You In Christ and Christ In You
Courtney Hemenway · Apr 19, 2009
You in Christ & Christ in You, No. 16
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926130345207

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Well, this may be a tag team, depending if I can get through my lesson. Then Mike will jump into the next section, which I think we're kind of combining grace and a little bit of position and condition all the way through it. So Mike will have the info to that.

So I think, I think, I think we are lesson 13. And this is on Romans 6, 14 through 23. And I think we're, if I remember where my notes are here, I think we were just about at the end of question three. Is that correct? I think there was one thing, yeah, we were talking about are we to continue in sin so grace may increase. We went through that. We talked about the sin issue, that where sin is, grace super abounds.

Therefore, there is no sin that cannot be overcome by grace. However, Paul warns the believer of abusing the liberty with which we have in Christ. In 1 John 3, 9-10, 1 John 3, 9. No one who is born of God practices sin, because his seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Again, so if you're walking in the Spirit, you're in him, can you sin? If you're walking in the Spirit? No. Okay? It says the identification is with being born of God and his seed abides in me. So if we're in him, will we continue sinning? No, we're still going to have the battle. I mean, you have two natures.

But I think as you mature and you're walking in the spirit on a more prevalent basis, less and less, as you mature, I think those temptations become less and less. As you focus on Him more and more, and who you are in Him, those temptations that you fell away before, I think they aren't as enticing anymore. I'm freed from that sin. I'm freed from going there. And I think as you walk more, as you mature, and you're conformity to Him, your focus is on Him, and these distractions, these things that pull you away, tend to be less and less. Everybody's looking at me.

I always like what Hal will say. that you know as you grow in the Lord your sin becomes more obvious to you and it's things that you didn't realize yeah whoa that's really not and I personally like that's so the battle is still there but if you recognize much more and you're more discerning I guess I'd say yeah and you know I think You know, I think as you're more enamored with Him and who you are in Christ, like I said, my focus is more there. These distractions, they aren't as alluring to me anymore.

But I think that's true. I think the battle that we have, and I think the hardest battle we have, is identifying the flesh and the sin. Well, the flesh in us. And we all fall into it, I think, where it is, I want to do something, I just got to do something. Give me 15 spiritual push-ups, I got to feel better. If I memorize 29,000 things, you know, God will smile on me a little bit more.

You know, and grace, that's, no, it's unmerited. So I think, you know, as you go on, you'll always battle sin, because we always have the two natures in us. But I think as you, Identify your sin nature more it becomes more evident than those things that you I do you know I my spiritual growth is going through like Realizing doing things. I'm a doer. I'm an absolute doer and and that's the hardest thing for me is To understand grace. That's why I love the concept of grace.

It's trying to understand that so yeah, right there It just points up your sinfulness. I think it just I it puts a spotlight on it, and you say, wow, why do I do those things? Why do I react that way? And things that I think that I have gotten over, that I'm so, I've arrived. And then here, oh yeah, I'm over here. to justify your sin too. That seems to be a huge issue that the Lord has to get you through, because as it comes up, there's a million reasons why you think that's a valid issue. I've been there and done that. And I think what Roger said too, is things that you don't even think are sinful become more, wow, that really isn't of good. Why am I doing that?

So I think the identification of it, but then also, yeah, the justification. You can justify things a thousand different ways. I'm amazed how we can justify things. And again, that's the old man. The old man, the only way he survives is by doing these things and enticing you and luring you over here. It's a battle we will have until the Lord takes us home. Okay, question four.

Are the questions in Romans 6.1 and 6.15 the same?

So 6.1 is, what shall we say? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? What then? In verse 15, what then? Shall we sin because we're not under law but under grace? May it never be?

Are they the same question? Stunned silence again. See, I have my answers. I'm waiting for your answers. I just want to see how wrong I am. I say no. No. We have a no. Any yeses? They're the same question. They're similar. How many chickens are out there? Similar? She's a middle-of-the-road-er. Middle-of-the-road, right down the middle. So we have a no, a middle, and is there a yes that they're the same? Any brave ones out there?

No, no, no? Well, how about this? Are they the same question, just asked two different ways? Ooh, even tougher questions. And nobody's willing to answer that one. No, they're two different questions. One's addressing grace, the other's addressing law. Yeah, they're distinct. Similar, but distinct. You got a half right.

So, what is the answer to the first question, verse 1? And that one is, what shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? What is the answer to that one? No. Well, yeah. What is that pointing out? Yes, may it never be. Even Paul gives the answer to that one too. You guys are cheating now.

So what is that really identifying? We died to sin. We died to sin. Our relationship to sin is broken. All right, so that's what it's pointing out in the first one. In the second one, what then? Shall we sin because we're not under law but under grace? May it never be. So what is the second one pointing out? Oh, we're not under law, sorry. Not under law, and we're under what? Grace. Grace. Okay, so they're kind of two different things. I always look at this too as a little bit different. You know, the first one is, you know, grace is out there, this great, if I can say, almost like an eraser.

So, is it better that we do more sin so I can get more of this grace? You know, so it's kind of a, if I can do it more, that means I can get more of this good stuff. On the other one, it is, shall we sin because we're not under law, but under grace. This is more of a liberty thing. I'm free to do it, shall I? Should I do it? So I think it's similar but different. First one is, if I do more of it, I get more good stuff. I get grace. So should I do it? Should I do all this so I can get more grace? The other one is, well, I have the liberty to do it, so why not? Who would think that? Who would say, gee, I think I'll sin, so on purpose you would do it?

A lot of people. And that's why Paul puts this in here. Twice. If it wasn't important, Paul wouldn't have put it in here. Because I think he was dealing with this issue. I think we still deal with this issue. I'm not under the law. I can do whatever I want. No, because then you'd sit on purpose. You're right. You're right. But he was dealing with this. He brought this up.

And I think people still kind of misunderstand, you know, grace, law, sin, all these different things coming together. And I think, you know, you can kind of flop either way on this, too. You know, I think we were dealing with that a little bit last week, too, with sin. You know, why are you worried about it? God has dealt with it. You know, the only thing we lose is the fellowship. That's why the first John 1, 9 confessed it. Yeah, I'm not acting like I should be. You're absolutely right. I agree with you, God.

You know, so there are a lot of issues tied in here that people deal with even today, I think. You know, that I can do whatever I want because I'm free from law. I can do whatever I want. May it never be. So I think he addresses it in two different issues. Like I said, do I do it more so I can get more grace? Because if I really do this, I can feel more grace. May it never be.

But there are people who think he was dealing with it. I think my sin nature is such that it's very subtle. And I say to myself, this attitude that I have, and it's usually an attitude rather than an overt sin, is this attitude is okay. I have a right. attitude for two minutes and I'll confess later and I know he's not my salvation.

Oh, absolutely. And that's the thing. How far do you take that? I know my position, so yee-haw! I can go out and do this. So it's a real thing that people deal with. And that's why I said God put it in His Word, and Paul was dealing with it, and I think we still deal with it. Well, to me, they seem to be a distinction of fiber, motive, and focus. It's concentrating more on testing the limits of police.

Exactly. Law isn't even mentioned. Right. And then verse 15, there's more of a constraint of law. There's a different reign on it. Right. Between the two. See, the second one I always do is kind of liberty. We have the liberty, so can we go crazy? The other one is, you know, we have this grace that covers everything, so can we go crazy?

You know, so they're similar but distinct. Well, and it seems too that the answers that Paul talks about, he's trying to lift you to a new life so that you're not dealing with it out of this nature where you're focusing down on that. Yeah. Oh yeah. And that's why I think last week I was saying, you know, why are we worried about all this sin? You know, there are consequences of sin, obviously.

But, you know, we just drag ourselves down. God is done with it, why aren't you? You know, confess it, go on, move on. And that's why I say we focus on all that stuff rather than, you know, Like I said, uplifting to grace. You're under grace. You're not under law. There's so many uplifting things. Take it off self. And again, I just, may it never be. I think in the Greek, the emphasis, it's emphatic. It's not just like, meh. It's like, no, you're crazy. But you know, let's say I have a pathetic attitude. I'm going to forget about it because I'm under grace. Grace never enters my mind. I have a miserable attitude and I'm dwelling on that.

Well, see, and that's where, you know, what I like is what we're going to focus on soon is the grace part. Once you start focusing on what grace is, it is the most, you know, what I say, the rest in peace. When you understand grace, then the first thing, we have to understand this identification first, because you don't understand grace until you understand about our identification with Christ, and the death, our co-crucifixion on a cross with Christ. Because then you can understand the unmerited part of grace, I think. Because the old man is the one who always wants to do something. Under grace, it's unmerited. There is nothing we do to receive grace. It is the unmerited, unlimited blessings from God. Based on what? Christ finished work on the cross. And unless you understand our identification, our death of the old man and our identification in Christ, I think you're always going to struggle with that unmerited part of grace.

Because the old man wants to always do something. That's why law. Give me a law. I'm an engineer. I like metrics. Give me a plan. Give me a spec. Give me this. I'll build it. I'll do it. And that's just what the old man wants. Give me something to do, because I need to do something. But under grace, what do we have? The free gift. And that's where I said, unless you understand the identification, it's very hard to understand grace. Alright, moving on, number five.

From verses 17 to 19, what does it mean to be either a slave of sin or of righteousness? So in verse 17 through 19, But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed. And having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I'm speaking in terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you have presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. Okay, I guess first thing, definition. What's the definition of a slave? Because you're a slave to righteousness or a slave to sin. So what does slave mean?

You're under the control of something. Control of a master. You're owned by somebody. Owned by somebody. Webster's has a person held in servitude as property. Pretty good. Greek word in this one is doulos. A slave, one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another. His will being altogether consumed in the will of the other. and in Romans 16 and 17, generally one serving, bound to serve in bondage. Okay, so what does slave to sin mean? I've given you the definition of slave. Slave to sin. Being in bondage to sin. Being a slave, you're not free.

You can only, I like what Mike said one time, you only get to pick the sin that you're going to sin, because you're going to sin. You're a slave to that. Yeah, you have no other choice. But when you're under the old man, or especially somebody who's not a believer, yeah, they can only choose from this sin or that sin. They have no other choice. So you're a slave to sin.

Okay, yeah. I think what's interesting about these verses it means that you are willingly a slave of one or the other. You decide who's going to control you. It isn't the other way around. It isn't that I'm going to decide between both of them. Either I'm yielding or allowing myself to be controlled by sin because I'm under a law system, or I, by exercising my will and believing in God, am under the control of the Spirit of God or in grace. But I'm the one that decides who controls me. That's the switch in Hell's drawing there. Are you getting hit? That got my laugh. I'll ask the question.

Can you be a slave to two masters at any one time? No. No. You can't. There's only one. So we have the slave to sin, one who is serving or bound to serve in bondage to sin. A non-believer does not have that choice. Right. For us, believers. Sin as our master is a result of our old position in Adam. Everyone that commits sin is the bond-servant of sin. So at that time, you're a slave to sin. So what does slave to righteousness mean?

Not a trick question. I think it's being obedient to what the word says. Okay. Out of the right reason that God loved this person, as a result we can love him and be obedient. Okay. Any other thoughts? Well, that's a strong word. Obedience? No, slave. Slave? That's what it says. You know, I think what Debbie was going to, Does this seem right? Slave to righteousness? Do you like that? Slave. I'd just trade one master for another. Is that what you think? What if you happen to be the most perfect master? Would you want to be a slave?

Even backing up from that, what incredible news that we are in fact slaves One or the other. You start with the premise that you can pick right or wrong, good or bad, whatever, and here he's telling us that we can't. That we're a slave. And you're either one or the other. It seems in verse 18 there, before we even have that choice though, there's a pivot point back to the work of Christ. We've been set free. We wouldn't have a choice if it weren't for that. And how were we set free?

By Christ's work on the cross, resurrection. And what? So he did that. What else? In Romans 6, what else is there? Besides his work on the cross, what happened on that same day? We died with him. Co-crucifixion? So there's two things. His paying for the sin, but we were also co-crucified with him. So that separated us from the old Adamic nature. We don't have to be in bondage to that old nature. He has freed us from that. So yeah, that's how we get to be freed from that. is our co-crucifixion. Now, as Don said, we have a choice now. Before, you didn't have a choice. You were a slave to sin. That's all you had to do. That's all you could do.

So it sounds funny when you say a strong word. The bristle at the fact that you're a bondservant to righteousness. To something that's perfect, It's not a burden. You look at a lot of Paul's epistles. At the beginning of it, what's he say? I'm a bondservant. Does he say that begrudgingly? No. No. It's not like, oh, I'm a bondservant. I wish I could get these shackles off. No. He says, I'm a bondservant. And that's where I am. And as Mike says, we have a choice. We have a choice to our old nature or to the new nature. That's our choice, to be a slave under sin or a slave under righteousness. And it's not a burden. It's not something...

It's a joyous position to be in. I want to be there. Roger, do you have something? Well, there's a picture there about that word doulos in the Greek. I'm not sure what society it was. I guess it was Greek. You could willingly, if you were a slave, if you had a good master, you could willingly become a life slave to him. And they would take your head. They would put the whole thing in your head. And you were a lifetime slave. But you could choose that. If you found a good master, as a slave in the Greek culture, you could willingly submit and become a lifetime.

So there's kind of a picture there, I think. Because he lies to you. By his death and our crucifixion with him, we have become a life, eternal life, which is wonderful. You're linked to him now. As we get into a lot of this, what was the will of Christ? It was to do the will of the Father.

Did he go, I just don't want to wake up today and do that. I don't want to do the will of the Father today. It's too burdensome. I hate being shackled down. Never would he say that. He loved to do the will of the Father. He couldn't do anything but that. It wasn't a burden to him. It wasn't this, you know, I've got to do the will of the Father. That's what he came to do. That's what he enjoyed. That's his very existence, was do the will of the Father. You know, enough to go to the cross.

And it wasn't a burden. We have that same joy of being a bondservant of Christ. It's a joy. It's not a burden. Which would I rather be linked to? As we get into wages of sin versus grace and love and all the mercy that we have through our bond service to Christ? Is bond servant a better translation than slave? Slave implies no choice.

Right. That's why the New American Standard is a better translation. The most accurate translation. Excuse me, I'm getting smug here. Yeah, I think it's a better rendering of it. All right. Question six. Do we as believers have the power to prevent and stop sin in our lives because we have the will to do so? Come on. Yeses. I want to see yeses. A lot of shaking heads there, are you not? Yeah, that's a no-go.

You cannot do it, no matter how. And we have the perfect example in the next chapter in Romans 7, where Paul struggles with this. Romans 7.15, for what I'm doing I do not understand. For I am not practicing what I'd like to do, but I'm doing the very thing I hate. So Paul, you know, obviously a man who spent time with the Lord, all this, and he still struggled. He couldn't do it on his own. As you see at the very end of chapter 7, what does he say? What's he say? Oh, wretched man that I am. Thanks be to God, Christ. You know, it's through Christ, okay? And then 7, 19, and 20.

For the good that I want to do, for the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice a very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. So, Paul is very specific, or very clear, that on his own, he can't do it. You can't just you know, on your own, prevent or stop sin in our lives. So, you know, he realized, O wretched man is I. And what is it? Christ. That's the answer. All right. Any questions on that? Seven. Will laws make believers obedient to God? Just, we need more laws. We need more laws.

Yeah, this is one of those political comments, since you know I'm... at any chance. Somebody's shaking his head in the back there. He knows me. This is one of those things. This is very sensitive and we're having, I'm seeing it again now, the Columbine 10-year anniversary. And I was amazed at, you know, what was the first thing that they said after Columbine?

What do we need? More laws. Okay? We need more laws. Okay, what did, I think, what did they say? They broke 19 laws, I think, or something? In the two who did it? They broke 19 laws. So you tell me, if we had 19 laws that were broken, what would adding 10 more do? What would adding 20 more do?

Giving them a chance to break more. Break more? Yeah. I mean, our, you know, Our first thing, you know, is we think laws are the answer. Laws, not necessarily that you put more laws, because you're gonna break them. We can't keep them. And I just thought, you know, we had 19 that they broke. Why are they gonna just get meaner laws? You know, or ones that, you know, ooh, I won't mess with that law. Make it a hate crime. Well, yeah, make it a hate crime, yeah. But let's see, what do the hate crimes do? I'll just make you have a hate crime when you go to court when you broke that.

Courtney, part of it is that we don't have a just punishment for the law. I mean, the problem is we're all whack. I mean, it's a political thing. Don't pull the string on my back on that one. We'll be lost for hours here. Bill says that the law just aroused sin in him. He didn't know sin until he... That was what the laws were brought for. You know? Scripture is very clear about this.

In Galatians 5.4, you have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by the law. You have fallen from grace.

Galatians 5.18, but if you are led by the Spirit, what, you are not under the law.

From Galatians 2.21, I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died needlessly. Ouch.

Galatians 3.23-25, but before faith came, we were kept in custody under law. And that was the Old Testament saints. We were kept in custody under law, being shut up to the faith, which was later to be revealed. Therefore, the law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

I find this, this is where people usually stop, right there. In that verse. So what does that say? Christ was the law. It was the law that draws us to Christ, so we need the law. Okay, the law was the tutor. What does verse 25 say? But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. We had some friends, and it was... But we need the law. Look, it says right here. need the tutor anymore. So anyway, laws will not make us obedient to God. Very specific in scripture.

Question eight, how are we made free from sin and put into service to God? How are we made free? I answered this, I think, to Steve. How are you made freed from sin to be able to put into service or into bond service to God? Sin was put away on the cross. Sin was put away on the cross and? We were all freed through God. Through what?

I mean, he dealt, there's, and we've talked about this, there's a, there's a, without grace, it was strictly a judicial matter. Sin was taken care of. That was a judicial matter. But what was the grace part? Our co-crucifixion with Christ. That's the other half. I mean, sin was taken care of, all sins, all time was taken care of by Christ dying, His blood shed. But the other is the co-crucifixion part, where we are co-crucified with Him.

And that's where we get our freedom from. You know, again, if just the sins were paid for, is that all we want? Or is that all that would help us? Just that sins were taken care of? No. Are you still a sinful person? Just that you have your sins taken care of? You're still a sinful person. So, how did God take care of that? He crucified the old man. Took care of it. Dealt with it. Dead.

Which is separation. So again, it's not only a payment of sin, it's the act of identification, our co-crucifixion with Him that we are positionally freed from the power of sin. We still struggle with it conditionally, but positionally we have been freed from the power of sin. So I can say to myself, I no longer owe my sin nature anything. Yeah.

It's dead. You know, we bring this up kind of graphically. When somebody goes home to be with the Lord, do the laws still apply to them? Do all the things still apply to the person who is dead? No. They've been separated. So I don't know anything. It's done. When you believe, simple faith, what Christ has done on the cross, for us, and this co-crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection, you're done. You're done with that, positionally.

We still deal with it because the old nature was not killed, severed, done. We still have two natures. So we still have to deal with it conditionally. But now, I mean, through our identification with Him, there's so much tied up to identification. That's why we have this class, and why it's so important to get this foundational truth.

Since my mom went home last month, that conversation kind of happens once in a while, because a very common piece of input is, well, she's in a better place. I mean, which she is, but there's so much more than that. That she's free from all this stuff, law and everything. It's so much more complete than just being in a better place. I mean, positionally.

I mean, think of all the things he's promised when we just went over John 17. You know, all the things he's promised throughout John. You know, I look at the whole Gospel of John. Look, you know, in Ephesians, you know, kind of where we are in the heavenly, seated in the heavenly, that heavenly look down. All those things.

But then, you know, it comes down to, you know, here, If by simple faith we believe all these things that he's told us, how much better our existence here is, just realizing the truths that he's said about us, that is true about us. That's why I say in many of these things, do you believe this? You know, we go over one of these truths, you know, the union with Christ, all through John 17. You know, I in him, he in I, I in all these unions. Do you believe that? I mean, do you believe that? Not here, but here. How that changes you.

I mean, I look at Paul's life and all that he went through, but he had joy. He recounts all these things, but he knew his position, and he realized his truths, and I think if we realize that, whatever is thrown our way, If we just believe these things, we're in a good position now. Our condition can be a lot better if we just believe the things He's told us. I go through whatever happens, God's in control. If you believe that, how can you be upset? Am I smarter than God? I always go back to those three speeches of God to Job.

And it's like, it kind of puts him in his place there real quick. Where were you when I did all this stuff? Hey, brilliant man. Where were you? And I think of that. And if I'm questioning God and what he has for me, what he has for you, and I go back to my oops, I always go back to these isms that I have. Oops, did God say oops? Oh, I missed that, Courtney. Sorry, we'll catch it next time.

No, you know he's in control of it. So how do I not understand that he's dealing with me? Can we ever be separated from his love? So whatever he does to you, is he doing it because he's angry at you? So if you know it's going through, how can you be frustrated or whatever if you know he still loves you? He's taking you through for a reason. So, you know, and then I go to my peace and my rest you have through all this, if you know that. Anyway, I digress.

If we are, another question, if we are in Christ, our identification with His death, burial, and resurrection, His life is our very life, will our will be different than His? No. No. Therefore, as Christ speaks of his relationship to God the Father, he speaks of our relationship with the Father. So, again, this service to God, made free from sin and put into the service of God. If our life is his very life, then the things he said about this, the union and all the things, we share that same position, same will.

John 5.19 Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself unless it is something He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. Again, think of our identification with Him.

From John 5.30, Christ speaking, I can do nothing on my own initiative. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. Again, remember of our identification when I read these, our identification, John 8, 28 and 29. So Jesus said, When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He. And I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father has taught me.

And he who sent me is with me, he has not left me alone. For I always do the things that are pleasing to him. Look at these verses and then put yourself in identification. Our life is his life. Wouldn't these be the same statements that we should make? I think so. Question 9.

From verses 20 to 23, contrast the benefits of being slaves to sin to the benefits of being enslaved to God. So Romans 6.20-23 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore, what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed?

For the outcome of those things is death. But now, having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derived your benefit, resulting in sanctification. And the outcome? Eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. So name the benefits of being slaves to sin. This is on your sales brochure for slaves to sin. What are all those benefits?

Death. Oh, there's one high on the list on the brochure. What else? No righteousness. Ashamed? Good. Ashamed? No righteousness? Death? You know, there are so many things of slaves to sin. I mean, you're not doing the will of God. Sorry, Mike. You wanted to start next week anyway. You know, death, obviously. You know, there's so many things the enslavement or the wages of sin. So let's go to the other side. What about benefits of being enslaved to God? What do we get?

Eternal life. Eternal life. Yes. What else? Sanctification. Sanctification. You have to work for this? We'll get to this in the next one. We're set apart for Him. That's sanctification. You know, as we're talking the sanctification past, present, and future are being set apart. Eternal life. This is just the brief one.

I mean, we can go through all the benefits of being enslaved or being in Him. I mean, we have the union. We have all the places He's prepared for us. I mean, we can go down the laundry list of thousands of benefits of being a slave to Him, which means It's not something to be bristled at or it's not a burden. It is a joy to be enslaved to it.

We might say, which may be a little bit easier, when we say in Christ or in Him, that's actually equivalent to being a slave because if we're in Him, His nature is our nature and so it's another way of looking at that. Yeah, well to me it's not a burden at all, because his life is our life. It's, you know, the dog analogy, Mike, you know, the dog barks, we eat the dog. Well, if we're in him, I mean, we have all those benefits, all the things we'll be doing, because that's who we are in Christ. So, I mean, it's not a burden. It's just who we are in Christ. Quickly, we'll end this to question 10 from verse 23.

Contrast the wages of sin to the gift of eternal life. In verse 23, we had to work in order to get paid. What was the work and what was the payment? Work was sin. Work was sin. Payment was death, separation from God. Isn't that a great economy? You sin and you get death. I want to get on that economy fast. Now death is the wages of sin. So if we work under sin principle, do we also have to work for grace? Is that what it says? So the wages of sin is death. Our wages of work is grace. Do we work for grace? No. So if we don't work for it, how do we get it?

It's a gift. You know, this is one of those ones I always say, you know, it's like, you know, somebody gives you a gift, gives you a Ferrari, puts it in your garage, gives you the key. Do you choose to drive it or not? It was a free gift to you. Well, I don't want, you know, I probably have to pay whoever gave me that. I just couldn't get a free gift like that. I don't want to drive it until I pay that person something.

No. It's a free gift. Free. Thank you. You know, that's our answer to the grace glass. All you can say to grace is thank you. That's exactly the answer to grace. You can't do anything other than just say thank you. You gave the whole grace glass right there, Monique. But if you don't have faith, would you still have grace? I mean, would God be still gracious on you, even though you're weak? Would everybody be under grace, even if they don't believe? What do you think? No, I don't think so.

Right. I mean, you have to receive it. You have to receive it. The principles out there, it's the operating system out there, it's just us. Do we receive it or not? So it's our choice, is it? Yeah. I mean, it's out there. And what against sin? It's super balanced. It's more than you can ever hope for. It's more than you can ever think of. And yet, no, it's the free gift. We receive it. What do we get under grace? Oh, go ahead. Just thinking that God's free gift is given according to a certain criteria.

And what is that criteria? that the person truly believes Jesus is who God has said he is and has done what God says he has done. And that's the only thing. And that's only by simple faith. That's the only thing. And it's the non-meritorious act. It's no work. You just believe.

Once you do that, That's the other thing. I can't get back out. I want to get back out of this deal. Can you get back out of the deal once you're in it? No. You've been severed. You don't want to, but you can't get back. You can't say, I don't think so. Because once you are, no matter what you do at that point, Matthew, you're in God's hand. I can't climb out. I can't get out. I can't do anything. I'm in His hand. We have new life in Him. And if you tie all that to our life as His life, then how does Christ, how do we get out of this? How do we negate that life? You can't. So, yeah.

Quickly, what do we get under grace? Lots of things. The sins we're taking care of, we're pardoned. We get welcomed in heaven. Life is granted to us. Eternal life. Life in Christ. Intimacy with the Father. I mean, you can just go down the whole litany of things that we get under grace. As opposed to wages of sin, we get this all free. All right, Mike, we'll start next week and we'll introduction into grace with some positioning conditions. Let's close.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time as in every time. Father, we just thank you for looking into your word. We thank you for what you have in this section of Romans 6 and just what we have in Christ. And again, it's only through identification with Christ through the co-crucifixion And we are so thankful that it wasn't by wages. It's nothing that we did. It is only through the free gift that you've given to us. It's through simple faith in what Christ has done. So Father, we thank you how simple it is and how great it is. And we just pray that we'll grow in the grace and knowledge. And we just thank you again for this time to commit this day to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.