Marvel At Your Salvation

About this sermon

Introduction: The suggestion that the truth of the grace of the grace of God in salvation leads to a mindset and to a life that pursues sin, that increases sinning, is not just unthinkable it is impossible. Why? Because under law and under grace represent different slaveries. It’s an analogy, as Paul makes clear in the 19th verse. But it’s an accurate analogy. Presented to us here are: *Two realms *Two rulers *Two results **Under law, sin is the master and death the outcome **Under grace, obedience is the master and righteousness the outcome -THIS IS ALL AN ILLUSTRATION, AS WE ARE REMINDED IN VERSE 19. But what is being illustrated is REAL. So, this is where are when we come to verse 17. There are two realms. There are two masters. There are two resulting services. There are two resulting outcomes. And Paul is now ready TO APPLY THE ILLUSTRATION. What is the position of the Christian and how did we come to be in this position? This is what we are “to know”. This is the answer to an objection raised against the gospel of grace. There are three things we will see together here. The Christian’s Position How The Christian Came to be in this Position The Result of This Position is in the Christian’s Life THE CHRISTIAN’S POSITION If you stopped reading at verse 16 you could get the idea that a Christian always stands in a neutral position before these two masters. Here is the master called sin, representing the realm of law, and the outcome is death. Over there is the master called obedience, representing the realm of grace and the outcome is righteousness. Here you are Christian, and you have a choice to make. Which realm will you choose, which master will you choose, what outcome will you choose? But that is not the picture at all. He is not just saying that you SHOULD NOT continue in sin, he is telling you that ultimately a Christian CANNOT live in the same life he or she once lived. Why? You cannot live a lifestyle of sin because you are NOT in a neutral position. God has changed your condition for forever. YOUR SLAVERY TO SIN WAS IN YOUR PAST “You who were once (in time past) slaves to sin” (vs.17) “Having been set free from sin” (vs.18) There WAS a time when we were all UNDER LAW. There was a time when we were all in this awful position of living in the realm of condemnation, under the condemnation of the law of God, and at that time we were also under the rule, the dominion of sin. The New Testament makes this point again and again. ESV Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ESV Colossians 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ESV Colossians 2:13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ESV Ephesians 4:17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!- 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Topics

• Salvation