Victory Over Sin: Living Under Grace in Christ
Summary
In Romans 6:14, Paul declares, "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law but under grace." This profound truth serves as a foundation for understanding the Christian's victory over sin. Many Christians experience spiritual depression, feeling defeated by sin despite their faith. This condition is not only tragic but also hinders their witness to the world. The root cause often lies in ignorance of the Scriptures, which provide the remedy for such spiritual malaise.
The key to overcoming spiritual depression and sin is understanding our union with Christ. By nature, we were in Adam, inheriting sin and death. However, through faith, we are now in Christ, sharing in His death and resurrection. This union means that we have died to sin and are alive to God. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that we must reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive in Christ. This is not a psychological trick but a spiritual reality that we must grasp and live out.
Sin's presence remains in our mortal bodies, but it no longer has dominion over us. The law, which once highlighted our sinfulness and left us powerless, has been replaced by grace. Under grace, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, who works within us to bring about sanctification. Our victory over sin is assured because God is actively bringing us to glory. This assurance should fill us with joy and strength, enabling us to resist sin and live righteously.
To live victoriously, we must not let sin reign in our bodies. Instead, we should yield ourselves to God, using our bodies as instruments of righteousness. This involves a daily commitment to mortify the deeds of the body and to live in the light of our new identity in Christ. Our ultimate hope lies in the promise that we will be completely delivered from sin and made perfect in Christ.
Key Takeaways:
- Understanding our union with Christ is crucial for overcoming spiritual depression and sin. We have died with Christ and are alive in Him, which means sin no longer has dominion over us. This is a spiritual reality, not a psychological trick. [14:21]
- Sin remains in our mortal bodies, but it does not define us. Our old self is crucified with Christ, and we are now alive in Him. This distinction is vital for living a victorious Christian life. [23:31]
- Our victory over sin is assured because we are under grace, not law. Grace empowers us through the Holy Spirit, who works within us to bring about sanctification and ultimate glorification. [38:22]
- We must actively resist sin by not letting it reign in our bodies. This involves yielding ourselves to God and using our bodies as instruments of righteousness. Our daily commitment to this truth is essential. [42:28]
- God's purpose is to bring us to glory, and He will use even chastisement to ensure our sanctification. Our victory over sin is certain because it is part of God's divine plan for us. [39:55]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:09] - Introduction to the Sermon
- [00:24] - Romans 6:14: Key Verse
- [00:58] - Spiritual Depression in Christians
- [02:20] - Causes and Remedies of Spiritual Depression
- [03:20] - The Problem of Sin in Christian Life
- [05:08] - Victory Over Sin in Romans 6
- [06:10] - Union with Christ: Key to Understanding
- [08:00] - Dying and Rising with Christ
- [10:24] - Application of the Doctrine
- [11:32] - Realizing Our Identity in Christ
- [20:02] - Sin in Our Mortal Bodies
- [25:25] - Certainty of Victory Over Sin
- [28:43] - Not Under Law, But Under Grace
- [34:49] - Living Under Grace: A New Position
- [42:08] - Final Exhortation and Assurance
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Romans 6:14: "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law but under grace."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Paul mean when he says, "For sin shall not have dominion over you"? How does this relate to being "under grace" rather than "under the law"? [00:37]
2. According to the sermon, what is the primary cause of spiritual depression among Christians? [03:03]
3. How does the sermon describe the relationship between Christians and Christ in terms of death and resurrection? [08:15]
4. What role does the Holy Spirit play in the Christian's victory over sin, according to the sermon? [38:22]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does understanding our union with Christ help in overcoming spiritual depression and sin? What does it mean to be "dead to sin and alive to God"? [14:21]
2. In what ways does the law highlight our sinfulness, and how does grace empower us differently? [29:29]
3. What does it mean to "reckon yourselves dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God"? How is this different from merely acting as if it were true? [14:21]
4. How does the assurance of victory over sin influence a Christian's daily life and spiritual journey? [27:37]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt spiritually defeated. How might a deeper understanding of your union with Christ have changed your perspective? [03:03]
2. What practical steps can you take to "yield yourselves unto God" and use your body as an instrument of righteousness? [42:28]
3. Identify an area in your life where sin seems to have a stronghold. How can the assurance of victory over sin, as discussed in the sermon, give you strength to overcome it? [27:37]
4. How can you incorporate the truth of being "under grace" into your daily routine to combat feelings of spiritual depression? [28:43]
5. Consider the role of the Holy Spirit in your life. How can you be more open to the Spirit's work in bringing about sanctification and ultimate glorification? [38:22]
6. What are some ways you can remind yourself daily of your new identity in Christ and the reality of being dead to sin? [11:32]
7. How can you support others in your small group who may be struggling with spiritual depression or feeling defeated by sin? What role can community play in this journey? [02:20]
Devotional
Day 1: Union with Christ: Our New Identity
Understanding our union with Christ is essential for overcoming spiritual depression and sin. By nature, we were in Adam, inheriting sin and death. However, through faith, we are now in Christ, sharing in His death and resurrection. This union means that we have died to sin and are alive to God. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that we must reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive in Christ. This is not a psychological trick but a spiritual reality that we must grasp and live out. [14:21]
Ephesians 2:4-6 (ESV): "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
Reflection: In what ways can you remind yourself daily of your identity in Christ, especially when facing challenges or temptations?
Day 2: Sin's Presence, Not Its Power
Sin remains in our mortal bodies, but it does not define us. Our old self is crucified with Christ, and we are now alive in Him. This distinction is vital for living a victorious Christian life. Recognizing that sin no longer has dominion over us allows us to live in the freedom and power of our new identity. We must continually remind ourselves that while sin is present, it does not have the final say in our lives. [23:31]
Colossians 3:3-4 (ESV): "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
Reflection: Identify a specific sin that you struggle with. How can you actively remind yourself that this sin does not define you and that you are alive in Christ?
Day 3: Empowered by Grace
Our victory over sin is assured because we are under grace, not law. Grace empowers us through the Holy Spirit, who works within us to bring about sanctification and ultimate glorification. This grace is not a license to sin but a power to overcome it. As we rely on the Holy Spirit, we find strength and assurance in our journey toward holiness. [38:22]
Titus 2:11-12 (ESV): "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age."
Reflection: How can you rely more on the Holy Spirit's power in your daily life to overcome specific challenges or temptations?
Day 4: Instruments of Righteousness
We must actively resist sin by not letting it reign in our bodies. This involves yielding ourselves to God and using our bodies as instruments of righteousness. Our daily commitment to this truth is essential. By choosing to serve God with our actions, thoughts, and words, we align ourselves with His purposes and experience the joy of living righteously. [42:28]
Romans 12:1 (ESV): "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
Reflection: What is one practical way you can use your body as an instrument of righteousness today?
Day 5: God's Purpose and Our Victory
God's purpose is to bring us to glory, and He will use even chastisement to ensure our sanctification. Our victory over sin is certain because it is part of God's divine plan for us. This assurance should fill us with hope and motivate us to persevere in our faith journey, knowing that God is actively working in us and through us for His glory. [39:55]
Hebrews 12:10-11 (ESV): "For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Reflection: How can you view challenges and discipline in your life as part of God's plan to bring you to glory?
Quotes
The key to the understanding of this chapter, as it is indeed the key to the understanding of the entire Christian Life, is the doctrine of the Union of the Christian with the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the key. He's unfolded that in the previous chapter, chapter 5, where his whole argument, you remember, has been this: that by Nature, by birth, we are all in Adam. [00:05:59]
The first thing we have to do is to realize the truth about ourselves in Christ. Now, the way of victory in the Christian life is not primarily just to be praying and to be looking to Christ. The first thing we have to do is to realize the truth about ourselves in Christ. That's the purpose of this chapter. [00:11:20]
The Apostle doesn't tell us here to act as if this were true. His appeal is this: realize that it's true. How different! It is true. I'm not persuading myself about something that isn't true. I am to realize that it is true. I'm to grasp it, lay hold upon it, and truly to realize it in my constant thinking as well as in my living. [00:14:10]
We are to realize that we died with Christ. We are to regard ourselves as those, therefore, who have risen with him, that Christ is now our life. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. That's it. That's what he means by reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ Our Lord. [00:17:03]
Sin comes in in what the Apostle calls our mortal body. In the sixth verse, he puts it like this: knowing that our old men is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed. It hasn't yet been destroyed. The old man has died in order that this body of sin might be destroyed. [00:20:10]
The Christian is not one who goes through this life mourning and defeated and grumbling. Now, there have been Christian people who put it like that in opposing the perfectionists and those who talk about an entirely cleansed heart. They have rather given the impression that the Christian in this life and in this world has a very weary, defeated life. [00:24:25]
Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace. Now, that is again a categorical and an absolute statement. And yet, you know, people are afraid of it. I was reading a commentator on this only this last week, and he, having gone almost entirely with me so far as I've spoken, suddenly becomes frightened at this point. [00:25:28]
We are assured of victory at the very beginning. Sin shall not have dominion over you. It's an assertion. It's a proclamation. Our victory as Christians over sin is absolutely certain. It's absolutely vital. Now, listen to it. We sing it in that first hymn in a verse which says this: Praise the Lord, for he is glorious. [00:27:37]
Sin shall not have dominion over you because you are no longer under law. But let's put it positively: we shall not be under the Dominion of sin because we are under grace. What do you mean by that? Well, it means this, doesn't it? We are in an entirely different position, and we are in an entirely different condition. [00:34:49]
God is bringing his sons unto Glory. He's chosen us, he's elected us, he set us apart, he Sanctified Us by the spirit, put us there in that position for himself. And what's he doing? He is bringing us unto Glory. I know of nothing more comforting and consoling than that, and that is why sin shall not have dominion over us. [00:37:55]
Sin shall not have dominion over you, even if it means chastisement. I go even a step further. We are going to be meeting in a few moments at the communion table, and when we meet there, we read together what Paul said to the Corinthians in the first epistle and in the 11th chapter. [00:39:55]
Realizing the position, realizing especially this truth that God is bringing you unto glory and that the victory over sin is absolutely certain and assured, that nothing can prevent it and nothing can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, don't yield to sin, don't let it rule even in your mortal body. [00:43:08]
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