Review of Part 1 and Introduction to Romans 6

Weaver reviews the previous message on Galatians 2:20, emphasizing the believer's union with Christ in crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension. He introduces Romans 6 as an amplification of this truth, teaching freedom from sin's dominion.

Turn to Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20, and also go ahead and find Romans chapter 6 if you would please. Today we're going to be covering the second part of "Have You Been Crucified?" I'm also going to take a few minutes and review some of the important parts that I covered last week. But if you look in Galatians 2 and verse 20, the apostle Paul says,

In the very first message last week, I announced what I believe are some very important truths. And I think it would do well for each of you to re-listen to that message—in fact, might even re-listen to it several times—and/or at least read the notes over a number of times. In that lesson, I gave a brief history of crucifixion. And of course, I pointed out that the Roman style of crucifixion was not a gentler, kinder, and more gracious form of death. No, it was rather one that was meant to increase the agony and that of a lingering death. In fact, from the medical report that I gave you, they said that crucifixion could last anywhere from six hours to four days, depending, of course, how the individual is crucified. So in the first message, I simply asked this question: Have you been crucified? The question was not asked in reference to a real, literal, physical crucifixion, which, of course, none of us have been really crucified in that sense of the word. But it was asked to make us think about our union and our oneness with Jesus Christ.

And so the truth of the matter is I gave you a number of scriptures that showed our identification with Christ. And I also said that if you are a Christian, you have been crucified because He is our head and we are His body. And certainly the very fact that we've been crucified with Christ is a truth that most people have never really considered and never thought about the implications or the applications of that truth. So the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 2 and verse 20, and of course I pointed out that the Greek construction was a perfect active indicative, which means it's not only something that is absolutely true based upon the indicative mood, but since it is a perfect, it means that it happened in times past with a continuing application, and it continues to be true as well. So we looked at a number of passages, including Ephesians, Colossians, Romans 6, where the Bible teaches that we not only were crucified or we died with Christ, but we were buried with Christ, raised from the dead in Christ, and also ascended into heaven in Jesus Christ.

And then I gave you this quote by John Gill. He said this: "Christ sustained the persons of all of his people. And what he did and suffered was in their name and on their account. And so they were crucified and suffered with him, as they are said to be buried with Him, and to be risen with Him, and to sit together in heavenly places in Him." So, as I've tried to emphasize the truth of Galatians 2 and verse 20, where the Apostle Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ," I ask that you turn to Romans 6, and I want you to turn back there as well, because in this passage, the Apostle Paul really amplifies the truth that he just stated in Galatians chapter 2. So the thrust then of everything that I am teaching from Galatians chapter 2 can be found in far greater detail in Romans chapter 6. And in this passage, of course, the Bible is teaching us that we're absolutely free from the dominion of sin, that sin is not our Lord, sin is not our King, sin has absolutely no right to rule or reign over us because we have been crucified with Jesus Christ.

So, I'm not going to review everything, but I do want you to look in verses 11 and 12, and I'm going to pick up there. For in verse 11, he says, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." So, He says, "likewise reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin."

The Command to Reckon Ourselves Dead to Sin (Romans 6:11-12)

Weaver explains the words 'likewise' and 'reckon' (logizomai), stressing that reckoning is a continual, commanded, reality-based act of counting ourselves dead to sin and alive to God, just as Christ died and rose.

And then I gave you this quote by John Gill. He said this: "Christ sustained the persons of all of his people. And what he did and suffered was in their name and on their account. And so they were crucified and suffered with him, as they are said to be buried with Him, and to be risen with Him, and to sit together in heavenly places in Him." So, as I've tried to emphasize the truth of Galatians 2 and verse 20, where the Apostle Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ," I ask that you turn to Romans 6, and I want you to turn back there as well, because in this passage, the Apostle Paul really amplifies the truth that he just stated in Galatians chapter 2. So the thrust then of everything that I am teaching from Galatians chapter 2 can be found in far greater detail in Romans chapter 6. And in this passage, of course, the Bible is teaching us that we're absolutely free from the dominion of sin, that sin is not our Lord, sin is not our King, sin has absolutely no right to rule or reign over us because we have been crucified with Jesus Christ.

So, I'm not going to review everything, but I do want you to look in verses 11 and 12, and I'm going to pick up there. For in verse 11, he says, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." So, He says, "likewise reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin." So let me really and truly emphasize just two words again, which I emphasized last week. And the first one is "likewise," because the word there literally means "in this manner" or "after this manner." And if you will recall in verses 8 through 10, the scripture there talks about the Lord Jesus Christ, how He died once. He died once to imputed sin. He died once, and consequently, He was raised from the dead, and He lives under the power of God, the Bible tells us, and consequently, death has no more dominion over Him. And so, when He says in verse 11, "likewise," then that means in this manner, after this manner, just like Jesus Christ died, or has died, and was buried, and was raised from the dead, likewise, we also are to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now, the second word I pointed out last week is the word "reckon." It's the Greek word logizomai, and it literally means to think, to impute, to reckon, to account, to reason, to decide, and to determine.

Moreover, I pointed out it is a present imperative, which means, first of all, it is something that is to be done continually, because it is a present. And secondly, it is also an imperative, which means it is a command. And then thirdly, logizomai, as I pointed out, is a word that deals with reality. It does not deal with suppositions. So I can say it like this: if I logizomai, if I reckon that I have 250 bucks in the bank, I have 250 bucks in the bank. I don't have 251, I don't have 249, I have 250. So it deals with reality, it deals with truth.

So the apostle is telling us here in verse 11 that we are just in the manner, just like Christ died and was raised from the dead, in like manner we are to impute, we are to count ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ. So I ended last week with this question: How do I ascertain if I am truly reckoning myself to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ? I could ask the same question in a different manner. I could ask, what would be the evidence in my life? What would demonstrate the fact that I am indeed counting myself dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ?

Yielding Our Members as Instruments (Romans 6:13)

The believer is commanded not to yield bodily members as weapons of unrighteousness to sin, but to yield them to God as instruments of righteousness. The word 'yield' (paristēmi) means to present or stand ready, and 'instruments' (hoplon) refers to weapons of warfare.

The Apostle Paul actually answers that question in several books that he wrote, but however, he does answer that question in Romans chapter 6 as well. So I want to start with verse 12 again, and I want you to look at that verse when he says, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." Now, He did not say, "Let not sin therefore be in your mortal body," because it is in us. But he says, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body." In other words, it is not our king. Its power has been broken. And so we're going to ask ourselves, how can we discern whether or not sin is reigning and ruling in our lives? Or how can we discern whether or not Jesus Christ is ruling and reigning in our lives? And so the Apostle Paul then gives us in this passage a very practical and demonstrable manner in which you and I may know whether or not we are genuinely, truly reckoning ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ. And he gives us that beginning with verse 13. So look at verse 13. He says, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Now, when he said, "neither yield ye your members," what in the world are your members? Your members happen to be every part of your body, every part of your being. My brain is one of my members.

Yes, my heart, my affections would be one of my members, my hands, my feet, my eyes, my ears. Do you understand that we cannot move or think without using the members of our bodies? So if I decide that I want that pair of glasses, I've already thought I want that pair of glasses and my brain then sends a nerve stimulation to my arm and my hand, and I reach out and I pick up that pair of glasses. So our members happen to be everything that basically constitutes our being. So he says, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield your members," he says, "unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

Now, there are two words in verse 13 that you and I really need to understand. The first one is the word "yield." The word "yield" happens to occur five times in our Bible from this one Greek word, paristēmi. When we hear the word "yield," we normally think of the meaning of "submit to." So you come up to a traffic circle and there is a sign that says "yield," you automatically understand it means submit to the oncoming traffic. In other words, do not pull out in front of the oncoming traffic. Now, the word paristēmi—para is a preposition which means "alongside of," histēmi is the word which means "to cause to stand." So literally, the word means to place beside or near, to set at hand, to present, to offer, to provide, to stand ready. So note what he said, look at verse 13: "Neither stand ready, neither place beside, neither set at hand, neither present, neither offer, neither provide your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin." So we could summarize this command like this: do not come near, do not think about, do not consider, especially acting upon that which is evil, sinful, and wicked.

So let me remind you of a principle that I have enunciated in time past—may have even said it last week, but I'm going to say it again. So here it is. When God forbids any sin, at the same time He forbids anything that would lead up to that sin. So if I'm sitting here and I see Lorraine's purse and I see a big bulge in that purse and I'm thinking, "Wow, she's got a lot of money in that purse." And I'm thinking, "Wow, I'd really like to have that money." Well, listen to me very carefully. God says, "Thou shalt not steal." So, stealing or theft is sin. But at the same time, God is also forbidding my coveting, my desiring, whatever she has in that purse. Because my coveting and my desiring would lead up to the sin of theft. Here's another good illustration. Everyone knows about Genesis chapter 3, when the Bible tells us that the serpent approached Eve and he said, "Yea, hath God said, Thou shalt not eat of this tree?" And what did Eve say? Well, she said, "God said, Neither shall we eat of it, neither shall we touch it, lest we die." And I've heard people say, "Well, God never said not to touch that tree." Well, it's true. God never said do not touch that tree. And so some are trying to say, "Well, that's adding to scripture," but not in reality, because in reality, when God says, "Don't eat of that tree," how in the world could they eat of it without touching the fruit and pulling the fruit? So when God forbade them to eat of that tree, at the same time, He forbade them to touch that fruit and to pull it and to partake of it.

So clearly, when God forbids any sin, at the same time, He forbids everything that would happen to lead up to that sin as well. Now, the second part of this, look at it in verse 13. He says, "But"—in other words, here's a big transition—"but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Now note, if you would, the word "yield" is the same. So he says, now you're to stand ready to present and to offer and to provide and to bring everything into obedience to the one true and the living God, because you have been raised from the dead in Jesus Christ. Now, notice if you would, the word "yield" then occurs twice in verse 13. Here's the second word that occurs twice in verse 13, and that is the word "instruments."

"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Now, I want you to listen very carefully. The word "instruments" is a very interesting word. It's the word hoplon, H-O-P-L-O-N is how we would spell it. It is translated as "instruments" two times in our Bible. It is also translated as "weapon" two times in our Bible. And it's also translated as "armor" two times in the Bible. So when we're talking about instruments here, we're not talking about musical instruments. We're not talking about eating instruments. We're talking about instruments of warfare. We're talking about weaponry.

So here is something that we need to understand based upon verse 13. And that is this: we are either using our bodies, we're either using our members as weapons of warfare against sin and wickedness, or we're using our bodies as weapons of warfare against God and righteousness. So our members, our bodies, are instruments. And he says we're not to use these weapons of warfare against God and righteousness, but we are to use them as weapons of warfare against ungodliness and disobedience. So he says we're not to yield to evil. We're not to present our bodies as instruments for evil. But we are to yield unto God and present our bodies as instruments unto Him. Now look at verses 14 and 15. He says, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid!" Now again, the Apostle Paul is teaching us clearly that sin is not our Lord, and that sin does not have dominion over us, because we are not under the law, but under grace.

Not Under Law but Under Grace (Romans 6:14-15)

Weaver clarifies that being 'not under the law' means not under law for justification or condemnation, but the law remains the standard for sanctification. The thought that grace gives license to sin is immediately rejected with 'God forbid.'

Well, what in the world does he mean? Obviously, he is not saying that the law is no longer in effect. He does not contradict Himself. So if you look in Romans 3 and verse 31, Romans 3, verse 31, Paul asks, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." So faith, Bible preaching, Bible teaching, establishes God's law. So obviously when he said,

he is not saying that the law has been done away with. The law was never given for our justification, but it is given for our sanctification. So what he's saying here is two things I'm going to show you. Number one, he's saying we're not under the law as a means of justification. And number two, we are no longer under the law as a means of condemnation. So the law then is our standard for sanctification, but not for justification.

So, let me ask you this question. What can the law do with a dead man? And the answer is nothing. You remember just recently, there was a shooting in Indiana and here was the murderer who murdered three people as they were eating in a food court, wounded several others. And this young man, Dickens, only 22 years of age, from 40 yards, fired 10 rounds at the murderer. Eight out of the 10 hitting, which was a wonderful, wonderful ability. Even the first one hitting. The law enforcement said he took him down within 15 seconds. They came back and changed that. It was even a shorter period of time than that. So here's a man that has just been shot dead while he was in the process of murdering people. So let me ask you this question. Since he has been shot dead, what's the law going to do to him? Are they going to run up to him, arrest him, handcuff him, put him on trial, and then find him guilty and electrocute him? They're not going to do that, because he's dead. Okay? What can the law do to a dead man?

And that is absolutely nothing. So even God's wrath and God's law in condemning us, we're already dead. We've already been condemned in Jesus Christ. So clearly then, the Apostle Paul is not saying that the law has been done away with. No. Now, look what he's saying. He is saying very clearly in verse 15, "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law"—that is for justification or for condemnation—"but under grace? God forbid." Remember I told you last week, anytime you see the phrase "God forbid," it literally means "perish the thought." Don't even think about it. Don't even let it enter into your mind whatsoever. So if anyone thinks that not being under the law as a means of justification, or as a means of condemnation, then gives us the liberty to sin, Paul corrects that misconception right away. And right away, when he says, "What then? shall we sin, because we're not under the law, but under grace? God forbid," he says, do not even let that enter into your mind. Perish that thought.

Do not even begin to think like that. I want you to note verse 16, because here is where the rubber meets the road. Look, if you would, what he says in verse 16. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

Slaves to Whom You Obey (Romans 6:16-18)

Paul argues that obedience reveals one's true master. Believers were once slaves of sin but have now obeyed from the heart and become slaves of righteousness, having been set free from sin's dominion.

Do not even begin to think like that. I want you to note verse 16, because here is where the rubber meets the road. Look, if you would, what he says in verse 16. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

Now, the word "servants" is the word doulos, which means bond slaves. Now I want to call your attention to what Paul is saying again. Look in verse 16: "Know ye not?" Go back to verse 3 because I explained this last week.

You remember I told you last week this word "know ye not" is a polite way of saying, "Don't be stupid. Don't be an ignoramus." Here is something you need to know. You need to grasp. You need to understand this. So he uses the same language in verse 16 when he says, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" So basically, here's what the Apostle is saying, that your profession of faith is absolutely worthless unless it is demonstrated by obedience. If you want to know who is your Lord, see who you obey. If you obey sin, sin is your Lord. If you obey Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is your Lord. You remember what our Lord asked in Luke chapter 6 and verse 46. He asked, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say unto you?" In other words, he said, if I am truly your Lord, then you are going to obey me. So he says very plainly that to whomever you yield yourselves servants or slaves to obey, his servants you are, whether unto sin or whether unto righteousness.

Now, Charles Spurgeon said it like this. Listen carefully. He said, "If then a man lives a life of sin, he proves that he is a servant of sin, for he has obeyed its commands. And let that man know assuredly that he has nothing to do with Christ while he's living in sin. But if a man lives in obedience to Christ and seeks after righteousness and true holiness, that man is evidently the servant of righteousness and so the servant of God." I want to give you another quote. It's a little longer, but this is from William Newell in his book on Romans, and he's commenting on this verse. So listen to it. "Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as bond servants unto obedience, his bond servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" And the answer to the second question is, God has set believers free to serve Himself. The only other master is sin. And bondage to sin results from serving sin. But the word of God says to the believer, "You're not under the law, but under grace." Many people have been convicted of the guilt of sin and have relied on the shed blood of Christ as putting away that guilt.

have not yet, however, seen the state of sin as abject slavery. The strength of sin is just as real as its guilt. No creature can free himself from the bondage of sin. Sin brought to fallen man the inability to do anything else but sin. Although contrary to conscience, to reason, to desire for liberty, in spite of the terror inspired by tragic examples about them, yea, despite awful warnings and expectations of personal impending ruin, men continue in sin and its bondage.

But there is another obedience, that unto righteousness. And the case turns on the words, "to whom ye present yourselves as servants." Let us remember then, that the obedience under righteousness is the obedience of faith always. So Paul tells you very plainly that we can know whether or not we have reckoned ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God by whom we serve, who we are obeying. We can either obey sin or we can obey the Lord Jesus Christ.

So he says, "Know ye not?" Don't be ignorant about this. Don't be an ignoramus. Don't play stupid. You have to know that whomever you yield your bodies, your members to obey, his servants you are. Period.

Now look at verses 17 and 18. He says this, "But God be thanked, that ye were"—that's past tense—"but God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." Now, he tells us very plainly that we were the servants of sin. We were the slaves of sin, but we've obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which delivered us from this slavery and from this bondage. We're no longer bond slaves to sin. We are now the bond slaves to the Lord Jesus Christ under righteousness. In other words, we've changed masters. We have changed lords. We're no longer under the dominion of sin. We are now under the dominion and the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, he says, "God be thanked." Now, interestingly, in verse 18, when he says, "being then made free from sin," please remember he is not saying here being made free from sin that we are personally now sinless.

Take everything in the context, literally being then made free from the bondage of sin or the dominion of sin. That's what this entire chapter has been about. So being made free from the dominion of sin, you became the servants or the slaves of righteousness. What the Apostle Paul is telling us is men are either in Adam or in Christ. Men are either the slaves of sin or they're the slaves of righteousness. They're either the slaves to wickedness or the slaves to holiness. They're either slaves to sin or slaves to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Fruit of Service and the Call to Equal Devotion (Romans 6:19-23)

Weaver contrasts the shameful fruit of sin leading to death with the fruit of holiness leading to eternal life. He challenges believers to serve Christ with the same willingness they once served sin, and to put off the old man and put on the new man as evidence of new life.

Now, I want you to note verses 19 through 23, because he's going to sum up his argument. Watch. He says, "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness." "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin"—that would be free from the dominion and bondage of sin—"and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Now, I want you to note back in verse 19. He says, "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh"—the weakness of your flesh—"for as"—you need to underline those two little words "for as"—"for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so"—and we could conclude the third word—"even so now yield your members servants to righteousness and to holiness." Now, here is what the Apostle Paul is asking us. How did we serve sin? When we were under the dominion of sin and the bondage of sin and the kingship of sin, how did we serve sin? And here's the answer. We served sin gladly, willingly, obediently, practically. That's exactly what we did. When sin demanded that we jump, we would just simply ask, "How high?" Think about it when you were unsaved. Think about when you were unconverted.

I mean, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, you and I rendered to King Sin a willing, glad, obedient, and practical submission. That's how we served sin. Now he says, look at it again, "for as, even so now." So here's a good question. Are you going to give Jesus Christ any less service than you gave to sin? If you served sin willingly and gladly and obediently and practically, will you not serve the Lord Jesus Christ in the same way? That's exactly what he's saying. "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh." You did it this way when you were unsaved. Are you going to do it indifferently now that you are saved? Are you going to render less to Jesus Christ than you rendered to sin? Look at it, if you would, in verse 21. He asked this question, "What fruit had ye then?"

"in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death." So let me ask this question. Let's pretend that we're about to have a testimony meeting, and I am going to invite everyone in this room to stand up and testify to what they did before they were converted—to tell all of those secret sins and some of the open sins and tell everybody what you did. Do I have any volunteers? And the answer is no. Why? Because we're ashamed of those things. I don't know about you, but I'm ashamed of my sins. And I often say to the Lord, "Lord, I don't know why other than the fact I'm a sinner, but Lord I did it and I'm so ashamed." I do that today. I do it practically every time I pray. David said it like this: "My sins are ever before me." It is true. It is true that the Lord forgives our sins, but unhappily the memories of those sins are still retained within us. So he said, we are ashamed of those things, and the end of those things is death. But now, he said, watch it in verse 22, "But now being made free

from sin"—that is free from the bondage of sin—"and become servants" or bond slaves "to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." So here's another question. Let's suppose now we're going to have a testimony meeting and I ask, "How many of you are willing to stand up and tell what Jesus Christ has done for you and how He delivered you?" And everyone's willing to testify to that. Because we understand the grace and the mercy and the power of God in delivering us from the bondage of sin. So Paul then is teaching us that in a very practical way we can tell whether or not we are actually reckoning ourselves dead indeed unto sin, and ourselves alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have thrown off, or should have thrown off, the dominion of sin because we are now under the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I pointed out last week that the old man was crucified. That is, what we were in Adam. He's gone. However, there are characteristics of that old man, of that old life, that still are retained within us. The old man may be dead, but we keep dressing him, which we should not do. So let me finish this thought. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3. And I want you to look particularly at the first three verses. We'll look further down as well. But look in Colossians 3, beginning there with verse 1. Colossians 3 verse 1: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." Now, I never checked this out, but Gary, you've got the Greek in front of you.

Is that a "with" the indicative there or is that ean? Hey, so well, you can read this verse 1: "Since ye are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." So if we have been crucified with Christ, if we're risen with Christ, what are we doing? We're seeking those things which are above where Christ is on the right hand of God. We've set our affection on things above and not on things below, not on things of the earth. If we're still in bondage to sin, if sin is our king and our Lord, and we're still under its dominion, we're not seeking those things which are above where Christ is on the right hand of God. We're not setting our affection on things above. We're setting our affection on things of this earth. So he says very plainly, "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."

Now, the newness of life is demonstrated as well as confirmed by putting off the old man and putting on the new man. We mentioned this last week, but I want you to see it again. Skip down to verse 5. Verse 5: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth." Whoa, wait a minute. Stop. Don't you remember back in Romans chapter 6, he said, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness"? Huh. Now, what about the word "mortify"? What does the word "mortify" mean?

It means to make dead or to count as dead. This is the word where we get the English word "mortician" from, by the way. It's also where you get the word "mortgage" from. So he says, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience: in the which ye also walked sometime, when ye lived in them."

Now watch, that's what we were, and that's some of those old characteristics that have to be mortified. But look in verse 8: "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all." Watch it, here's some more. "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity" or love, "which is the bond of perfectness." So he is telling us if we are dead to the old man, if we are alive in Jesus Christ, we need to dress differently.

There's certain things we need to put off. There's certain things we need to put on. If you would turn back in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians, Ephesians 4, I mentioned this last week, but look at it in light of what I'm teaching. Notice Ephesians chapter 4, beginning there with verse 20. Ephesians 4 verse 20. He's telling us how we can know who we are serving and whether or not we're reckoning ourselves dead indeed unto sin and being alive unto God through Jesus Christ. "But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation" or conduct "the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

Practical Evidence of Reckoning: Putting Off and Putting On (Colossians 3, Ephesians 4)

Using Colossians 3 and Ephesians 4, Weaver shows that reckoning ourselves dead to sin is demonstrated by mortifying sinful deeds and putting on Christ-like virtues. This is a continual, daily, and sometimes hourly practice.

I pointed out last week that the old man was crucified. That is, what we were in Adam. He's gone. However, there are characteristics of that old man, of that old life, that still are retained within us. The old man may be dead, but we keep dressing him, which we should not do. So let me finish this thought. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3. And I want you to look particularly at the first three verses. We'll look further down as well. But look in Colossians 3, beginning there with verse 1. Colossians 3 verse 1: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." Now, I never checked this out, but Gary, you've got the Greek in front of you.

Is that a "with" the indicative there or is that ean? Hey, so well, you can read this verse 1: "Since ye are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." So if we have been crucified with Christ, if we're risen with Christ, what are we doing? We're seeking those things which are above where Christ is on the right hand of God. We've set our affection on things above and not on things below, not on things of the earth. If we're still in bondage to sin, if sin is our king and our Lord, and we're still under its dominion, we're not seeking those things which are above where Christ is on the right hand of God. We're not setting our affection on things above. We're setting our affection on things of this earth. So he says very plainly, "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."

Now, the newness of life is demonstrated as well as confirmed by putting off the old man and putting on the new man. We mentioned this last week, but I want you to see it again. Skip down to verse 5. Verse 5: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth." Whoa, wait a minute. Stop. Don't you remember back in Romans chapter 6, he said, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness"? Huh. Now, what about the word "mortify"? What does the word "mortify" mean?

It means to make dead or to count as dead. This is the word where we get the English word "mortician" from, by the way. It's also where you get the word "mortgage" from. So he says, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience: in the which ye also walked sometime, when ye lived in them."

Now watch, that's what we were, and that's some of those old characteristics that have to be mortified. But look in verse 8: "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all." Watch it, here's some more. "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity" or love, "which is the bond of perfectness." So he is telling us if we are dead to the old man, if we are alive in Jesus Christ, we need to dress differently.

There's certain things we need to put off. There's certain things we need to put on. If you would turn back in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians, Ephesians 4, I mentioned this last week, but look at it in light of what I'm teaching. Notice Ephesians chapter 4, beginning there with verse 20. Ephesians 4 verse 20. He's telling us how we can know who we are serving and whether or not we're reckoning ourselves dead indeed unto sin and being alive unto God through Jesus Christ. "But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation" or conduct "the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." Let me just stop there. You know, one of the ways that we grieve the Holy Spirit of God is when we don't put off the characteristics of the old man and when we don't put on the new characteristics of the new man. When we act as if the old man was not crucified, we grieve the Holy Spirit of God. He said in verse 31, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

So the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 6 is now completing in Colossians 3 and Ephesians 4 the very truth that he taught in Romans chapter 6 and the very truth that he taught in Galatians chapter 2. If we reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, we don't yield our members as weapons of warfare against God, against righteousness. Rather, we yield them and present them as weapons of warfare against sin and wickedness.

Abiding in Christ Through Obedience (John 15:10)

Weaver defines abiding in Christ not as mystical experience but as keeping Christ's commandments—practical obedience. Putting off the old man and putting on the new man is abiding in Christ.

We turn from those things and we serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the same truth that I'm enunciating was enunciated by Jesus Christ in John chapter 15. You remember in John chapter 15, the theme of those first several verses is abiding in Christ. That is where Christ said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me." I remember years ago, I read so many books on abiding in Christ. Much of the books, many of the books were just pure pietistic. And some of them were so esoteric, it was almost pure Gnosticism. And when you read some of those books, it seemed as if not only was this knowledge so secretive, there are only a few exalted saints ever really reached the state of abiding in Christ. Well, let me tell you what our Lord said in John 15 in verse 10. Listen carefully.

Our Lord said this: "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." What is abiding in Christ? It's keeping his commandments. It is obedience. It's not some secret knowledge floating around in the universe somewhere. It is practical obedience. So putting off the characteristics of the old man and putting on the characteristics of the new man is abiding in Christ. Because we are obeying Him. When we put off anger and wrath and malice and evil speaking, we're obedient. When we put on forgiveness and tenderness and loving each other and acting kindly and graciously, that's living the new resurrected life in Jesus Christ. Clearly.

Life Springs from Death (John 12:23-25)

Weaver illustrates that spiritual life and progress in holiness come through death—Christ's death and our identification with it. As a kernel dies to produce fruit, so the believer's life comes from being crucified with Christ.

Let me make a couple of applications very quickly. I want you to turn in your Bibles to John chapter 12. I want you to see a truth that you may not have really comprehended. And this truth becomes very evident in light of what we just read in Galatians 2 and verse 20 and Romans chapter 6. Here's a truth that must be emphasized, that must be understood, and that is this. Listen carefully. Life springs from death. Life springs from death. In John chapter 12, beginning there with verse 23, "And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." Now, what our Lord just said is true, not only in the natural world, it's also true in the spiritual world. Have you ever stopped to think that every vegetable that we eat, that we enjoy, that we like, and that we love comes from a dead kernel? That delicious sweet corn that we eat comes from a dead kernel. Something has to die in order for others to live. Jesus Christ died that we might live. Life comes from death. Our spiritual life comes from Him. Now listen carefully. He was our substitute. He was our sacrifice. He's our propitiation. All of our life comes from Jesus Christ.

Now, here's a wonderful truth that we must grasp. Not just that our life comes from Him. It does. But any progress that we make in holiness, in obedience and sanctification comes through Him. By His grace, when we obediently reckon, count, determine ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Because we come to the realization that sin does not have dominion over us. Jesus Christ has dominion over us. Therefore, we are absolutely free to disregard sin. We're absolutely free to dispute sin. We're absolutely free to ignore sin. We do not have to obey sin, because sin is not our Lord. We must obey the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the impact of Galatians 2 and verse 20 and Romans chapter 6 is our identification with Jesus Christ.

Suffering with Christ and Future Glory (Hebrews 13:12-13, Romans 8:17)

The believer's obedience may bring reproach and suffering, but this is fellowship with Christ. If we suffer with Him, we will also reign and be glorified with Him.

I want to show you something. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12. And I want you to look particularly at verses 12 and 13. Hebrews chapter 12, verses 12 and 13. Here it is. Look what he says. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 12. Let's see, I said Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 12. I may have given you the wrong verse—chapter 13 it is. Chapter 13. Yeah, Hebrews chapter 13 verse 12.

He says this: "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach." Now, you remember last week I read the passage, "they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot." So what does that mean? It means when we obey our Lord and bring our lives into conformity to his word, the world thinks we're strange. The world thinks that we're crazy, that we're cuckoo, that we don't have good sense because if we had any sense, we'd be enjoying ourselves right now. So, we are, in one sense of the word, fellowshipping with our Lord through humiliation. We're suffering with Him as He suffered when He was ridiculed and mocked.

And if we obey him, the Bible tells us very clearly that we shall be glorified also with him. So Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live"—by reckoning myself dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ—"the life which I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." So we have been crucified with Christ and we need to recognize it and apply it and count ourselves dead unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ.