Die to sin as you live in Christ.

Sermon for Trinity 6, July 24, 2022

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.  Amen.

Romans 6:3–11  ³Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  ⁴We were therefore buried with him by this baptism into his death, so that just as he was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too would also walk in a new life.  ⁵For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united with him in the likeness of his resurrection.  ⁶We know that our old self was crucified with him, to make our sinful body powerless, so that we would not continue to serve sin.  ⁷For the person who has died has been declared free from sin.  ⁸And since we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  ⁹We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he will never die again.  Death no longer has control over him.  ¹⁰For the death he died, he died to sin once and for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God.  ¹¹In the same way also consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (EHV)

Die to sin as you live in Christ.

Dear friends brought to life,

            The Bible speaks of death in several ways, but all of them involve a separation.  We enter this world in spiritual death which is separation from God because of the sin we inherit from our parents and our own selfish desires.  Then, of course, we are aware of physical death which is the separation of the soul from the body.  This one too is inevitable because of sin and causes no end of grief in our world.  Finally, there is eternal death which is everlasting separation of the sinner from God in the torments of hell.  We certainly want to avoid that death at all cost.

Now, most people are rather uncomfortable speaking about death, at least certain deaths.  There is no reason for me to get too deep into the insanity of the modern world when it comes to the idea of death, but it is a reality that everyone of sound mind and health deeply desires to avoid death personally.  Modern medicine spends billions upon billions of dollars helping people forestall death.  Even the deaths of animals grieves many people excessively.  There is, however, a death that I want you to pursue based on Paul’s writing in this text, for he urges us to Die to sin as you live in Christ.

Paul had just explained the immense riches of God’s grace that covers every sin, but lest some imagine that we can sin freely, he writes, “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”  Forgiveness, faith, salvation, and eternal life come to us primarily through the gift of baptism.  In baptism, we are connected to Christ Jesus’ death, and it is His death that covered and paid for all the sins of the world.  The reason Jesus’ death could pay the full redemption price for the sin of the world is because He is the holy Son of God who, while perfectly without sin Himself, made our sins His own as He sacrificed Himself in our place so that we could truly live as God’s sanctified children who Die to sin as you live in Christ.

Paul explained, “We were therefore buried with him by this baptism into his death, so that just as he was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too would also walk in a new life.”  Why do you suppose the practice of burying the dead came into common usage?  Primarily, I think, to cover the stench of death and the decay that follows.  For millennia, people have buried the dead bodies of people and animals, alike, so that the living wouldn’t have to endure the stink.  Likewise, being buried with Christ covers the stench of our sins which God could never allow in Paradise.  In Baptism, the sweet-smelling sacrifice of the perfect Lamb of God washes away our stink. 

Now, our walk in new, God-pleasing life will finally be complete only when we walk with Jesus in heaven.  Yet, if we truly are now connected with the holy Christ through baptism, could we still wallow in our former sinful ways?  Those of you who do laundry, could you imagine my wife taking my white dress shirts out of the wash, bright and clean, and using them to wipe out the cat’s litter box?  Would anyone here ever take his or her most expensive garment and throw it into a hog lot to give the pigs something to play with?  Isn’t that the same type of shameful behavior we would display if we should return to sinful ways after being brought to faith in Christ Jesus?  “May it never be!” (Romans 6:2 NAS)

Now, the really good news: “For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united with him in the likeness of his resurrection.”  God did not unite us with His beloved Son so that we would be abandoned to the grave and eventual destruction.  No, just as Jesus was raised in glorified triumph by his heavenly Father to dwell in heaven everlasting, so God had the purpose in mind of saving you into His heavenly home, for the day is coming when we and all believers in Jesus will be raised from wherever our bodies might sleep to rise through the clouds in perfect holiness to dwell in the eternal glory of heaven.  United with Jesus means a permanent connection with the Holy One of God.

More good news: “We know that our old self was crucified with him, to make our sinful body powerless, so that we would not continue to serve sin.  For the person who has died has been declared free from sin.”  Even in our own courtrooms, when the perpetrator is deceased, no charges are brought against him even if all evidence would prove his guilt.  How much greater for us, then, that in God’s courtroom, we have been declared free of sin because of the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.  With His death on the cross, Jesus paid our full debt to God for our rebellious ways.  Christ’s death substituted for ours so that all the traitors who rebelled against God’s love are now reconciled with God in the heavenly kingdom.

Now, we know that our old sinful flesh is a terribly strong tempter in our journey through life.  In so many situations, we experience a strong pull to return to the sinful ways in which we were born—just like a dog returning to its vomit.  Still, at the cross, the power of our old flesh was broken.  The chains of sin that held us in Satan’s control were shattered when Jesus died without even once falling prey to the devil’s lies or mankind’s natural flesh.  In Christ, we have been justified, that is, believers have been declared righteous before God.  Thereafter, looking at all people though the intervening sacrifice of Christ, His own dear Son, God declares, “I will be merciful in regard to their unrighteousness, and I will not remember their sins any longer.” (Hebrews 8:12)

The Holy Spirit brought us more good news through Paul’s hand: “And since we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he will never die again.  Death no longer has control over him.  For the death he died, he died to sin once and for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God.”  Jesus has risen from the dead victorious over Satan, sin, and the grave.  As our risen and ascended Savior, Jesus lives in glory everlasting at His Father’s side in heaven, there to rule all things in heaven and earth for our everlasting good.

What this really means for us is that connected with Jesus by faith, we too have the upper hand in the devil’s war against God and mankind.  Satan can no longer threaten us with accusations of guilt.  His temptations also ring hollow, for God has withheld nothing good from us, even sacrificing His own beloved Son so that we are cleansed of all guilt and justified in God’s eternal courtroom. 

My friends, death entered this world because of sin.  Because sin has been conquered, death’s hold over those who walk with Jesus has also been destroyed.  St. John wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “My children, I write these things to you so that you will not sin.  If anyone does sin, we have an Advocate before the Father: Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2)

St. Paul wrote likewise, “Death no longer has control over [Jesus].  For the death he died, he died to sin once and for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God.  In the same way also consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  Earlier in this sermon, I made what may have sounded like a strange statement to you, for I said that there is a death I want you to pursue based on Paul’s writing in this text.  I certainly don’t want you to pursue physical, spiritual, or especially eternal death.  But remembering that death is a separation, the Holy Spirit urges all believers to separate themselves from sin.  He exhorts us to Die to sin as you live in Christ.

Naturally, you might be asking how we can die to sin.  We strive for this separation by avoiding sin in everything we do.  We live to love God and neighbor with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind.  We strive to avoid those temptations that we know lead us to sin.  At the same time, the honest believer knows we always fall short of the holiness God requires to enter His kingdom—that is, we always fall short on our own merit.  That is why we have a Savior.  That is why God connected you with your Savior in the cleansing flood of Baptism.  Your sanctification came as you were justified by faith.  Unlike justification which unites us with God in peace, sanctification is an ongoing process through which the Holy Spirit is working to keep you in repentance and faith, so that you remain connected with Jesus, and consequently, at peace with God unto life everlasting.

Therefore, we die to sin as we strive to obey God’s commands, as we love our neighbors as Christ loved us, but especially, we die to sin as we live in Jesus’ loving care.  You are here today hearing again what Jesus has done for you so that you stand righteous and holy before the Creator and Judge of the world.  As you partake of Jesus’ body and blood in the Lord’s Supper, Jesus is testifying with His physical presence, in all your senses, that He died for you, that through His sacrifice, He has separated you from eternal death and the devil’s accusations.

Now, many people will tell you that you must repent to be saved.  Rightly understood this is true.  However, repentance isn’t just saying you are sorry for the sins you have committed.  Repentance is a continual turning away from sin to trusting in Jesus who took all your sins away and made you righteous before God.  “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31)  It is through faith in Jesus Christ that you Die to sin as you live in Christ.  Amen.

Now may the God of peace—who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, in connection with his blood, which established the eternal testament—may he equip you with every good thing to do his will, as he works in us what is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ.  To him be glory forever and ever.  Amen.