Reckon, Refuse, Render

Did you know that Romans 6:11 is the first command in the book of Romans? I didn't until this morning's sermon. "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." And, interestingly enough, it is a command to THINK, not to DO.

The following is my condensation of today's sermon:

To backtrack - as a review of the first five chapters of Romans, today's sermon reminded us that Christ not only died for sin, He died to sin. Therefore, the following five things are true:

1. Feelings of powerlessness are irrelevant. If we are recipients of His forgiveness, than we are also recipients of His power. It is an irrevocable transaction.

2. Without dying to sin first, any commandments are impotent.

3. Techniques of living a Christian life apart from a union with Christ are inadequate.

4. Every part of my being has been liberated in Christ. (mind, body, will, emotions, thoughts, speech, decisions, etc.)

5. Sin's authority over me has been broken.

In light of this, there are three keys to experiencing the fullness of the benefits of salvation:

Romans 6:11 - RECKON myself dead to sin. I need to learn how to THINK!

Romans 6:12 - REFUSE to let sin in. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions." (put off sin) I need to learn how to say NO!

Romans 6:13 - RENDER to God what is His - to love Him and love others. "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. " (put on righteousness)

The sermon title for today was "Grace Reigns in Life". Because of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and ascension, we now can live joyfully under the regime of GRACE!!!