What about the title: Living in Sin?
Michelle
Sort of a bit like the Three Musketeers
All for one and one for all.
EXCEPT it's Once for all [Christ for us]
and one for all [one Holy Christian Church for the world]
Neville, St Clair, NSW, Australia
I am borrowing from a friend the title, "Bad Habits Die Hard - But They Do Eventual Die." Even when one goes cold turkey in giving up some sinful vice, the allure of former sins remains strong as they die a slow death in us. The good news is that they do eventually die, and living for God becomes more of a reality. There is a interesting play on the Greek word for sin, amartyria. Martyria is the word for witness. Placing an alpha in front of a word has the effect of negating its meaning. Thus sin is a non witness for Christ or God. Sinful habits enslave us and destroy our witness. Until we die to them, we cannot be raised up to be witnesses for Christ. TN Mack
TN Mack,
I hadn't noticed that about the Greek. Thanks.
I do plan to use this text for Sunday, not because I'm afraid to use the Gospel text, that one will certainly play into it, but we have way too many people who disregard this text. I am so tired of the attitude: "I can sin all I want, because God will take care of it."
My title, "Living in Sin," is much more broad than the old understanding of the term (which is all but disregarded today). Counting ourselves dead to sin is not going to be easy... how ever can it be?
Michelle
Thanks for the comments thus far. Yes, this passage speaks clearly about a break between the life that is concerned with human standards -the ways of the flesh- (not to mean that the body is bad- rather the life that is temporal)and life in the spirit, that is, what is revealed to us as we live in relationship with God. This is tough, though, because I don't think many of are motivated by "life with God." AT least in my church, people aren't falling over each other trying to design this or that program....make sure this or that gets done...constantly renovate everything that there's only the best...
AEA
I'm working with the title, 'Baptized into Death?!'
Paul talks a lot about our death and dying with Christ. This is a great opportunity to get people to talk about something they greatly fear--death--and get them to realize that it is not something to fear but something for which to praise God! In fact, Paul says we have already died with Christ! So we are now free. Halleluia!
--RPL
The title I will be using is "Remember Who You Are." Often times parents tell their children before leaving for college or moving out, "Remember who you are." The hope is that the son or daughter will remember what they have been taught, giving them strength to resist temptations they will face.
Is the same true for Christians? Will remembering that we forgiving by God's gift of Jesus and that we are his children, keep us from offering our bodies to sinful deeds but rather to God?
I am having some difficulty understanding vv 3,4 and 5. Any thoughts on this? Thanks!
Tim in Wadsworth, Ohio
I was born into a devout Christian home. I knew Jesus as well as i knew my uncles and aunts. I have always been told, and even preached that we must die to our selfishness and live in Christ. But I have never had a clue as to how this might occur.
A few years ago in a deep throw of depression I let my guard down at a local Ministerium meeting and asked the 8 or 10 pastors there - "How does one die to their sinful nature?"
Interestingly enough, none of them even had a bluff answer. Quite a cross section of faith walks were present too. A liberal female Presbyterian, a conservative female American Baptist, a liberal male Episcopal, a fundamentalist male independant, a fundamentalist male Assembly of God, a evangelical female United Methodist, to name a few.
It seems vs. 11 answers my question. We count ourselve dead to sin, or in another translation we reckon ourselves dead. It is a faith issue on some basic level. By faith we die to sin.
So what do we believe about ourselves? What do we reckon?
And do our parishoners know that dieing to sin is a matter of faith? Perhaps it would be helpful if we shared this. Will in NY
I am extending the scripture to include the greater context of v. 14. Here is some my exegesis and structure and a proposed 3 point bare outline.
Interrogation with causation: This seems to be the primary structural relationship here in Romans 6:1-14. The question, “Since grace abounds when sin increases (rm. 5), shouldn’t I continue in sin so that grace will continue to abound (6:1-2)?”, is answered by a “no” because to be baptized with Christ is precisely a death to sin. In fact, baptism is participation in Jesus’ death and resurrection, dead to sin, and alive to righteousness (6:3-11).” Then in 12-14 it says that since we have died and risen with Christ, we ought therefore, to consider ourselves dead to sin, alive to God and present our members to God as instruments of righteousness and not so sin as instruments of wickedness.
Based upon the above structural relationship, the following could be the 3 main points of my sermon:
1. We shouldn’t continue in sin because baptism in Christ is precisely a death to sin.
2. We die to sin through our participation in Christ through death and resurrection.
3. Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God.
I am extending the scripture to include the greater context of v. 14. Here is some my exegesis and structure and a proposed 3 point bare outline.
Interrogation with causation: This seems to be the primary structural relationship here in Romans 6:1-14. The question, “Since grace abounds when sin increases (rm. 5), shouldn’t I continue in sin so that grace will continue to abound (6:1-2)?”, is answered by a “no” because to be baptized with Christ is precisely a death to sin. In fact, baptism is participation in Jesus’ death and resurrection, dead to sin, and alive to righteousness (6:3-11).” Then in 12-14 it says that since we have died and risen with Christ, we ought therefore, to consider ourselves dead to sin, alive to God and present our members to God as instruments of righteousness and not so sin as instruments of wickedness.
Based upon the above structural relationship, the following could be the 3 main points of my sermon:
1. We shouldn’t continue in sin because baptism in Christ is precisely a death to sin.
2. We die to sin through our participation in Christ through death and resurrection.
3. Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God.
ph in fl
v. 7 says, "because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."
My question is in regards to a person "sinful" who dies... then what happens to those sins... doesn't one need ask God for forgiveness. OR is it metaphorically speaking that death comes indeed at baptism... OR is it just our way of trying to make sense of life. I don't believe in the Transubstantiation theory... Christ did die, but did he die so that we wouldn't sin? No... did he die so that our sins are forgiven...? Then why do people still sin... because they haven't died to self? I'm confused...
Thanks for letting me think out loud...
pulpitt in ND
Live and Let die---old saying....Reverse it Die and LIVE!!! Think about someone in you congregation would had open heart surgery and the analogy... the doctors have to KILL you to Give you life (bypasses, valves etc) The same with cancer patients they have to poison them with chemo so they may live.... liken this to Death of self and Live in the spirit with Christ... Again and Submission and oedience theme here... I may throw this in dont know yet.... Thinking about using matthew mostly with John Lennon "Imagine" Pastor Mary in OH
Tim said -- The title I will be using is "Remember Who You Are."
And, more importantly, remember whose you are!
Blessings, Eric in KS
Eric and Tim,
When I was a teen-ager, my father was the pastor of our small church. Each time our youth group left for some outing, our leader would always say, "Remember three things: Remeber who you are, whose you are and who you represent." That always caught my attention. And it kept me focused on being a good witness of myself, my heritage and my faith.
For the rest, I've noticed a negative tone in many of the titles. I'm using this text, also. My title is "Alive in Christ." I plan to focus on the power of Christ to help us overcome our bend to sin. It seems Paul is saying that if we died with Christ, as seen in our baptism, (vs 8) then we are to consider ourselves alive in Christ, and therefore empowered to overcome sin as He did.
Any responses?
Steve in NC
Steve in NC,
Point well taken. I appreciate your sharing the words of wisdom that have stayed with you. I believe I will share them with others. Thanks.
Michelle
"Raised to Glory". Think about it, folks. I knew exactly
what it was like to be a slave to sin - since I was born again
at 35 years old - I had a lot of practice at being trapped
in doing things because they were "fun" and "felt good" that
now seem utterly repulsive to me - and against which I
consistently warn my teens and young adults - and not a few
older ones. And the only difference was the claim of the Lord
upon my life.
There are a lot of people in our pews who still feel trapped
in something of that nature - and even though they sit in the
church on Sunday don't feel the freedom from that oppressive
weight of sin that Christ purchased for them - because they
can't accept that it was for THEM and not just for those who
don't come to church. A goodly number do understand that, but
I would bet that there are others who have good habits but don't
have that peace inside that comes from understanding just how
much God has done for that person who resides within their skin. They
are afraid of a new life because the old one is still a puzzle;
and the older they are, the more of a puzzle it is becoming. A line from
an 'oulde' song by The Who, of all groups, is going through my mind.
"I'm Free. And freedom tastes of reality."
RevRick in now gloriously soggy So. Ga.
