A couple years ago, we went through a series at Mosaic, entitled "This Changes Everything." In this teaching series, we talked about how the person and work of Jesus Christ in the Gospel, doesn't just save our souls, but the Gospel also is meant to transform all the most practical areas of our life: work, money, sex, relationships, and the church. Many people view the Gospel as the way we enter the Kingdom of God, and then everything else is done through our sheer efforts. This is a wrongheaded approach to the Christian life. The Gospel isn't just an entry point to a life with God, it's also a force for growth in your walk with God.
This is exactly the point the Apostle Paul wants to drive home, even in the way he structures the last part of his letter. After spending 11 chapters beautifully elucidating the Gospel, Paul then pivots and says "therefore," meaning now, based on everything I've just explained, this is how you shall live. He writes, "I appeal to you therefore, brother, by the mercies of God..." Then for the next 5 chapters he begins to, in practical detail, lay out his answer to the question: "Now that we are Christians, how then should we live?"
Romans 12-16
August 21, 2016 • Romans 12—16
Romans 6-8
August 7, 2016 • Romans 6—8
I really hope you're enjoying the Book of Romans as much as I am! As we soar over this most profound book and get a glimpse of the breathtaking vistas, you can't help but be amazed at God's glorious plan of salvation through the Gospel. In chapter 6, Paul pauses to deal with a question that naturally arises when people hear that we're saved simply by grace through faith in Christ, not because of anything we do. If our good works add nothing to our justification before God, and our righteousness is not our own, then why in the world do we need to do good works at all? Why fight sin? Why fight temptation? Why not just give in? If we've been set free from the demands of the law, why can't we just live free, doing anything we want? Remember the exhilarating feeling you experienced when you first got your driver's license? Woo hoo!! Freedom!! Time to hit the road! One of the things you quickly realize (especially after that first speeding ticket): you're not as free as you thought. With the new freedom to drive, you get a new framework in which to drive, so you can continue to enjoy your freedom to drive, and not impinge on any one else's freedom. Same goes with our freedom in Christ. We are set free from sin in order to enjoy the freedom of holiness.