John Owen famously said, “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” The war with sin connects us with all people of all times, because the sin problem is timeless and universal. None of our technological advances have fixed our sinful nature, guilty conscience, or separation from God. What makes Romans relevant today is that it speaks to this seemingly impossible issue. The key to killing sin lies in answering this question: Who is King of your life?

Take-Home Question: I cannot kill sin without a new King.

The War Against Sin (12-13)

The War: Between God and Sin
The Battleground: Your Body
The Options
Present your members to sin as weapons of unrighteousness
Present your members to God as weapons of righteousness
The Question: Who is King?

God’s Victory Over Sin (14)

Living in God’s Victory Over Sin 
Reject sin’s reign by treasuring God (12).
Resist the body’s sinful desires (12).
Run toward righteousness (13).
Remember whose you are (14).

Paul spent the first several chapters in Romans laying out bedrock truths of Christianity. Now in Roman 6:11, he gives a strong imperative command: Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God. This is not a suggestion, but a “must.” Why is it so important? Because being alive to God is the entire purpose of our dying to sin. As one pastor put it, "The glory of Christian redemption is that it is in union with Jesus that we are given back our true selves. We finally begin becoming who we were truly created to be."

Take-Home Message: In Christ, I must consider myself dead to sin and alive to God.

In Christ, I will be eternally alive to God (8-9).

Realities of the Resurrection:
We will never die again.
We will have transformed bodies.
We will never grieve again.
We will be renewed.
We will live in renewed creation.
We will be with our loved ones who died in Christ.
We will be rewarded for every loss endured for Christ.
We will never experience war again.
We will witness true justice.

In Christ, I must be presently alive to God (10-11).

Romans 1–5 communicates the radical truth that, by faith in Christ’s righteousness alone, apart from any works of our own, we have been declared right with God. Paul ends Romans 5 in the clearest terms possible: “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom. 5:20). Not only is this teaching controversial, it is dangerous. Why? Because some may assert that it leads to rampant sinning. However, Paul answers such misunderstandings. To those who would assert, “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” Paul responds with the strongest Greek negative available: “By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”

Take-Home Message: In Christ, I am dead to sin.

• In Christ, I am dead to the pattern of sin (1–4).
• In Christ, I am dead to the position of sin (5).
• In Christ, I am dead to the power of sin (6–7).

Take-Home Lessons:

1. In Christ, my pattern is replacing sin’s lies with God’s Word.
2. In Christ, my position is not sinner but saint.
3. In Christ, my power is God’s justification. 

America may be the most individualistic culture in the world, which makes these verses hard for us to understand. We often think of sin as an individual problem that needs individual remedies, but Romans 5:12–21 teaches that it runs much deeper. Paul states that humanity’s ultimate problem is we have inherited Adam’s sin nature. Truly, the apple has not fallen far from the tree.

Christianity is the story of another Man’s righteous act overcoming Adam’s transgression. The God-man, Jesus Christ, sacrificed Himself to provide the free gift of grace for all who place their faith in Him. Christ’s act of righteousness far surpasses Adam’s transgression, and now grace abounds to all who trust in Jesus. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:1)

Take-Home Message: Life in Christ defeats death in Adam.

• Death through Sin in Adam (12–14)
• Life as a Free Gift in Christ (15–17)
• Life in Christ Defeats Death in Adam (18–21)

Take-Home Lessons:

1. We must embrace the reality that we are children of Adam.
2. We must embrace the righteousness that is only found in Christ.
3. We must embrace the reign of our new life in Christ.

If God did the harder thing, He will do the easier thing. Paul makes this point with a “greater to lesser” argument: “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Rom. 5:10). When we are tempted to doubt God’s ability to bring about our final salvation, we should remember the length to which God already went to secure it. Paul then stresses that we have “now” received reconciliation, reminding us that our salvation is not merely a future but also a present reality. What should our response be to this immeasurable gift? To rejoice! The Bible commands Christians to rejoice, so much so that our refusal to do so is disobedience.

Take-Home Message: I have future assurance because of God’s past work.

God’s past work ensures my final salvation (9-10).
God’s past work evokes my present rejoicing (11).

Take-Home Lessons:
Rejoicing is commanded, not suggested.
If God did the harder thing, He will do the easier thing.
Reconciliation is finished, but I must receive it.

Romans 5:6-8 provides a radical demonstration of God’s love for us: the sacrifice of His Son for ungodly, undeserving sinners. Paul began Romans with the phrase “the gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1), reminding us that our salvation is just as much a story about the Father as it is about the Son. Jesus did not come to earth to convince a begrudging Father to accept us; He partnered with a loving Father to save us. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)

Take-Home Question: Do you grasp how much God loves you?

Christ died for us while we were still weak (6).
Christ died for us at the right time (6).
Christ died for us while we were still, ungodly, undeserving, sinners (6-8).

Take-home Lessons:
God shows His love for you in the death of Christ.
God loves you because He loves you.
God’s ways of loving you don’t always appear loving in the moment.

I am convinced that no matter how old you are, where you come from, or what you’ve been through, there are things that everyone wants. We all want, desire, and long for peace. We all want access to the supernatural in some way, shape, or form. We know that we cannot avoid suffering, so at least we want it to mean something in this life. Lastly, all of us, deep down, whether we admit it or not, want to be loved. 

It’s no secret that we want these things—but the question is how do we obtain these things? The world will tell us a million ways to attempt to obtain these things; but in the end, we will never be satisfied. On the other hand, these verses in Romans 5:1-5 will show the only way to truly obtain these things: through Jesus Christ. 

BIG IDEA: The life you always wanted is only available through Christ.

• Through Christ, I have peace with God (1)
• Through Christ, I have access to God (2)
• Through Christ, I rejoice in my suffering for God (3-5a)
  • Suffering → Endurance → Character → Hope

Through Christ, I rest in the love of God (5b)

For many, the word “faith” sounds foolish. We hear this in phrases like “blind faith” or “taking a leap of faith.” But our faith as Christians is far from foolish because of Who our faith is in: the Promise-Keeping God of the Universe. The Bible says, “The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chron. 16:19). God is always searching for opportunities to strengthen those who trust not in themselves but in Him.

Take-Home Message: Don’t have faith in yourself.

Have faith in God by surrendering to His righteousness (13-15).

Surrendering My Self-Righteousness:
Prayerlessness
Perfectionism
Pharisaism

Have faith in God by hoping in His promises (16-22).

Have faith in God by depending on His power (23-25).

The resounding message of the gospel is this: “Come home.” Christ’s resurrection provides the pattern for those who come home: Just as Jesus was put to death on the cross, my old self is put to death. And, just as Jesus was raised to life, I become a new creation. But none of this can happen until I come to my senses, turn from my sin, and come home. Jesus did not come to earth to convince a begrudging Father to accept us; He partnered with a loving Father to save us. The Father planned our salvation, the Son accomplished it, and the Holy Spirit applies it. 

Take-Home Message: The Father longs for you to come home.

The Younger Son’s Rebellion (11-13).
The Younger Son’s Ruin (14-16).
The Younger Son’s Repentance (17-20a).
The Father’s Response (20b-24).

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God - ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭
Thank you for joining us for Good Friday.