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Death is not usually seen as a happy time. Sometimes death is seen as a relief or a release especially in the case of extreme suffering. God sees the death of one of His saints as precious (Psalm 116.15), but then again He is able to look at all sides of life and know with certainty what is best. However, as we examine our focus text today we will see that there really is joy in death – if we choose to see it.

“Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from…  ( Click for more )

Death is not usually seen as a happy time. Sometimes death is seen as a relief or a release especially in the case of extreme suffering. God sees the death of one of His saints as precious (Psalm 116.15), but then again He is able to look at all sides of life and know with certainty what is best. However, as we examine our focus text today we will see that there really is joy in death – if we choose to see it.

“Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from…  ( Click for more )

Some opposites are not as radical as others. Ripe versus unripe is not so radical because unripe can become ripe. Mature versus immature is not necessarily so stark because, in the nature of things, immaturity usually precedes maturity. Not so with Paul’s greatest of contrasts in the final verses of Romans six.

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God,…  ( Click for more )

Contrasts and opposites are literary tools that can work magic for an author. Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, was a master of this technique. Today’s focus text draws upon the conscience of every honest-hearted person and forces that person into the vivid pictures that Paul paints. The reader is compelled to say, “He is talking about me – and you know what – he is absolutely dead on!” Consider the text and consider the implications of it upon your life – past, present, and future.

“Do you not know that to whom you present…  ( Click for more )

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness..” (Romans 6.16-18; emphasis mine, jb).

Literal slavery has horrific images attached to it. Part of our reaction to this word has to do with the inhumane actions associated with…  ( Click for more )

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” (Romans 6.14-15; emphasis mine - jb).

It is not always the case that truth exists between two extremes, but such is frequently the case. When it comes to the role of grace in the salvation of man, this is certainly the case. Grace has been painted and tainted with every possible face and distortion imaginable. Grace, as taught in the Scriptures, is such a marvelous thing; grace as cheapened and…  ( Click for more )

“For the death that He [Christ Jesus] died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”(Romans 6.10-12).

The word reign literally means “…to be king, to exercise kingly power.” Hence, Paul is admonishing fellow believers not to allow sin to have that kind of influence on their lives. This is quite a graphic picture when one…  ( Click for more )

Ten verses at the beginning of Romans 6 draw the reader into a position where he/she must consider his/her relationship to God. The drawing card of the text is what Jesus Christ did to save our souls from hell. Death is addressed at least twelve times in these ten verses. There is the death of Jesus, the death of the penitent believer, death to sin, and other variations of this somber reality. Bringing the reader’s mind to a crescendo in these ten verses, Paul then says, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our…  ( Click for more )

Dominion is a curious and powerful word. When we speak of a historical event, if we speak precisely, we will add the two letters AD following the year of the event. If we speak of the same date but without using the AD suffix, we might say, “In the year of our Lord.” This is a common translation of the Medieval Latin phrase, Anno Domini. According to Wikipedia, the AD year numbering system is the most widely used system in the world today. What has that to do with Dominion? Simply look at the word again and the Latin phrase that is abbreviated AD. A cursory glance reveals…  ( Click for more )

Dominion is a curious and powerful word. When we speak of a historical event, if we speak precisely, we will add the two letters AD following the year of the event. If we speak of the same date but without using the AD suffix, we might say, “In the year of our Lord.” This is a common translation of the Medieval Latin phrase, Anno Domini. According to Wikipedia, the AD year numbering system is the most widely used system in the world today. What has that to do with Dominion? Simply look at the word again, and the Latin phrase that is abbreviated AD. A cursory glance reveals…  ( Click for more )

Yes, I know about rules of capitalization. No, I am not reflecting negatively on Christ by using a lower case “c” in His name. Yes, I do have a point to make and I want desperately to catch your attention so it won’t be missed. No, I won’t do anything to make a point, but I will go a long way to try to make this one; it is that important!

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death” (Romans 6.3; emphasis mine, jb). This quote is taken from the New King James Version. Consider the weight…  ( Click for more )

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! [God forbid! KJV, ASV, KJ21, etc., etc]. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6.1-4 NKJV; emphasis mine, jb).

There is a death, a burial, and a resurrection in Romans…  ( Click for more )

Sin abounded; grace abounded much more! This is the essence of Paul’s closing statement in Romans 5. Hear Paul’s (but more properly the Holy Spirit’s) words: “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5.20-21; emphasis mine - jb).

This is the fifth usage of the English phrase much more in Romans 5 (see verses 9,10,15,17, and 20). This final usage…  ( Click for more )

The expression much more in the New Testament is frequently used in a way that is roughly equivalent to our saying, “If you think that was something, what do you think about this?” Many times the inspired writers of the New Covenant used this expression as a way of drawing attention to a set of circumstances that was worthy of special notice due to its great significance. The focus text that immediately follows contains two such expressions, both of which serve to draw the reader’s attention to God and to the extraordinary (supernatural) love that His Gospel extends…  ( Click for more )

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5.8-10; emphasis mine, jb).

The phrase “much more” appears two times in today’s focus text. These two expressions are identical in English and Greek. The same expression occurs in two other passages…  ( Click for more )

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5.6-8; emphasis mine, jb).

The first use of the word sin in the inspired record occurred with regard to one of Adam’s sons. The record reads, “And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry,…  ( Click for more )

Some figures of speech are more picturesque that others; some cause mental images to race into our minds and remain there due to their uniqueness or their beauty. Other figures of speech are not so picturesque, but are nonetheless memorable due to the impact that they have upon us as individuals. The figures contained in Romans 5.5 are a case in point. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5.5; emphasis mine, jb).

When a group of people react to a tragedy with empathy…  ( Click for more )

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5.1-4; emphasis mine, jb).

Glorying in tribulations truly is a state of mind. The glorying to which Paul alluded was something that believers did while “knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;…  ( Click for more )

The Encarta on-line Dictionary defines access as “a means of entering or approaching a place.” To many with disabilities access means that they have the ability to enter or participate where otherwise they would be without such privileges. Politically access has a special meaning that relates to the availability of a person of influence to someone who desires a hearing or a favor from that person of influence. On the other hand, Access into Grace means the difference between eternal life and eternal condemnation.

Paul writes, “Therefore, having been justified…  ( Click for more )

Paul wrote, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5.1-4; emphasis mine, jb).

Luke recorded these words of Jesus during His earthly ministry: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to…  ( Click for more )

Justification! Everyone needs it, but no one can effect it! God alone justifies. “Now it was not written for his [Abraham’s] sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe in Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4.23-25; KJ21).

The prominence of sin among all peoples is an obvious theme in the first four chapters of Romans. That theme does not stop there; the entire book refers to our sins and our need for…  ( Click for more )

A “…double-minded man is unstable in all his ways,” so says James the inspired writer (James 1.8). Abraham was the precise opposite of a double-minded man; consider the following quotation. “[Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” (Romans 4.20-21; emphasis mine, jeb).

Paul stated that Abraham was “fully convinced.” In Abraham’s thinking there was no room for God to fail; it…  ( Click for more )

Life without hope is like a sunrise with no sun; something is desperately wrong with the picture. In humanity’s darkest hour, God’s voice broke the silence and hope sprang from the silence. Here’s what the first glimpse of hope looked like: “So the LORD God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall…  ( Click for more )

Describe God? No man can! Yet there are many descriptive phrases in the Bible which speak to some of His attributes or aspects. Today’s message addresses one such passage. Abraham had dealings with God which are chronicled in the Old Testament, some of which are repeated in the New Testament. Paul wrote somewhat extensively about Abraham in the book of Romans; one descriptive phase describing God is contained in the focus text of today’s message.

“For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law…  ( Click for more )