Theory and practice often appear at odds. Theory sets forth the premise of what should happen; practice is what actually takes place. So in theory a particular diet should shed pounds and trim my waistline. In practice, it probably will not happen. Is that because the theory is flawed? On the contrary, it is because I am flawed when it comes to desire and discipline in carrying out the theory of dieting. 

Unfortunately, we sometimes view Christian doctrine in the way we perceive theories of dieting: good idea but it just does not work in practice. Is that due to naïve doctrinal formulations? Perhaps at times that is the case. Or is it due to misunderstanding the doctrine so that the practice seems impossible? More often, this is the struggle that believers face. That’s certainly the case with Romans six. 

Since we have spent nine weeks studying Romans six, I thought that it might be useful to capsule it under six pegs upon which we can hang our practice of the Christian life, as taught in this chapter.  

Peg #1 - the question:
Romans 5-6 go together. The former declares, “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,” so that we live under the “reign of grace,” not under the reign of law (5:20-21). In response to that truth, chapter 6 poses two questions (vv. 1, 15) that I will conflate into one: “Does the reign of grace give me freedom to sin at will?” Paul spends the chapter answering the question. 

Peg #2 - the reaction or Paul’s short answer (vv. 2, 15) to the question:
“May it never be!” Any thought of grace leading to more sin is absurd! So any teaching or inward impulse or mental rationalizing that would encourage or excuse sin for the Christian is foreign to Scripture. 

Peg #3 - the explanation:
Paul explains with two questions (vv. 2, 16) why it is inconceivable for believers to persist in sin. First, “How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” In other words, going on in persistent sin contradicts the Christian’s experience of grace through Christ. He puts weight on the actual effects of the gospel rooted in the heart, thus producing genuine change in behavior. Second, “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”  “Present” comes from the realm of worship (e.g. Rom. 12:1). Persistent sin contradicts the nature of Christian worship, giving evidence instead of stronger affections for sin than Christ. One cannot serve sin and righteousness simultaneously. 

Peg #4 - the foundation:
The foundation explains how the believer can resist sin’s reign. That foundation focuses on our union with Christ in His death and resurrection (vv. 3-10). The prepositions speak volumes: “baptized into Christ…baptized into His death…buried with Him…united with Him in the likeness of His death…crucified with Him…died with Christ…live with Him…alive to God in Christ Jesus…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What happened to Christ happened to you as one in union with Him. The delivering power of the cross sets you free from the reign of sin. The liberating power of the resurrection unites you to the resources of God in resisting sin’s reign. 

Peg #5 - the point or the application:
Deal with sin! Do not let sin reign in your mortal body; it is no longer natural to you as a new creation in Christ (v. 12; 2 Cor. 5:17). But how does one do this in practice? Paul answers negatively and positively (v. 13). Negatively, quit giving the individual members of your body (e.g. eyes, thoughts, speech, feet, attitude) as weapons of sin—weapons that will ravage your life, as would a deranged man with a machete on a bus. Positively, give those same members of your body as weapons of righteousness to God—weapons to be used for the purpose of honoring Him and displaying His glory. 

Peg #6 - the reminder:
The Lord’s declarations trump how we may feel about how effective we can be in dealing with sin. How important is it for us to see and believe what God has declared? If we do not, then we depend upon our fickleness in facing battle with sin and temptation. What has the Lord declared? First, verse 14 is perhaps the key statement in the chapter. “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” He does not offer a suggestion but makes a firm declaration. Your union with Christ assures the certainty that sin shall not be master over you. Second, remember what you used to be: “you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness” (v. 20). That was then but you are no longer in that position. Third, you are now “freed from sin and enslaved to God” (v. 22). The contrast between then and now helps us see how God views us, therefore to see what is true of us even when we do not feel it personally. The Lord gives power to live what He declares us to be. 

Keep these pegs handy when contemplating Romans six and the believer’s resistance of sin. Make sure that resisting sin is more than theory for you. Put these truths into daily practice.

In John 13, we see a picture of Christ’s service to His disciples.  This group of men were not deserving of His serving them.  One of them, Judas, has already had the betrayal of Jesus demonically on his mind.  Yet Jesus served them anyway “as an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”

Tim Lane and Paul David Tripp point out that we learn from this episode of Jesus’ life four characteristics of a servant:

1. Circumstances don’t determine whether you serve.  Jesus is about to head to the cross.  John comments that “Jesus knew his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father.”  He had a host of concerns on His mind, not the least of which is His Father’s wrath about to be poured out on Him for our sins.  Yet in the midst of these circumstances, Christ chose to serve, and give us the command to serve in the same way.

   Our amount of work/homework, the stresses in our lives, the turmoil in our heads are not to be a hindrance to our service.

2. Someone’s worthiness does not determine whether you serve.  No one deserved to be served by Christ.  Simon Peter recognized this about himself.  Why would the Lord of Glory wash his feet?  How could the perfect God wash the feet of the man about to betray Him into the hands of those who will crucify Him?  This can happen because Christ was not serving because these men were worthy.  He served because it was what He came to do.  To show love, and to give us an example.

   We then, too, should not total accounts with those whom we may serve, and see who is worthy in our estimation that day.  We are to lovingly serve, even when the person is our enemy.

    

3. Your position doesn’t determine whether you serve.  Christ owed no one anything.  He is the King of all creation.  He owned all that is.  He is sufficient, needing nothing or no one.  His position is higher, infinitely higher than ours.  Yet, he chose to wash the disciples dirty feet.

   If Christ did this for us, then we are to also serve those whom may be “below” us in our schools, businesses, families, or society.

    

4. Your willingness to be serve DOES determine whether you serve.  If Peter would not allow Jesus to serve him by cleaning his dirty feet, then Jesus says he has no share with him.  This forshadows our need for Christ to “serve” us at the cross - to have our dirty hearts washed by His blood.  If we are not willing to depend on His grace brought by His blood on the cross, then we don’t have anything to do with Him, therefore we don’t have the Holy Spirit teaching us how to serve one another.  

   You cannot truly serve others unless you are served by Christ.

HT: South Woods Baptist Youth Blog

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”  (Luke 12:13-21 ESV)

In our study on the Christian's relationship to "stuff," we looked at this question: Is stuff bad?  And very quickly, the answer was given that, no, stuff isn’t bad - but valuing stuff too highly is.

That is the situation that this foolish man finds himself in in the beginning of the passage in Luke 12 quoted above.  Imagine, Jesus, rumored to be the Christ, thousands around Him feasting on His every word, and then this guy stands up as though he hasn’t heard a word and asks a question about getting what he considers his stuff.  The fact is, this man was so consumed with his stuff, or lack thereof, that he probably DIDN’T hear a word Jesus was saying.

The awkwardness of the moment isn’t relieved by Jesus.  He turns the screws on this guy to make clear to him, the crowd, and us, that stuff is of little importance.  ”Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”  Jesus quickly pinpoints that this man’s real problem isn’t with his brother, the laws of the land that keep him from getting what he wants, or even the stuff that he wants - it is his DESIRE for it!  

Right Desires

The focus of Jesus isn’t what was outside of the man (the stuff he wanted), but on the desire inside of him for the stuff outside of him.

If you want to desire something, Jesus says, desire God!  In His concluding remark to the parable of the rich fool, Jesus says, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”  Our focus should not be to avoid riches (though they do bring troubles of their own), but to find our wealth in God.

So, it is not that stuff is bad, but if it out-values God for us, then our hearts are skewed, and we do not observe the world rightly.  We must reevaluate the relationship we have with what we have and want, and ask God to give us contentment in the finished work of His Son, and that as we have need, that He would provide us with what we need, and that we would defeat the deceitful desires that tell us that God won’t provide for us.

HT: South Woods Baptist Youth Blog

“‘If I knew I were one of God’s elect, I would come to Christ; but I fear I am not.’  To you I answer: nobody ever came to Christ because he knew himself to be one of the elect. It is quite true that God has of His mere good pleasure elected some to everlasting life, but they never knew it until they believed in Christ. Christ nowhere commands the elect to come to him. He commands all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel. The question for you is not, ‘Am I one of the elect?’ but ‘Am I a sinner?’ Christ came to save sinners.”

- Robert Murray M’Cheyne

HT: Of First Importance