Who is going to be our master? Are we still going to continue to sin and be slaves of sin? Because you know whoever you serve, that is the one that you are enslaved by.

Are we going to continue to sin and be slaves of sin? Are we going to be a slave to God and to His righteousness and His obedience? Notice verse number 7. For He who has died has been freed from sin. He who has died is free from sin. Brethren, God wants us to be free from sin. So we have to die. He who has died has been freed from sin.

This is some pretty deep stuff, isn't it? For He who has died, and He's not talking about Jesus' death, He's talking about yours and mine. He's not talking about Christ's death here, He's talking about yours and mine. He who has died has been freed from sin. How? Well, verse number 6. Because the old man has been crucified.

That the body of sin might be destroyed, might be done away. So to verse number 8. Now, if we died with Christ, then we believe that we shall live with Him. Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, doesn't die anymore. Death has no dominion over Him any longer. He died. Death has no dominion. The law of sin and death has no dominion for Him.

And that's why we want to be with Christ, rather, and we want Christ in us. Because death no longer has dominion over Him. Death no longer has a power over Him. Verse number 10. For the death that He died, He died once for all. But the life that He lives, He lives to God. Brethren, when He died and then was raised by God, He said, Okay God, I'm still Your servant.

I'm still going to live for You. I'm going to whatever Your will is. He said, I'm going to live for God. My life is still Yours to use, as You choose and as You wish. However You want me to be used, I'm willing. I'm going to live to You, as it says here. I'm going to serve You, in a sense. As it says in the latter part of verse number 10.

And then notice verse 11. Our example of Jesus Christ who died, was raised, and then is going to live for God. Notice verse 11. Likewise You also... He's talking to you and me, brethren. Likewise You also reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God.

In Christ Jesus, our Lord. Paul says, quit sinning! Strive to quit sinning! Your old man has died! Your new man needs to live in a different way. That old person is dead, is crucified. You know, I was talking with one of the members from Southern California congregation. And I was just talking with him and asking how he's doing. He said, well, I'm still digging. And I said, you're still digging. I said, I'm not sure I follow you.

What do you mean you're still digging? He said, I'm still trying to keep the old man buried. He understood that concept. He had to be able to be even thinking about that, didn't he? I'm trying to keep the old man where he belongs. And I'm trying to have the new man continue to do what he should be doing.

Verse 11, likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead to sin. Wow! Dead to sin! But alive to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. So just as Christ died and then rose and lives to God. Verse 11 speaks to you and I to do the same. You likewise reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God. Pardon, how do we reckon ourselves dead to sin? Because the old man is crucified with Christ. We do our best not to resurrect the old man.

It's almost like people have these out of body experiences, and so maybe that's not the best way to try to explain this. But if you can imagine the water of baptism and being a watery grave, we look down and we see an old person that's there that's died. And because we're there, dead, in a sense, the penalty's been paid. The penalty, the righteous requirement of the law has been paid.

Has no dominion upon us. As long as the new man walks in the Spirit and not in the flesh. We'll cover that here in just a moment. Let's go on to verse number 12. Therefore, so there's a transitional thought here. In other words, what's the point of all this? Don't let sin reign in your mortal body.

Further, what is sin? It's the transgression of the law. Is God's law dead? No, it's not dead. It's still there. It's we who have to make an effort that we are not alive to the law and its consequences. But that we are dead. When someone is dead, the penalty's been paid and there's no longer an obligation.

Going back to verse 7, Paul keeps emphasizing that we need to die to sin. He keeps saying we need to die. Notice verse 7, we've already read that, but it says, He who has died has been freed from sin. And that's talking about its consequences. Verse number 12, Therefore, don't let sin reign in your mortal body. It can still reign there. It can still be here in you and me. That you should obey it. That you should serve it, in other words, in its lusts. Verse 13, And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin. It can still reign. And we can still present ourselves as instruments of unrighteousness to sin. Don't do that, is what Paul is saying. But present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead. Brethren, that's how we're alive from the dead. We begin to walk a new life. A new person, a new man, a new woman. The old person who has been crucified has died, and the new man lives a godly way of life. Because then if we do that, then we're dead to the law and to its consequences for breaking it.

Verse 13, 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. We begin, righteousness is doing the right thing according to God's Word. All His commandments are righteousness, as it says in Scripture. Verse 14, For sin shall not have dominion over you. Why? Why doesn't it have dominion over us? I mean, we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Why doesn't it have dominion over us? Because you are not under the law, but under grace. Brethren, we're fortunate to be under grace. We are fortunate. You know, the law still exists. We can still break it. We can still sin. But if Jesus Christ would not have come, we wouldn't have had any hope.

That was the first part of the step. But we have our part as well. It was Christ's graciousness to say, Father, I will go. I will go. Send Me. So that they can live, so that they don't have to die. I will die. So those sins could be removed. There are many people, though, when it comes to this Scripture, where it says, For sin shall not have dominion over you, as you are not under the law, but under grace. There are many people that misinterpret the meaning of God's grace. Twisted what God originally intended it to mean. So we're going to come back here to Romans, but for a moment, let's turn over to Titus 2 and verse 11. We're going to come back to Romans, but I think it's important to understand grace, because some people believe that because of grace, we don't need to keep the law of God anymore. The reason we're under grace now, we're no longer under the law. But let's turn to Scripture that shows that grace tells us to keep the law of God. Let's notice Titus 2 and verse 11.

It's for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. And boy, can we ever be glad that it did. That it appeared to you and I, in fact, not just to those of us that are brethren, that are in the church, but also ultimately, it's going to be available to all mankind in their time.

And notice, what does the grace of God that brings salvation, that has appeared to all men, what does it teach in verse 12? It teaches us that we deny ungodliness, and in a sense, deny the worldly lusts, and that we live soberly and righteously. Righteousness. God's commands are righteous and godly in the present age. This is an important Scripture, brethren, for anyone that might be out there that says, you know, we don't have to keep God's law anymore because we're under grace. Grace teaches us that we deny ungodliness.

It teaches us that we live righteously and godly in this present age right now. That's what it teaches. Verse 13, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, I should say so.

It's our only hope, isn't it? Who noticed verse 14, who gave Himself for us so He did His role, His responsibility, which was absolutely vital. He did His part, He died. Why? That He might redeem us from every lawless deed. From sin. He might redeem us from breaking the law of God. That's what He did. He redeemed us because we broke the law.

He redeemed us, as it says, from every lawless deed and purifying for Himself His own people, His own special people. Zealous for good works. Verse 15, speak these things, exhort and rebuke with all authority, and let no one despise you. This is what He's telling Titus and what He's telling you and I. It's that the grace of God teaches us to be godly.

It doesn't say that we don't have these responsibilities anymore to obey the commandments of God. You know, I wasn't planning on bringing this thought into the sermon, but you know, the Scripture comes to mind that the carnal mind is enmity. I don't think we understand that the carnal mind, which we have, all of us, is enmity against God's ways, against His commandments.

It's a lot deeper than what we understand, brethren. It really is. It's a lot deeper than what we resist it. We don't want to do it. And if we can come up with a rationale that seems to have some logic, we might try to get around from the responsibilities that God has for His sons and His daughters. Let's go back to Romans 6. Romans 6, verse 14. It's amazing how Paul is trying to help us to understand that we need to die. We need to die. And what he's actually telling us is that we need to die to sin.

Stop doing it, you know? It's just the opposite of how some people look at some of Paul's writings and say, you don't have to do it anymore. He's saying, no, don't get that idea. I'm trying to help you to understand this concept, but don't get the idea that I'm saying that the law has been done away. No, it's not void. It's established. It's still there. But we can die to its consequences, to its righteous requirements. It can be done through Jesus Christ and through choices that we make.

Romans 6, verse 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you. We could be grateful for that, brethren, because of Jesus Christ. Because you're not under the law. We're not under its penalty. In other words, of sin and death.

You're not under the law, but under grace. What then shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Shall we sin, because we're no longer under the penalty of God's laws? What are you saying? Shall we just then go ahead and sin? Paul knew that people were going to come to this conclusion. And he had to nip it in the bud, and he had to make it crystal clear. As clear as crystal, no way. He says, what? He says, what? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Verse 15. He makes it pretty clear. Certainly not. Absolutely not. Don't leaven yourself. Don't go back to what you came out of.

In fact, there's a caution here in verse 16. Notice verse 16. Don't you know that whomever you present yourself slaves to obey? In other words, whoever you present yourself slaves to obey, that's who your master is. Whoever you present yourself slaves to obey. Verse 16. Don't you know that whomever you present yourself slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves to whom you obey.

Whether it's of sin leading to death, it can still happen. It can still happen. Even to converted people, it can still happen. If we start to resurrect the old man, and we start to be enslaved by sin again, it's going to lead to death. Sin can still corrupt. Sin still works like leaven. We can still be a slave to it, and it can lead to death.

And we don't want that. Paul's trying to tell us that. He's warning them. You don't want that either, he's saying. Verse 16. Don't you know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey. Whether it's sin leading to death or notice, or of obedience leading to righteousness. The choices that we make, and whoever we serve, leads us in entirely opposite different directions. If we serve sin, it leads to death. If we serve God, it leads to righteousness.

Obedience. Obedience to what?

You see, brethren, if there's no law which shows us what sin is, if there's no commandments to obey, what is there to obey?

Or of obedience. Obedience to what? To the righteous laws and commands of God, which leads to righteousness.

Brethren, God says over and over that death is the way out. Maybe not in a way that we thought about it.

I think the world pretty much understands our Savior's death, but I don't think they understand because of the days of eleven bread and the meaning that we have to die, to sin, that we have to put it out.

It's part of the picture of the days of eleven bread.

Our death involves the crucifying of the old man, and we begin a new life. We begin to live a different way of life than we did before.

God says, leave that old man in the watery grave. The grave of baptism. Dead, crucified, and embrace a new way of life. The righteous man that I'm trying to create in you. Let's notice verse 17.

But God be thanked that you were the slaves of sin, and yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

Verse 18, and having been set free from sin, we have been set free from that. We have been set free from sin and its consequences.

By dying. By dying. Our old man has been crucified.

Verse 18, and having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. God says, we, you and I, serve a new master now.

We serve a new master. We are no longer to be a servant of sin, but to be a servant of righteousness.

No longer a slave of sin, but a slave of righteousness.

Verse 19, I speak in human terms. Paul says, I'm taking a complex issue, trying to help you to understand it.

Transgression of God's law. Leading to more lawlessness.

So now, present your members as slaves of righteousness, which leads to holiness. That's where God's trying to take us.

He's trying to take us to holiness. Be you holy, as I am holy.

You know, the master you serve makes a big difference, doesn't it? I know some of you have had good bosses, bad bosses, good masters. You know, some masters were very, very difficult to work under.

And others, you grew to love. And you knew that they cared for you.

God says, you and I are to serve a new master now.

Verse 20, For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. That's interesting how he puts that.

When you were a slave of sin, you were free to something else, but it was righteousness.

God's trying to take us down that righteous path.

Verse 21, What fruit did you have in the things which you are now ashamed? Because the end of those things is death.

Verse 22, But now, having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness.

And notice at the end, eternal life. That's where this leads.

Having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life. No longer slaves of sin, we become slaves to God, which results in everlasting life. Our new Master.

No longer sin but God.

Verse 23, For the wages of sin is death. He keeps talking about it over and over again.

But the gift of God, this Master, is the gift He's going to give is eternal life in Christ our Lord.

Further, let's go back to Romans 7.

Read this in context here, of all that has gone before. Romans 7. We've already seen in Romans 8, verse 2, There is a law of sin and death.

And when Adam sinned, death reigned to everyone. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

And Jesus Christ's death was essential to pay the death penalty for every man in order for you and I to have eternal life.

And yet our death is also essential. We have to die. We have to become dead to the law. Romans 7. We'll pick it up here in verse 4.

Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ. It's we that die, not the law. You, my brethren, have become dead to the law through the body of Christ. That you may be married to another. We had to be free from the consequence of death so that we could be married to somebody else. Who? Who? It's Christ. It's Christ that you may be married to another to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh and the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit, and we've read about that in other places, to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by.

We've come dead to the law and its obligation.

Further, we're the ones that died, not the law. Now, I suppose we could become alive to the law again. If we've become converted Christians, God, of course, wants us to be dead to the law. Could we become alive to the law? Could we become alive to sin again after we've been dead to it? Is that possible? That we could become alive to the law? Let's take a look and notice that it is. Hebrews 10, verse 24. Hebrews 10, verse 24.

It says, if we sin, or excuse me, verse 24, and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much more as you see the day approaching. Verse 26, for if we sin willfully, and I think that's a key word there, willfully, I think that shows an attitude. You know, we can all make a mistake in sin, but then we can ask for forgiveness, and God, if we're sincere, He will forgive.

But I think it says the key word is willfully, when it's talking about the fact that, you know what, God, I know it's wrong, but I'm going to go ahead and do it anyway. I'm going to go ahead and disobey. It's almost like saying, God, I don't care what you say, I'm really going to go ahead and do it anyway. Verse 26, for if we sin willfully after we receive the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

Now, there's some pretty serious stuff here in the Scripture, brethren. God says, if you become dead to the law and to the consequences of the death penalty, and you became dead to that law, God says you and I can become alive to it again. We can become alive to that law again. Let's notice what it says in 2 Peter 2 and verse 18.

It says, for when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, so it's talking about false teachers who are looking for a following, and they're not rightly dividing the Word of God, it says they allure you through the lust of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who've actually escaped from those who live in error. Brethren, we're talking about false teachers are beginning to actually influence those converted Christians that had actually escaped already, you know, from those who live in error. Verse 19, while they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption.

For by whom a person is overcome, by him also he's brought into bondage. Or slavery is some translation to say. Peter's saying the same thing that Paul was. Whoever you serve, you eventually become that person's slave, and they become your master. They're basically saying the same thing. Verse 20, for if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and they are again entangled in them. So, brethren, they had actually escaped.

They'd actually escaped. Most likely had died to sin. It says if they've escaped, and now they've gone back, and they've entangled themselves again in what they've come out of. They entangled themselves in the flesh, and they were sinning. And notice, and overcome, because we do, we eventually become overcome by whatever enslaves us.

It says the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment. We're talking about one of the commands of God, aren't we? The laws of God. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it to turn from the Holy Commandment that was delivered to them.

But it has happened to them, according to the true proverb, a dog returns to his own vomit, and a sow having washed to her wallowing in the mire. Brethren, God cautions us through Peter and through Paul, to leave the old man in the grave. Dead in Christ, dead to the law, and not to have the old man resurrected. To become alive to the law again. Not to do that, to be careful. Not to yield ourselves as instruments to unrighteousness, which will eventually lead to death.

2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 10. 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 10. Brethren, Jesus Christ did come to abolish something. But it wasn't the law. It wasn't the law that the law is not dead. It continues to exist. It continues to show us what sin is. And it continues to guide us on how to live, the way of life. But let's see that there was something that was abolished, brethren.

There was something that God abolished. It wasn't the law. Jesus himself said in Matthew 5, 17, I didn't come to abolish the law or to destroy it. I came to fill it to the full. But let's notice what was abolished. What He did come to abolish. 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 10. But He has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who has abolished death. That's what Christ came to abolish. Death. He came to abolish death and bring life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Brethren, we want to know what Christ abolished. If you ever want to know, someone says, what? Christ abolished the law. No, but He did and is planning to abolish death. He's helped us to understand there's a way out. Breaking the law of God does have a consequence. Does the Scripture say the wages of sin are death? It's true. It's true for you, it's true for me, it's true today. It's true, but we can escape it. Brethren, let's turn over to Romans 6, verse 22. God says we've been set free here from sin. And to become slaves of God, to have our fruit to holiness and in the end everlasting life.

Brethren, the lesson of the Days of Unleavened Bread for you and I and our responsibility is to keep that old man buried. And not to be slaves to sin, but to be a slave to God. To not let sin reign in our mortal bodies, because it still can. But to stay dead to it. One last script for Romans 8. Romans 8. And verse 1. An encouraging Scripture, brethren, for you and for me. Romans 8, verse 1. That we can be free from the slavery of sin.

Romans 8, verse 1. Brethren, it says there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. You're free. You and I are free. If we don't walk according to the flesh, but we walk according to the Spirit.

Verse 2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death. Brethren, the days of the 11 bread picture to us examining ourselves, and no longer walking in the flesh, but walking in the Spirit. And that, brethren, we can be dead to the consequences, the righteous requirement of the law, and we can live. But we need to die, just a little bit different than what Christ did, to die nonetheless, to die to sin, and to live to God.