Faith in God’s Facts

June 29, 2003                                                                                                                                 Northwest Bible Church

Worship Service                                                                                                                             Alan Conner

Rom. 6:11

Faith in God’s Facts

INTRO

In Romans 6 Paul is teaching that the gospel of Christ does not lead to any concept of antinomianism in which God’s grace allows us to live lawless lives.  There is a vital connection between justification and sanctification that cannot be separated.

Three principles of sanctification:  knowledge (1-10), faith (11), presentation (12-14).

I.  PRINCIPLE OF KNOWLEDGE: OUR UNION WITH CHRIST (6:1-10).

We have been UNITED WITH CHRIST IN BAPTISM.  We have died to sin because we have been baptized in to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  The work He did on the cross was for us as our Covenant Head and Representative.

Fact #1 -  Both the guilt and power of our sin has been broken by Christ’s death on the cross in our place. We cannot be slaves of sin any longer (6:6).

Fact #2 – We have been raised with Christ in baptism too. Christ’s resurrection life now lives in us so that we walk in newness of life (6:4).

II.  PRINCIPLE OF “CONSIDER” (6:11).

A. The basis of “consider.”   “Even so” -  that is, as Christ died to sin and lives to God, so in the same way consider yourselves.

1) Christ died and rose from the dead for us (6:9-10).

2) We died and were raised up with Him (6:3-8).

B. The meaning of “consider.”    “consider,” “reckon,” “count” -

1) A courtroom word (Rom. 4).

2) A book-keeping word–(1 Cor. 13:5; 2 Cor. 5:19).

**3) A contemplative word (Rom. 2:15; 14:14) – to think, reason, ponder; to form an opinion of something that you believe to be true.  This is the meaning in Rom. 6:11.

This “considering” is in the imperative mood, making it a command.

C.  The content of “consider.”

God through Paul is commanding every believer to believe these facts about themselves in Christ – you are “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” -

1) Stop

2) Start

D.  The means of “consider” is faith.     Believe the facts about our union with Christ.

1) Faith is the God-ordained means of applying God’s truth (Heb. 11:6).

2) Faith is contrary to sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

3) Faith believes God’s facts.

E.  The perseverance of “consider.”    This “considering” is to be on-going since it is in the present tense in contrast with the aorist tenses in Rom. 6:2-10 which indicate past completed events.

F.  The conquest of “consider.”

Temptation arises.

Truth considered by faith.  “I am dead to sin but alive to God.”

Triumph follows.    The power of God’s Word is released in your life.

Cf. Joseph, Moses, Peter.

CONCLUSION