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June 11, 2020 2:00 am
Sometimes believers can look back at their old life with longing. But as Nate teaches the message "Don't Look Back," he shares how you can break through the chains of sin to embrace your new life in Jesus.
This teaching is from the series Heart & Soul: A Study Through Romans.
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There's always this bond. The desire this morning to go back to their old life as a Christian, going back to sin is like winning the lottery and going to a life of poverty with experienced the riches of God. Jesus save us from sin received is to bring us into a new way of life today on connect with Skip Heitzig skips and shows you how to turn away from sin and truly experience the victory of Christ first want to tell you about a resource that will help the kids in your life experience and appreciate God's word like never before. The most recent state of the Bible survey revealed that only 9% of millennial's with the Bible on a daily basis most skeptical generation I record is also uninformed about the word of God. Small wonder such lifestyle confusion about your own children or your grandchildren passenger fitting to a younger generation so they don't become a statistic and stepped encouraging young person in your life to get excited about God's word all he has for the swing to the Bible by Skip Heitzig gives kids and twins. An overview of the entire Bible and exciting travel guide for illustrations fascinating facts to keep them engaged will send you your copy of this may produce resource you give a generous donation of $35 or more to help keep his Bible-based teachings on the air connecting more people like you to God's word. Call now to give and receive your copy of sword to the Bible 892 1888 or securely connectwithskip.com/offer as we join native heights of today's teacher where in Romans chapter 6 question start you ever with wish that you could be a better person. Maybe there's a certain sin that you struggle with. You just wish you could get past the building is always there hounding you that anytime you try to escape from it or get away from it.
It's always there to ensnare you again ever thought about whether there's as many things is wish would go away. There's a lot of really really think by people in Europe never felt that way, your neighbor did raise her hand. You can elbow them really really hard in the side will lay the foundation for how we can do just that.
How we can break free from sin and important questions and be answered.
Our message today that as this can you be a Christian and yet be continually living in a sinful lifestyle. I find this the question a lot of believers have is what does it mean to be backslidden. Can you lose your salvation is a possible to be continually living in sin, and yet still be a Christian and the answer that question is found today in our message again titled don't look back, and I found that sometimes we as Christians can find ourselves looking back at our old lives and there's nothing wrong with looking back your old life.
The sense of telling someone your testimony talking about your old life the past few experienced in working at. With regret, remorse and disdain for the life that you live in and talk about your new life in Christ. But I found some of us can look back at our sins that we struggle with, not with disdain but actually with fondness and desire you hear some people share their testimonies and when they get to the really juicy juicy simple parts. It almost sounds like they wish they could go back is like well man now is so entrenched and said it was it was crazy. I mean the things I did call and there's almost as fondness this desire. This longing to go back to their old life as a Christian, going back to sin is like winning the lottery and going to a life of poverty with experienced the riches, the abundance, the mercy, the love of God, and to desire to go back to a life of sin is like receiving a winning lottery ticket but going to a life of poverty as a matter fact I read a story online that says three years after lottery win couple arrested in burglaries is that there's apparently a Michigan couple who won $500,000 in a state lottery ticket a scratch off ticket for second. Just imagine what you would do if you won $500,000 like I like van Eyck I could live for at least a decade off that easy. I that that will work good.
I'm an investor that makes the money on a live that as long as I can. Three years after lottery when they want in 2016. They've now been charged in a string of burglaries across five different counties that might sound crazy or even absurd to you. Let me ask you this.
How often do we go back to the sin that we used to commit only to find no satisfaction.
We won the lottery. We received the grace of Jesus Christ and yet so many of us not long after salvation experience are found back in her old lives that we used to live how we can live with 1 foot in the church and the other foot in the world a change of heart. But the same old life we been given the riches of God's abundant love, mercy, forgiveness and grace we find ourselves looking back at old lives, longing to return. We won the spiritual lottery, but were content to live in spiritual poverty. Today my call to you my call to us is don't look back. Don't go back to your old way of life.
Don't look back at the sins of your past.
Get up, go forward and never go back. As a matter fact, those are three points today were to look at here in Romans six, Paul is giving us a call. Those of us who have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. He's telling us don't look back. Instead, get up out of the sin amuck the Meyer of your old life move forward go forward as you experience the resurrection power of Jesus in your life and you walk in newness of life and then never go back because you are no longer a slave to sin, you are freed in the name of Jesus Christ as a matter fact. Finally, all the little exercise right now. Let's look back at Eliza for Chrysler's quality swift and say we are never ever ever getting back together. We got bad blood was senseless to shake it off and experience a new love story and relationship with Jesus Christ that too many to list with funds in one message you like Nate one is too many to list the funds in a message on this passage we continue to learn more about all that God has done for us.
Throughout the book of Romans.
So far in this study through heart and soul. We had the opportunity to check our spiritual bank balance. We've already seen through Romans that he has justified us bringing us peace with God.
We've accepted God's conditions on knowing him.
We discussed the idea of unconditional surrender and we now have access to his presence, day and night. We learned that he is even interceding for us on our behalf at this very moment. As I said we truly have been given an incredible gift. We have one lottery, but there's more. Let's read Romans chapter 6 verse one through seven. What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound certainly not, 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 way to underline that newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him that the body of sin might be done away with. Underline that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin, for he who has died has been freed from sin. The first thing we see the first call that Paul gives us is to get up. Look at verses one through two with me what shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound certainly not, how shall we who died to sin, live any longer and it all starts with the question, and it's a simple question. He says, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound see we have now come to chapter 6 through eight of Romans and Paul begins a new development in his teaching in this section of Romans. Remember Romans as a whole is really all about salvation and its practical effects on those who are saved and now here in this passage we finally see the outworking of justification.
Up to this point Paul is been building a case that everyone of us is a sinner were all lost were all messed up.
There is none righteous, no not one. And he's presented this idea that a man named Jesus Christ came to the earth and died for our sins so that we can be made righteous on his behalf and Paul calls this process justification, just as if I'd never sin. So that's where were at.
Up to this point. Romans Paul now begins to talk about what justification looks like and causes within a believer's life. This is the outworking of justification in our first two points really deal with this idea and in essence this whole passage and can be summed up in this sentence Paul is saying we continue sending that grace may abound, no get up and move forward in the newness of life. The Christ Jesus brings in this passage Paul is refuting the argument he's assuming religious leaders might bring people who would think that because he is teaching that salvation comes totally and completely from God. And there's nothing we can do to make it happen. I.e. circumcision are keeping the law or any list of the things we think can get us to heaven.
Paul's answer a question that some I asked to be. If we are saved by the grace of God if he is the one who justifies us, just as if it never happened. Then why not continue sending so that more grace might come there basically asking this question hey Paul, is this whole justification thing a free pass to continue living our own lives the way that we live them as long as were justified. Is this a hall pass to keep on sinning to me take this justification principle is a awesome, now I can live like hell and go to heaven. What a deal I get to experience everything I want on earth. And then I get to go to heaven.
Everything is good after all. Will God forgive us anyways. Is this a license to sin. The word understand this continue.
Shall we continue in sin, the grace may abound carries the idea of habitual persistence that is to say, shall we habitually persistence in that grace may abound, it was sometimes used of a person who intentionally chose to live in a certain place and made that their permanent residence. Think of it this way. Perhaps you're thinking about moving her baby before you thought about moving by the new house and he looked around he looked at homes you've looked at the options you had conversations with your family and at the end of the day you've decided that now, instead of moving were going to continue to live in the place that we currently are. We will continue to inhabit and persist in our home that were currently at.
Instead of moving picture. The prodigal son living choosing to live habitually persist in the muck and the buyer with the pigs when his father's house is just a phone call away. Who's ever heard of the term Stockholm syndrome, most people have who knows where that term comes from it a couple of you do.
I saw a couple hands. Most of you probably don't four 1973 there was a bank robbery in Stockholm Sweden and during the crime.
Several bank employees were actually held hostage in the bank vault for five days while their captors were in negotiations with the police during the standoff, something strange happened. The victims actually became emotionally attached to their captors.
So much so that even when the government came and tried to save them.
They rejected government assistance and chose to remain captives rather than be free actually went so far that once they were finally freed, they actually defended their captors and the motives for which the captors had abducted. The victims fell in love with their captors and they didn't want to be set free that I seems crazy doesn't it like this people are dumb. That's just stupid. I don't know why anyone would do that but be careful because Paul is asking the question, how can those who have been freed from sin still desire to live in his captivity. How can those who have been set free still desire to remain captives in their sin and their despair because St. get up get up and get out of sin your furry you don't stay there anymore, and yet so many of us say well not that bad it's not as bad as you think I could stop if I wanted to many of us fall so in love with our captors sin that when Christ brings freedom.
We reject we would rather continue habitually persistence in than be set free first to Paul answers this question to be continuance in the grace may abound, and he says certainly not the King James is may never be in the Greek. This was the strongest repudiation, the Paul could possibly bring he is saying, certainly not, how shall we who died to sin, live any longer in it. Paul is asking the question, how can those whose relationship and sin has been broken by their death and use their will on the dead you are.
If you're Christian when you become a Christian, you die to self, you died in your sin and you become alive in Christ. So how are those who are dead in sin continuing to live in sin.
See Paul is giving you a comparison save if you're dead to sin. You can't live in sin, it's impossible to be dead and living in summary the same time is like sin zombies. This must be dead but there live, you realize many of us like sin. Zombies response be dead disabled like the walking dead. Walking around in sin was sin. Zombies, we should be dead to sin but some of us are still alive and send the message phrases verse two. This way if we left the country were sin is sovereign. How can we still live in our old house.
There or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good people for salvation. Sin cannot be anything but the established way of life. Ephesians chapter 2 verse two says you let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living tell you how to live, you fill your lungs with polluted unbelief and then exhale disobedience. We all did it all of us whose all of us are part of all is raise your hand. Come on, I see some non-participatory people in their report of all of us raise your hand. All of us every one of us you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you me all of us. All of us doing what we felt like doing when we felt like doing all of us in the same boat.
It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. It really is incredible is in it the mercy of God.
He did just that. You know what you guys are also stubborn, stubborn little punks just don't you want to do whatever you want to do it. I'm done with you. The Angels are better stay with them except for the Lucifer guy who go to hell. It's incredible to God have mercy on us. See prior to our relationship with Christ.
Sin was the natural way of life, but that's all changed prior salvation.
Sin is the default post salvation.
Salvation is the reset like an error message on your iPhone who's ever been caught in that spinning wheel of death on your iPhone or maybe that terrible Apple logo like shuts down startup, shutdown*it's the worst thing ever right you sit there holding your phone so angry like I just went through this thing gets the wall of an essay.
Words that are not part of my sanctification process. This is just so frustrating and you call happily tell you to do other two options.
The first thing is they try to encourage you to do a hard reset encourage you to take your phone inducing Vulcan death grip on it. Hold three fingers on an push really hard and wait for it to to restart the reset and then if that doesn't work. The next option for you.
Something really bad.
That is to wipe your phone was a recalled Apple is able ability to do is microphone you gotta completely eliminate all the content on all the photos all the contacts all the apps you have to start fresh. See salvation is a complete wipe of your iPhone. Jesus is hey you're stuck in this cycle of error messages these issues that are happening in your life.
The only answer is to do a hard reset is to do a restore to wipe it clean and start fresh. Paul is telling us to get up out of the muck in the mire of sin to get out of that old repetitive cycle of sin and misery and to move forward into the grace and joy that is found in Christ because now as believers we are new creations in Christ with the old things passed away and all things have become new know when you go to the Apple Store and they reset your iPhone. It's kind of a bummer but something great happens. If you have AppleCare symptoms of give you a brand-new life. Right is not exciting when you go there like it. We can't fix itself. You need a brand-new one really that's great news really relationship with Christ is even a hard reset. It's a whole new life. He says hey the issues that you have in your life there so bad we can't fix it so many give you a new you all the old things are passed away. All things have become new fresh start to fresh opportunity. That's not to say that were not in a struggle with sin or temptation because throughout the Christian life will always to some degree struggle with Santa start out. I asked if there is some sin you struggle with something that is difficult for you that will always be the case. We will always struggle with sin to some capacity, because the Bible clearly teaches, if we say we have no sin, the truth is not in us. So be weary of that person who says they don't struggle with sin as they're probably hiding something really big. It is don't want anyone to know about.
We all struggle with sin. We all deal with that plagues every one of us to. Paul wasn't speaking of a believers occasional falling in the sin, because that happens to everyone. He was speaking of those who intentionally, willfully choose to sin is an established pattern of their life. Romans 612 says do not let sin reign in your mortal body, or literally don't let sin control the way that you live question what controls the way that you live is it sin or is it Jesus because the two are mutually exclusive.
You can be controlled by sin and Jesus the great theologian Bob Dylan said it very simply have to serve somebody. It might be the devil and it might be the Lord, but you have to serve somebody.
Man can only serve one master and cannot serve two masters. So what controls you.
Paul is saying that a visit there has been no change in your lifestyle after our conversion we continue in sin, the danger of the question isn't so much can a believer lose their salvation but was that person ever really converted to begin with just the question was that person ever a believer to begin with. See Jesus made it really simple. When he said how do you know if a tree is alive appears four through if a tree doesn't bear fruit is dead and if the trees that what is he single new cut down the throat of the fire. I is it Jesus said it anatomy. I got a tree right now my front yard is dead. It doesn't have leaves. It doesn't bear fruit. It looks exactly the same.
In the summer, winter, spring and fall.
It is dead when they are so insensitive you know it's hard, you're right, but I know it's fruit and Jesus says you can know someone's heart by the so the question when someone's continue living in sin isn't how they lost their salvation. But it's where they ever a Christian to begin with, you want to know if you're Christian. Examine your fruit. Look at your fruit.
Look at your branches. If you're not bearing fruit your dead tree is telling us to get up and to get out of don't look back.
Get up, get out and start growing in newness of life. See the problem for those in Paul's day in this writing was that they got the cart before the horse. They believe that holy living, which is then translated as keeping the rules keep in the regulations that brought about God's favor and it resulted in salvation but throughout Romans Paul has been showing us close and explaining to us the extensiveness of our sinful condition and that there is no way we can earn God's approval and we all fail miserably and continually might repeat after me miserably and continually one more time miserably and continually.
It's getting an F on the report card every semester, every year miserably and continually. But the great news is that God's favor towards us, comes not on the basis of what we've done for him.
But on the basis of what he's done for us. He doesn't care that you got an F on the report card. He decided to take the test for you and he's in the give you the grade that he got and he got an A+ is not based on what you did is based on what he's done that's made height message from the series partnership want to grow in your knowledge of God's word can't wait to tell you about a degree program.
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Calvary College has you covered with a range of opportunities on site classes are scheduled to begin in 2021 for updates on classes and registration information for Calvary College. Please visit Calvary ABQ.college Calvary ABQ.com for Calvary College, Calvary, ABQ.college. The Bible tells us all about cancer radical left for us and we want to take his word to more listeners like you so more people can fall even more in life at the Savior help keep the teachings he left from Scap on the air and online by giving a gift right now just pick up your phone and call 892 1888 to 10 Hundred 9288 or visit.com/Downing that connect this time/pain to tune into my prescription shares what it looks like you so Skip presentation of connection communications changing truth ever-changing time