Pursuing Holiness

Transcript

GR 1428
04/25/10
Pursuing Holiness
Romans 6:1-4
Gil Rugh

We're going to be in Romans 6 in our Bibles. In the book of Romans Paul is unfolding the truth concerning the gospel of God which is the message concerning His Son, the salvation He has provided in Him. The gospel is a revelation of God's righteousness. Turn back to Romans 1 for just a moment. Paul began the letter in verse 1 by saying, Paul a bond servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God. And that's the message, verse 3, concerning His Son. Down in verse 15 he said he was eager to come to Rome and preach the gospel to you who are in Rome because I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. And it's in the gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed, verse 17. And that's exciting because that's the righteousness that God has provided in His Son for us that we might be cleansed from our sin, absolved from guilt and receive the righteousness of Christ.

Then he unfolds something of the details of the gospel. You know churches today aren't interested much in doctrine. People go to church and they want to find something that is practical and helpful and uplifting and enjoyable and short. And then be on the way with the important things of life. It's interesting to me when Paul is commissioned to write about the gospel of God, His good news, he unfolds in detail matters that must be understood regarding the salvation that God has provided and the righteousness that has been made available to sinful man. So he starts out unfolding this gospel in verse 18 by talking about sin and condemnation. And you remember that first section of Romans, chapter 1 verse 18 through chapter 3 verse 20, was about man, sin, man's sin, guilt and the condemnation that that has brought upon man. So God reveals His righteousness in condemning sin and sinners.

Then he moved to the second major division or aspect in talking about the gospel of God and that was the righteousness of God as revealed in providing justification for sinners. That was chapter 3 verse 21 through chapter 5 verse 21. When we come to chapter 6 Paul is ready to unfold this third major area of the good news, the gospel of God, that is the righteousness of God revealed in the sanctification of sinful men. That will cover chapters 6-8.

The section we just came through on justification focused on the legal standing we have in the courtroom of God. And as condemned sinners God had His Son take our place, pay our penalty so that through faith in Him we could experience forgiveness, we could be justified, declared righteous in the courtroom of God, have the righteousness of Christ credited to us so that we are now righteous before God because the righteousness of Christ has been provided for us. But the work is not done.

We move from justification to sanctification. And sanctification has to do with how we live now as those who have been justified, sinners who were under condemnation have by the grace of God through faith in Christ experienced justification. And now in the plan of God they are to live lives of sanctification. That word sanctify, sanctification, saint, holy all come from the same basic Greek word. It means to be separated. We are holy when we are separated from sin. God is completely and perfectly holy because He is completely and perfectly separated from sin, any defilement of sin, and so on. We are to be holy, the scripture tells us, because He is holy. As those who have been justified by grace through faith we now partake of the divine nature and are to manifest the character of God in the way that we live. So God tells us you shall be holy for I am holy. You are My people, you manifest My character. We are saints, holy ones, those who have been set apart from sin for God by His work on our behalf. That's what a saint is, someone set apart, separated from sin to God, set apart for Himself. When we talk about sanctification we're talking about living a life of separation from sin as those set apart for God.

There are two aspects of sanctification, there is positional sanctification. That happens to us immediately when we believe in Christ. We are set apart from sin for God and we have what we call positional holiness before God. Sin has been forgiven, righteousness has been given, we are accepted in His sight. If I were to die today I could be taken immediately before the throne of God and be presented as one who is holy and blameless and without spot. That's what the Bible says, because the work of Christ has accomplished that. That's positional sanctification. But there is what is called progressive sanctification, and that is the process that is going on in this life and it goes on either until death or until Christ comes in the air to take us to be with His Father. That will be glorification, when these bodies are transformed.

Now justification is different than sanctification. You don't want to mix them. The work of Christ is completed, my salvation is completed. So sanctification is not my adding to the righteousness of Christ or bringing it to more completion. Justification is the act of God in declaring me righteous on the basis of the finished work of Christ. My positional sanctification is the result of the finished work of Christ, it was accomplished and done. But there is the process of sanctification going on in this life as in my daily life in this world I am growing to be more and more like Jesus Christ, or manifesting the holy character of God.

Romans 6. If you don't take serious interest in biblical doctrine and biblical truth, confusion comes in and it spreads and multiplies. And it is in no area more clear than this area of sanctification. How does one who has become a believer in Jesus Christ deal with sin that comes up in life, that we commit? James wrote in his letter that we all offend in many ways. And he said the tongue is the worst offender. If you can control your tongue you can control the rest of your body. So we still sin. How do we deal with that? You know as a result of not grappling seriously with the word of God churches have primarily turned over the whole area of sanctification to counselors, those trained in psychology and related areas. Because we say these are matters that need a professional. But the exciting thing is God's work of salvation is complete. And so we want to learn how to live, we come to the word of God. We want to learn how to deal with sin, and all of us have battles with sin, we come to the word of God. It is complete, it has the answers. The problem is that the church has lost its interest in the truth of God and seriously grappling with the word of God, so we have accepted the ideas of the world. And in accepting the ideas of the world we allow the church to be shaped by the world. Well certain sins, although the world doesn't want to call them sins, certain problems in life need professionals to deal with. And the church has begun to adjust. We used to talk about people being sinners and needing to be saved, but now our evangelism programs focus on reaching the unchurched. What is an unchurched? A person who doesn't go to church. Is everybody going to church saved? Well, we're reaching seekers. That's not nearly as offensive as we're reaching sinners. Call me a seeker, that sounds good. Call me a sinner, that doesn't sound so good. So we begin to move away from biblical terminology in addressing issues as the Bible does, then we become confused. So we're no longer dealing with the doctrine of sin as the gospel of God began with in the opening chapters of Romans, so we fail to appreciate what is involved in the work of justification. So we come out now to live our lives in the realm of sanctification and we're in confusion because sin is no longer dealt with as sin and justification is no longer dealt with as a biblical truth encompassing all of life. So now we're living our lives and we think, I don't know what's wrong. I have this sin in my life and I can't get away from it, I must need professional help, something beyond the Bible.

I was taught many years ago when I was in school that as a pastor you'll have to learn when certain problems are beyond your skills and you'll need to recommend them to a professional. I was always troubled by that because I thought, in other words I have a Bible that is good for the little problems but if you have big problems you go not to God but to man. That doesn't make any sense, does it? Then I come to the word of God and I think, God has it all provided.

So when we come to the doctrine of sanctification in Romans 6, it is building on what he has said about sin. It's building on what he has said about God's provision in dealing with sin, the doctrine of justification. People want to skip all that because it's just doctrine, I want something practical. Well God is always practical, His doctrine is always practical. If we understand what He said about sin, what He said about justification, we are ready to deal with the area of sanctification.

Look how Romans 6 begins. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may increase? This is a natural carryover of what he has just been talking about. Look how chapter 5 ends, verse 20, the law came in so that the transgression would increase. But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. Sin increasing causes the grace of God to overflow and abound in taking care of that sin. What are we to say then? Should we continue in sin? Therefore grace can just overflow and in reality my sin magnifies God's grace. And so sin is not so terrible because it has a place in the plan of God and when I am sinning I'm just magnifying God's grace. You say, we'd never say that, but if we're not careful we as believers say that very thing because we look at sin and we sin and we say, well I shouldn't be doing that but I'm thankful that God forgives our sins. What are we saying? My sin is not so serious. It's okay because God's grace will cover it. There is an element of truth to that but it's put in a context that is distorted and twisted and becomes error. But it becomes a way for us to play down the seriousness of sin. Now I can say, I sinned, I'm going to get a hold on that but I'm just trusting in the grace of God. Well, wait a minute. And the element of truth to that is God's grace is great, but the error in that is my sin is not so serious that it has to be dealt with now. Or the fact that I do it, what can you say? I mean, nobody is perfect. So while the initial question, are we to continue in sin that grace may increase, we might say, it would be a terrible thing to say but if we stop and think about it we carry on that kind of attitude of minimizing the seriousness of sin because we want to magnify the greatness of God's grace. We don't want to focus on our sin, we'll focus on God's grace. But sin has been dealt with and must be dealt with.

Paul's answer is clear, may it never be! I mean, such a thought is inconceivable. King James gave it the force of God forbid, although the word God does not appear here. May it never be, the idea is that's not even a possible option, something we can't conceive of. Why? Now we're going to go back to where we were in previous study in Romans. How should we who died to sin continue to live in it? You know the wages of sin is death, Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty through faith in Him, His penalty is applied to us. Now what about this don't you understand? You're saying should we continue in sin, are we to remain in sin? Such a thought is inconceivable. How can those who have died continue in sin? I mean, you make an appointment to play golf with me tomorrow and I die tonight, don't expect me at the golf course tomorrow. I won't be there. Why? I died. That's no excuse. You see why it's important that we handle scripture carefully and seriously. Paul's question here is how can you even ask such a question? How can that even be a problem? How can those who died continue to live in sin?

Or do you not know? Or as one Greek translator put it, are you ignorant? Paul uses this question several times and it is when there is something that should be known and you are expected to know, you should know and you probably do know but you're not living in light of it. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death. Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death. Now we have the word baptism. All of a sudden things get blurred again. Now where are we? Well very clearly, when you get baptized you are identified with Christ and that's when you get saved. Well again, have we studied what Paul has said up to this point? Is it possible that we could be talking about here when you get baptized in water you get saved? No, absolutely not. How do we know?

Back to Romans 4. The end of chapter 3, verse 30, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. The point is everyone who is ever going to be justified by God will be justified in the same way. There is only one God, there is only one way to get justified. That will be true for Jews, that will be true for Gentiles. So let's look and see, is there any example where God has justified a person, how did He do it? We'll know how He does it, and he uses Abraham as the example, the father of the Jews. And the issue for the Jews was: do you have to be circumcised to be saved? And certain Jews said, yes, if you are not circumcised you won't be saved. And anyone who is circumcised is sure of heaven. We looked at some statements on that when we were back here. So Abraham in Genesis 15:6, Abraham believed God and God credited it to Abraham as righteousness. The question was in Romans 4, was that when Abraham was circumcised? Before or after? Well that was Genesis 15:6. Over fifteen years later in Genesis 17 Abraham gets circumcised. Is circumcision necessary to be declared righteous by God? No. That's the whole argument of Romans 4.

All right, let's look at Abraham. He was declared righteous in Genesis 15:6. Was that before or after he was baptized? Well let's try to clarify, when did Abraham get baptized? Can't quite remember the chapter, right? Yes, because it's not there. Then how could baptism be necessary for salvation? It can't be, otherwise there would be two Gods, the one who declared Abraham righteous by faith alone and the one who today declares people righteous by faith plus baptism. The whole argument of Romans 4 would be wasted. So you see we have to understand.

So we come to Romans 6:3, what does it mean? We have been baptized into Christ Jesus, we've been baptized into His death. We've been buried with Him through baptism into death. If it's not water baptism, what are we talking about? I take it we're talking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Look over in I Corinthians 12:13, for by one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free. And we were made to drink of one spirit. So you see there we're talking about something that happened in the realm of the spirit by the action of the Holy Spirit. We became partakers of the Holy Spirit, we drank of the Holy Spirit, we were baptized by the Holy Spirit, we were placed into the body of Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit. When did that happen? When we believed. We're going to get to this in Romans when we get over to chapter 8 and we'll talk about the fact that if you don't have the Spirit of Christ you don't belong to Him. So by one spirit we were all baptized into one body and made to drink of one spirit. Well when did that baptism of the Spirit occur that identified me with Christ and made me part of His body? When I believed. The Spirit identified me with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. And so I was forgiven and declared righteous.

Come over to Colossians 2. Paul has unfolded great theological truths in chapter 1 concerning Jesus Christ and in verse 28 of chapter 1, we proclaim Him, admonishing every man, teaching every man with all wisdom so that we may present every man complete in Christ. Then down in chapter 2 verse 8 he warned them, see that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world. The pressure has always been for the church to back away from the truth of the word of God and the unshakable commitment to that truth, and allow the thinking of the world to begin to shape us and mold us. Hear the warning for the church at Colossae. Verse 9, for in Him, Christ, all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form and in Him you have been made complete. Verse 11, in Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, that is the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. That circumcision of the heart that we talked about when we were studying in Romans 4, the removal of sin that is required, a spiritual circumcision of the heart. Then you'll note verse 12, having been buried with Him in baptism in which you were raised up with Him through faith in the working of God who raised Him from the dead. While you were dead in your transgressions and the un-circumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven all our transgressions. I take it the baptism here is the spiritual baptism following along with the spiritual circumcision. These spiritual truths, it's not these physical actions that bring about the work of God in the life. Not physical circumcision but spiritual circumcision, circumcision of the heart. Not physical baptism but spiritual baptism through faith in God. That results in the work of the Spirit of God on the heart that he is talking about.

One more passage, Galatians 3. Here again the battle is with Jews who were thinking circumcision and trying to have the church say you have to believe in Christ plus be circumcised. Verse 26, you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. It is faith in Christ Jesus that results in God crediting the work of Christ to your account. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave, free, male, female. You are all one in Christ. So you see you are sons of God through faith in Christ because you were all baptized into Christ. When? When you had faith in Christ. That's what identified you with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, as we're going to see in Romans 6 in a moment. That's the transaction that occurs when we believe. The Spirit of God identifies us with Christ so that His death and burial and resurrection are applied to our account.

Come back to Romans 6. How shall we who have died to sin live any longer in it? Or are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ, how did that happen? Well we just came through the section on justification that spent the bulk of the time talking about faith is the way that we are identified with Christ in His work and He becomes our representative. And thus we are credited with His righteousness. We have all been baptized, all of us who have been baptized into Christ which would be every believer, have been baptized into His death. Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death. This identification with Christ was in His death and burial clarifies and solidifies that. We were buried with Him through baptism into death.

Turn over to I Corinthians 15. Paul is talking about the good news again. This is the passion of his heart. The good news of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15, now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which also you stand. By which also you are saved if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. You'll note, sanctification, we're going to see, is a necessary result of justification. Sanctification and justification are not the same thing, but there is no justification that does not result in sanctification. So Paul says here, you are saved by believing in this gospel, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you. That's the area of sanctification. You manifest the fact you were justified by the way you live and your faithfulness to the truth of the word of God. And if you don't continue to hold fast to the word, that just is an evidence that your faith was not saving faith, it's empty faith. As James would write in his letter, faith without works is dead, it accomplishes, produces nothing. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scripture and He was buried. The burial is the evidence of His death, the proof of it. We were identified with Christ in His death and in His burial.

You say, I attended a funeral today, I went to the graveside. Oh did somebody die? Of course, you don't go to the graveside for a service unless somebody dies. Well they buried so-and-so. Oh they did, did he die? What do you mean, did he die? They buried him, of course he died. What they mean is I didn't know he died, but they are buried. Christ was buried, that was the proof of His death. Then he goes on to say, He was raised on the third day. We're going to get to that in a moment in Romans 6, our identification with the resurrection of Christ. And He appeared to Cephas and the twelve and so on, verse 5. His appearance is evidence of His resurrection, His burial is evidence of His death. Our death with Christ is real and true, it is a spiritual reality. We are identified with Him in His death and in His burial.

Come back to Romans 6. So that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we, too, might walk in newness of life. For if we become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. We talked about sin in the first part of Romans, then we talked about justification which involves our being identified with Christ in His death. Now how could those who have died continue to live in sin? They can't because the purpose that God had in identifying us with Christ in His death, and what did death do? It broke the power of sin over us. It separated us and freed us from the authority and domination and power of sin and of Satan when we were identified with Christ in His death.

This happened, verse 4, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we, too, might walk in newness of life. We died with Christ, we were buried with Christ, verse 4, so that. Here's the purpose God had. As Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father. The glory of the Father is the manifestation of the power of God in resurrecting Jesus Christ from the dead. It's a display of His glory, the power that brought about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. So that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we, too, might walk in newness of life. You realize that the same power, the same glory of God manifesting itself in that work of power is what has worked in your life when you believe in Jesus Christ to bring about a new life, newness of life? This is why the Bible can say you can tell a true believer by his life.

Turn over to Ephesians 2. We don't want to be in error on this. Look at verse 1, you were dead in your trespasses and sins. We dealt with that in the first three chapters, basically, of Romans. All have sinned, there is none righteous, there is none that does good, they have all turned aside, they have all gone astray. We were dead in our trespasses and sins in which you formerly walked. Denotes our life and the pattern of our life. That's where we lived, that's how we lived. Dead, separated from God in our trespasses and sins. We formerly lived and walked according to the course of this world. The world is a system dominated by sin, dominated by Satan who is the god of this world. According to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we, too, all formerly lived in the lust of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. That's the first three chapters of Romans—sin. That's what we were, that's how we lived, that's where we lived. But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. And raised us up with Him. Same thing we're talking about in Romans 6, that spiritual transaction that occurred. And He seated with Him in the heavenlies in Christ. That's our position in Christ. I'm here living this life, but I have a position in heaven seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father. That's the positional sanctification, righteousness and sanctification that I have. So that in the ages to come we might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. All of grace, all of mercy, all of kindness. I was a sinner living there. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that salvation is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not as the result of works that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, it was all His doing. That's justification, this work of grace, remember, that provided the righteousness of Christ through the death of Christ applied to all who believe in Him. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus, now note this, for good works. Our salvation, verse 9, is not a result of works but when we are made new in Christ, justified, it is so that we could now do good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. You see now, verse 2, we formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the leadership of the devil and the work of the devil, the lust of the flesh and all of that. That's where we formerly walked. Now we walk, verse 10, in the good works that God has prepared for us, the things that are consistent with His character, being holy as He is holy. You'll note that's part of His work of grace in our lives.

So we talk about God's work of salvation, you make a box that includes justification, which is distinct from sanctification, but sanctification is part of the work of God in salvation. So that those who are justified will now live according to His will for them.

Come to Titus 2. We've been talking about conduct again. The end of chapter 1 Paul talked about those who profess to know God, verse 16, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. You see works do not bring salvation, but works are always a result of genuine salvation. Life changes. We were identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection so that we would live a new life. Understand that people get confused on this. Parents, grandparents, we find ourselves struggling. I want desperately for my kids to be believers, I want my grandkids to be believers now, family members, loved ones. So I begin to pretend in my mind, well they don't live for the Lord. How many times over the years in the past I've heard people say, my children are adults now, they're not living for the Lord but I know when they were young they trusted the Lord. How do you know that? I can understand that, I want to believe that my children and grandchildren, my friends, my family are saved, they believe the Lord. And even when they're not walking with Him I think, maybe this is just a time of inconsistency. You know Christ died to change our lives and if the life hasn't been changed and the person is not walking in a new life, you have no basis to say they are saved. They may have had a faith but it's an empty faith. Because when you are identified with Jesus Christ in His death, how shall those who died to sin live any longer therein? I don't say this to be mean or unkind or to take away hope. I want to be honest with my kids, I want to be honest with my grandkids now. Worst thing I could do is pretend they are saved when they are not. You know people who are pretend believers are not going to heaven. And even if I as a pastor pretend they are believers, that still doesn't save them. We need to be careful we understand this truth. You are not saved by works, but if you are living and walking according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, you do not belong to the living God. You've never been saved. These are serious matters. That's why if we don't grasp the doctrines of the word of God, we begin to get out here and get fuzzy and get emotional and just look to the world for solutions. And we wonder why life is such a mess.

Come down to Titus 2:11, for the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men. That grace of God of course is the giving of Jesus Christ, the providing of Him as the Savior, salvation through faith in Him. And what does this grace do? It is instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the now age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who would be zealous for good works. The works of God for being holy as He is holy. That summarizes it in a concise way. He gave Himself for us to redeem us, to purchase us from the power and penalty of our lawless deeds. And to purify for Himself a people for His own possession. We've been sanctified, we are saints, set apart from sin for God Himself to be His own possession. And that would be a people zealous, not indifferent about, zealous, have a zeal for the works of God and manifesting the character of God.

Come over to I John 3:4, everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. You know that He, Christ, appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins. That word translated abides here, the same basic word that we had translated continue in sin in Romans 6:1—shall we continue in sin, shall we remain in sin. No one who abides in Him sins. No one who sins, present tense, who continues to walk in sin, live in sin has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you. John was concerned. People were around saying, that's all right, they are saved, they trusted Christ. They are not living for Him, their life doesn't show it but ...... He says don't let anybody deceive you. The one who practices righteousness is righteous. Note, you don't become righteous by practicing righteousness, but when you have become righteous through faith in Christ you practice righteousness, just as He is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil.

Verse 9, no one who is born of God practices sin because His seed abides in him, he cannot practice sin because he is born of God. I mean, you died with Christ, you are raised with Christ to a new life, you can't continue to live the old life. And anyone living that old life has never experienced the new birth, been born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious. We hear, judge not that you be not judged. Well, God says they are obvious. Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. Well, that makes it clear. If you don't practice righteousness, you don't belong to God, you've never been born of Him. Who are you to judge? I am no one, God said it, He's the judge.

Down in verse 13, don't be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. But the church is trying to get accepted by the world. The emphasis in the scripture is the world will hate you. It hated Christ, Christ said they'll hate you because they hate Me. We oughtn't to be surprised. We say, what can we do that the world will like us? Deny Christ, live like the world, then the world finds us acceptable. But we've been separated from sin, from the world, this world system, the prince of the power of the air who dominates this world, the lust of the flesh, and on it goes. So that we might live for Him. You know we need to have the truths of the Word ingrained in us so that we can present truth.

Come back to Romans 6:4, therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we, too, might walk in newness of life, in a new life. Verse 5, for if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection. I praise God for that certainty. Well I know I believed in Christ, I identified with Him, I have been justified. That means you have died with Him. Well you know certainly then you would be raised with Him to a new life, you'll be in the likeness of His resurrection as well as the likeness of His death. You know if it wasn't the intention of God to provide in His salvation new life, He could have simply had Christ die for us, have us believe in Christ, our sins be forgiven, our penalty be paid. And so we wouldn't have to go to hell, we could have just been left in the grave. But God intends something else—new life. Now we're going to the culmination of that process because this work of progressive sanctification will culminate in glorification. We'll get to that in Romans 8. That's when this body is transformed and we will be like Him for we will see Him as He is. That's I John 3:2.

So we are in process now but that doesn't mean you can't tell believers from an unbeliever, you can't tell a child of the devil from a child of God. They are obvious. Doesn't mean that a believer lives a perfect life. We all stumble in many ways. But salvation brings about a radical transformation of life. I mean, it couldn't be put in any stronger language. You died to the old life, you've been raised to the new life. Now you live in newness of life.

That's the solution to sin. The church is running to counselors everywhere. Churches now don't even discuss it, it's just a given, you need to have counselors that not only know the Word but know how to deal with sins. Well what does the Word of God deal with? Well somebody may be angry and need anger management. I have the passage for you—die. Well I just can't quit being immoral. Well you know what? I've been to many funerals, conducted a number. None of those dead people did anything the next day. Die. His solution is for all sins, it deals with sin and all of its manifestations. That's the beauty of it. I'm no longer ensnared and under the control and power of Satan and sin, I'm free, I'm new and my life is to demonstrate it.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your work of salvation that we indeed who were under the just condemnation of a Holy God for our sin and our sinful condition, You provided justification by Your grace through the death of Your Son and through simple faith in Him we experience the power of that salvation which identifies us with Your Son in His death, burial and resurrection to a new life. Now we are privileged to live by the power of Your Spirit lives that manifest the beauty of your character. Lord, I pray for any who are here ensnared, in bondage to sin, under the control and domination of the devil. May this be a day when they find salvation through faith in Your Son. We pray in His name, amen.