Resurrection Life Today

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.879 --> 00:00:07.269 Well, this morning I'm not only do we have the joy of celebrating the 2 00:00:07.629 --> 00:00:14.230 Lord's Resurrection on Easterday, but also we have the opportunity to welcome new members 3 00:00:14.310 --> 00:00:20.109 into our church and even through baptism, and that's a great thing. And 4 00:00:20.190 --> 00:00:23.140 I want to reflect on all of these things together, which we did a 5 00:00:23.219 --> 00:00:27.339 little bit here in our hymn a moment ago, right through the Jordan right 6 00:00:27.460 --> 00:00:33.579 a picture of baptism there. God's work in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 7 00:00:33.939 --> 00:00:38.729 a work that is continuing even now in our lives as he sanctifies us and 8 00:00:38.850 --> 00:00:42.329 helps us to grow. These are things I'd like to consider you with you 9 00:00:42.490 --> 00:00:47.170 this morning, from two passages, first matthew chapter twenty eight and then Romans 10 00:00:47.289 --> 00:00:51.799 six. So let's turn to the first of those two, Matthew Chapter Twenty 11 00:00:51.840 --> 00:01:11.069 Eight, verses one through ten. Tonight will return to this chapter and consider 12 00:01:11.150 --> 00:01:15.069 the Great Commission on that Jesus gives us as a result of his resurrection, 13 00:01:15.709 --> 00:01:21.579 but for now, Matthew Twenty eight, versus one through ten. Now, 14 00:01:21.659 --> 00:01:25.299 after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, 15 00:01:25.859 --> 00:01:30.340 Mary Magdalen and the other Mary went to see the Tomb and behold, there 16 00:01:30.379 --> 00:01:34.250 was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and 17 00:01:34.450 --> 00:01:38.370 came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like 18 00:01:38.569 --> 00:01:46.730 lightning and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him, the 19 00:01:46.849 --> 00:01:51.359 guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, 20 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:57.200 do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who 21 00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:01.670 was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he 22 00:02:01.790 --> 00:02:07.430 said. Come see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell 23 00:02:07.510 --> 00:02:10.430 his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is 24 00:02:10.550 --> 00:02:15.669 going before you to Galilee. There you will see him. See I have 25 00:02:15.819 --> 00:02:20.620 told you so. They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, 26 00:02:21.060 --> 00:02:23.780 and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and 27 00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:28.979 said greetings, and they came up and they took hold of his feet and 28 00:02:29.340 --> 00:02:34.250 worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, do not be afraid, go 29 00:02:34.729 --> 00:02:38.129 and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me. 30 00:02:40.689 --> 00:02:47.800 And now let's turn it to Romans, chapter six, Romans six, 31 00:02:47.919 --> 00:03:07.430 verses one through fourteen. What shall we say then are we to continue in 32 00:03:07.710 --> 00:03:14.219 sin? That grace may abound? By no means how can we who died 33 00:03:14.379 --> 00:03:17.460 to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us 34 00:03:17.500 --> 00:03:23.539 who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were 35 00:03:23.659 --> 00:03:29.210 buried, therefore, with him by baptism into death, in order that, 36 00:03:29.370 --> 00:03:31.490 just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, 37 00:03:31.930 --> 00:03:38.650 we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united 38 00:03:38.729 --> 00:03:43.199 with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him 39 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:49.800 in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with 40 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:53.000 him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so 41 00:03:53.159 --> 00:03:58.509 that we would no longer be enslave to sin, for one who has died 42 00:03:58.710 --> 00:04:01.629 has been set free from sin. Now, if we have died with Christ, 43 00:04:02.189 --> 00:04:06.110 we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, 44 00:04:06.270 --> 00:04:10.620 being raised from the dead, will never die again. Death no longer 45 00:04:10.699 --> 00:04:14.740 has dominion over him, for the death he died, he died to sin 46 00:04:14.939 --> 00:04:17.740 and once for all. But the life he lives, he lives to God. 47 00:04:18.660 --> 00:04:26.769 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God. 48 00:04:27.529 --> 00:04:32.490 In Christ Jesus, Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make 49 00:04:32.569 --> 00:04:38.449 you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for 50 00:04:38.529 --> 00:04:43.800 UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death 51 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:47.839 to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness, for sin 52 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:54.069 will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under 53 00:04:54.069 --> 00:05:02.670 grace. Man. So I want to begin with Matthew, Chapter Twenty Eight, 54 00:05:02.750 --> 00:05:09.339 and think about the account here, this history that is recorded for us, 55 00:05:09.860 --> 00:05:15.379 of the resurrection from the dead of the son of God, who became 56 00:05:15.420 --> 00:05:18.899 man and died on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. was buried 57 00:05:19.139 --> 00:05:23.329 in a tomb, a tomb that was sealed up, a tomb that had 58 00:05:23.449 --> 00:05:28.769 guards placed in front of it, a tomb that was meant to secure him, 59 00:05:28.810 --> 00:05:34.800 and yet did not. Of course it did not, because death itself 60 00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:41.399 could not. The Lord's work was done in Jesus and he rose from the 61 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:48.040 dead. What do we learn about the resurrection from this passage? Well, 62 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:55.790 one thing we learned is that it happened. It's a fact. This great 63 00:05:55.990 --> 00:06:00.910 and marvelous thing, the most marvelous thing in the history of the world has 64 00:06:00.949 --> 00:06:06.500 has happened, though. Jesus was sentenced to die, though he did die 65 00:06:08.180 --> 00:06:13.819 publicly, a very horrible and gruesome death, in which he was scourged and 66 00:06:13.899 --> 00:06:18.689 which he was crucified and which a spear impaled his side so that his heart 67 00:06:18.889 --> 00:06:27.250 and lung would be punctured. This Jesus, who died for us, rose 68 00:06:27.649 --> 00:06:31.370 from the dead. The grave could not keep him down. The stone, 69 00:06:31.610 --> 00:06:39.240 the guards, the devil, nothing was able to overcome the righteousness of the 70 00:06:39.399 --> 00:06:46.399 Lord. It happened. The promise happened, the promise that from long ago 71 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:53.149 had been anticipated that one would come, a son of man and also God 72 00:06:53.269 --> 00:07:01.220 himself would come to accomplish the salvation of Man, a salvation in which not 73 00:07:01.339 --> 00:07:05.500 only would sins be forgiven, but sins would be forgiven so that man and 74 00:07:05.779 --> 00:07:14.300 God could dwell together forever. We also see from the resurrection not only that 75 00:07:14.420 --> 00:07:19.250 it happened, but that it was accompanied by mighty angelic beings, much like 76 00:07:19.649 --> 00:07:25.970 the birth of the Lord and which Great News, good news of great joy, 77 00:07:26.250 --> 00:07:29.649 was announced, in which the angels had to tell the people don't be 78 00:07:29.850 --> 00:07:34.480 afraid. Here at the resurrection we see the same thing as the Lord is 79 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:41.759 being announced as he is risen from the dead. These mighty angels are there 80 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:46.350 and they are present, not ruling over the Lord, but pointing to him 81 00:07:47.310 --> 00:07:56.269 as one who has come. This appearance of this angelic being is amazing. 82 00:07:57.589 --> 00:08:03.500 Have you ever tried to look at lightning? It's usually pretty fast. It's 83 00:08:03.699 --> 00:08:07.300 blinding, right, is one of the ways we described lightning. Have you 84 00:08:07.420 --> 00:08:13.089 ever not in in a storm and been blinded by light really fast? Now, 85 00:08:13.170 --> 00:08:16.410 imagine if that light was just turned on and sitting in front of you, 86 00:08:18.649 --> 00:08:24.329 this great shining light, clothes as wide as snow. Surely that would 87 00:08:24.370 --> 00:08:30.519 be something you would worship. But no, this angelic being like all of 88 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:39.759 the angels of God who serve the Lord and worship him. They are not 89 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:45.190 our gods, but they point us to him and they announced the good news. 90 00:08:46.029 --> 00:08:50.190 And here. Why are for fear of this, this creature, for 91 00:08:50.309 --> 00:08:56.019 fear of him. The guards trembled and became like dead men. Right, 92 00:08:56.100 --> 00:09:00.139 you can imagine that, lying on the ground, not moving, in some 93 00:09:00.379 --> 00:09:07.179 sort of state of shock. To the women, they don't fall down like 94 00:09:07.379 --> 00:09:13.730 dead men. They hear this word from the angel, who says, do 95 00:09:13.009 --> 00:09:20.090 not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who is crucified. 96 00:09:20.370 --> 00:09:24.639 Whenever we seek Jesus, who was crucified, we don't need to be 97 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:28.840 afraid when we trust the Lord Jesus. We don't need to be afraid because 98 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:33.200 he's the Lord, he's the victor, he's the king, and if we're 99 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:37.879 following him, if we're trusting him, we are people who are okay, 100 00:09:39.029 --> 00:09:43.750 we're people who are doing just fine. Now, this, of course, 101 00:09:43.789 --> 00:09:48.190 is a fearful thing and amazing thing, and it does bring them a measure 102 00:09:48.230 --> 00:09:52.139 of fear, but not dead men kind of fear, the fear that leads 103 00:09:52.220 --> 00:09:56.899 them to worship, as we see at the end of this when they see 104 00:09:56.019 --> 00:10:01.259 the Lord Jesus, they fall down in his feet and they don't listen to 105 00:10:01.340 --> 00:10:05.980 him as a good teacher, though he certainly is and they should, but 106 00:10:05.059 --> 00:10:11.409 they worship him as the one true God, hero Israel, the Lord, 107 00:10:11.450 --> 00:10:15.090 our God, the Lord is one. Worship Him and worship him alone, 108 00:10:15.129 --> 00:10:22.559 which is also to say worship Jesus Christ, our God, who accomplished our 109 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:28.960 salvation and who rose over death itself. So we know that the resurrection happened, 110 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:31.080 we know that it was attested to by angels. We also know that 111 00:10:31.159 --> 00:10:37.389 it was witnessed to by both friends and enemies. We have here are the 112 00:10:37.629 --> 00:10:43.110 Romans and others. Will see Jesus and we see his friends as well, 113 00:10:43.309 --> 00:10:50.379 and that reactions, as we have noted, are different. Those who are 114 00:10:50.539 --> 00:10:56.019 threatened by Jesus make up stories about what happened in the resurrection. They stole 115 00:10:56.139 --> 00:10:58.899 his body, they said. They come up with lies, they try to 116 00:10:58.259 --> 00:11:03.139 find ways of getting around this, but of course they can't, because people 117 00:11:03.179 --> 00:11:05.690 keep seeing him. He says, I will go before you and you will 118 00:11:05.690 --> 00:11:11.009 see me. I will go before you and see for forty days after his 119 00:11:11.250 --> 00:11:15.490 death, people were seeing Jesus, they were eating with him, meeting with 120 00:11:15.570 --> 00:11:24.240 him, worshiping him, and the word begins to spread. I love this, 121 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:30.320 this picture here of the whole Christian life that we have based on the 122 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:37.509 death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We follow him, we trust him and 123 00:11:37.549 --> 00:11:43.269 we spread that word about him. He tells the women to go and tell 124 00:11:43.350 --> 00:11:48.019 the disciples, tell them what, that he has risen from the dead and 125 00:11:48.259 --> 00:11:54.379 he is going before you at to Galilee. This is the news that we 126 00:11:54.500 --> 00:11:58.899 are to announce over and over and over again, not just on Sunday, 127 00:12:00.620 --> 00:12:05.250 Easter Sunday, but every Sunday and really even every day we walk, as 128 00:12:05.330 --> 00:12:09.210 we will think about in a moment, from Romans Chapter six, in Resurrection, 129 00:12:09.370 --> 00:12:13.169 life and the newness of life. We ought to be constantly, constantly, 130 00:12:13.289 --> 00:12:18.799 constantly considering this fact, that this thing has happened in history and it 131 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:26.399 has affected everything before it and after it. And every single one of you 132 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:31.190 are invited to day as well, to do the same as these, these 133 00:12:31.230 --> 00:12:37.269 ladies and the other disciples after them. Each and every one of us are 134 00:12:37.309 --> 00:12:41.669 invited to know the truth, to believe the truth and to share the truth 135 00:12:41.750 --> 00:12:48.980 about Jesus Christ and his reserve election from the dead, and I honestly hope 136 00:12:48.019 --> 00:12:54.779 that you do, because nothing in the world, nothing has ever happened that 137 00:12:54.940 --> 00:13:05.730 is more important than this. There is nothing that has happened that is more 138 00:13:05.929 --> 00:13:13.720 trustworthy, more dependable, more life changing, more important and significant than this. 139 00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:20.559 If I told you all that in one hour the electricity would go out 140 00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:26.789 on our city for ten years, that would not be as significant as Jesus 141 00:13:26.830 --> 00:13:33.710 Christ's resurrection from the dead. If I told you that in one week, 142 00:13:33.350 --> 00:13:39.309 you would be the proud owner of ten billion dollars, this would be pennies 143 00:13:39.549 --> 00:13:43.139 in a hat compared to the debt of sin that you were forgiven and the 144 00:13:43.500 --> 00:13:50.820 glorious inheritance that you are promised in eternal life that is proved from the resurrection 145 00:13:50.940 --> 00:13:56.450 of the dead. If I told you that in one year, most certainly 146 00:13:56.649 --> 00:14:03.730 you, you are self, would die, your reflections on your own death 147 00:14:03.850 --> 00:14:09.610 would not be worth thinking about as much as the death of our Savior, 148 00:14:09.720 --> 00:14:18.039 is Jesus himself, who died and rose from the dead. Why is Jesus's 149 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:22.519 resurrection and death so central in our lives, the core of our lives, 150 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:28.029 the foundation of our lives? Well, Here's how the Apostle Paul put it. 151 00:14:30.190 --> 00:14:33.549 In First Corinthians fifteen, he says, if there's nose resurrection from the 152 00:14:33.629 --> 00:14:37.269 dead in general, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ 153 00:14:37.389 --> 00:14:43.740 has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is 154 00:14:43.899 --> 00:14:48.340 in vain, which means this whole thing that we're doing here this morning is 155 00:14:48.940 --> 00:14:56.129 worthless vanity, like smoke, just rising and vaporizing. But it's worse than 156 00:14:56.210 --> 00:15:01.210 that. It's not just being involved in an activity where you could spend your 157 00:15:01.250 --> 00:15:05.730 time better, but Paul goes on to say, of Christ has not been 158 00:15:05.809 --> 00:15:15.720 raised, your faith is feudal and you are still in your sins. You 159 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:20.759 see why the resurrection is so important, because if the resurrection of Jesus Christ 160 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:24.629 is not it is not true, then we are still in our sins and 161 00:15:26.230 --> 00:15:30.990 those who have fallen asleep, those who have died, they're still in their 162 00:15:31.110 --> 00:15:39.539 sins, having perished and soon to perish even more under God's wrath and judgement. 163 00:15:41.220 --> 00:15:43.899 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, Paul says, 164 00:15:46.659 --> 00:15:52.929 if Jesus is a good person or somehow something, that's someone that's important to 165 00:15:52.009 --> 00:15:56.169 us, but he doesn't really promise to US resurrection life, if he only 166 00:15:56.250 --> 00:16:00.330 has value for kind of helping US along in this world, having a family 167 00:16:00.490 --> 00:16:06.960 to come and visit on Sundays a good thing to celebrate from time to time, 168 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:11.159 but has no real promise for the life to come. If that's who 169 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:15.840 Jesus is, Paul says, the Apostle of Jesus Christ. He says we 170 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:22.590 of all people, are most to be pitied. Imagine people that you might 171 00:16:22.830 --> 00:16:27.990 pity in this life, people who are perhaps very sick in their bodies, 172 00:16:30.230 --> 00:16:36.220 people who are experiencing massive amounts of conflict in their lives, people perhaps who 173 00:16:36.220 --> 00:16:41.580 are very poor and can't seem to get a handle on just even the basic 174 00:16:41.700 --> 00:16:48.210 essentials? who can't eat, can't provide medical care, who are frustrated in 175 00:16:48.289 --> 00:16:52.809 every turn, or people who are enslaved by certain passions of the flesh, 176 00:16:52.129 --> 00:16:57.490 whoever you might think of. That is pitiable. Paul says, we are 177 00:16:57.690 --> 00:17:04.920 more so if Jesus Christ did not raise from the dead, totally lost, 178 00:17:07.079 --> 00:17:11.920 not just one thing feudle in our lives, but everything feudile in our lives. 179 00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:15.309 It's all game over, it's all done, it's all worthless, it's 180 00:17:15.349 --> 00:17:22.509 all pointless. of vanity of vanities. But of course Christ has been raised 181 00:17:22.549 --> 00:17:29.950 from the dead. In anyone who believes in him is not in their sins 182 00:17:30.140 --> 00:17:36.259 but has been forgiven their sins. The Bible says they are like people who 183 00:17:36.299 --> 00:17:41.779 have been washed clean. They're like people who have been given new lives. 184 00:17:42.819 --> 00:17:45.809 Have you ever stepped out of the shower and said to yourself, I feel 185 00:17:45.849 --> 00:17:53.210 like a new person. Have you ever been so tired, so so dirty 186 00:17:53.569 --> 00:17:59.559 and frustrated or weary that you're like, I just need a clean shower, 187 00:18:00.440 --> 00:18:06.680 maybe a little sleep? Perhaps you've been stuck in the hospital for several days 188 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:10.880 in a row. Perhaps you've been at work over and over and over again. 189 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:15.029 Perhaps something's happened in your life and you just you feel like you need 190 00:18:15.069 --> 00:18:21.390 to be get clean. Perhaps you've been in a shower, perhaps you've gotten 191 00:18:21.430 --> 00:18:22.829 cleaned up, perhaps you've gotten the rest and you wake up be like I 192 00:18:22.950 --> 00:18:30.500 still don't feel good, because we know water just washes the body. It 193 00:18:30.500 --> 00:18:34.900 might provide a temporary relief, but ultimately it doesn't bring us hope and everlasting 194 00:18:36.059 --> 00:18:45.970 life. But that picture of being renewed and refreshed and awakened, this is 195 00:18:45.049 --> 00:18:52.809 a tiny picture, but a true picture of what happens when we trust in 196 00:18:52.930 --> 00:18:57.279 Jesus, of what happens when we enter into new life, and it happens 197 00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:02.960 in a real way and in a lasting way. The Bible says that when 198 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:07.319 we repent of our sins and we trust Jesus to forgive our sins, he 199 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:14.829 washes US clean. One place and titus are called the waters of regeneration, 200 00:19:14.869 --> 00:19:22.390 almost like birth waters, like being born into something new. He makes us 201 00:19:22.549 --> 00:19:29.059 clean, he brings us into a new world, free from the reign of 202 00:19:29.220 --> 00:19:34.779 sin, free from the the dirtiness of sin and now ready to serve and 203 00:19:34.980 --> 00:19:41.289 love him as our king. Well, this picture is what Jesus gives to 204 00:19:41.369 --> 00:19:48.650 us and baptism, which is what's mentioned in Romans Chapter Six. I'm wearing 205 00:19:48.650 --> 00:19:55.200 to turn there now and consider this a little bit as we conclude. This 206 00:19:55.400 --> 00:20:02.880 picture of Baptism, this pretty picture of washing and regeneration and purification, is 207 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:08.910 tied to one thing, and that is the death and resurrection of Jesus, 208 00:20:12.950 --> 00:20:19.430 a death that leads to resurrection. In other words, there's no cleanliness, 209 00:20:19.470 --> 00:20:29.259 there's no washing, there's no growing, there's no freedom, that baptism only 210 00:20:29.460 --> 00:20:36.329 happens in connection with the death and resurrection of Jesus. That's what we are 211 00:20:36.410 --> 00:20:40.329 baptized into. That's how we are washed, that's how we are cleansed, 212 00:20:40.369 --> 00:20:44.769 and so that's why Paul says in verse three, do you not know that 213 00:20:45.009 --> 00:20:48.089 all of us who have been baptized into Christ, Jesus, were baptized into 214 00:20:48.809 --> 00:20:55.640 his death? We're baptized into the cross, we're baptized into his crucifixion, 215 00:20:56.400 --> 00:21:03.839 and that's why he has this gruesome picture where he says are old selves were 216 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:11.230 crucified. You see that in verse six he says we know that our old 217 00:21:11.390 --> 00:21:18.900 self was crucified. With him this picture of baptism. In other words, 218 00:21:18.900 --> 00:21:22.779 our baptism is tied to this crucifixion, not only of Jesus Christ himself, 219 00:21:22.980 --> 00:21:30.099 but ourselves in him. Why, then, are we free from sin and 220 00:21:30.299 --> 00:21:33.690 the or the reign of sin, The Dominion of Sin, the enslaving power 221 00:21:33.730 --> 00:21:41.250 of sin? There's in our lives? Because it's been crucified. Dead people 222 00:21:42.089 --> 00:21:47.359 can't do things. The Old Flesh, which has been crucified in Christ no 223 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:55.720 longer has that power it once did, and instead newness has begun. Look 224 00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:59.640 at Verse Four. We were buried, therefore, with him, by baptism 225 00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:03.910 into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by 226 00:22:03.950 --> 00:22:07.670 the glory of the father, we too might walk in the newness of life. 227 00:22:10.509 --> 00:22:12.990 In a few minutes we'll have the pleasure of seeing these two little girls 228 00:22:14.069 --> 00:22:21.619 baptized along their father. They will receive this sign of washing, this picture, 229 00:22:21.740 --> 00:22:26.579 in this promise of Resurrection, life that comes from the work of Jesus 230 00:22:26.619 --> 00:22:33.250 Christ that has been accomplished on the cross. Baptism is a god ordained sermon 231 00:22:33.329 --> 00:22:40.569 illustration. It shows us what he does for us and for all who put 232 00:22:40.609 --> 00:22:45.279 their trust in Jesus Christ. But it's more than that. It's also a 233 00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:52.160 mark of membership. It's a mark of membership in the body of Christ, 234 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:59.990 because we are crucified in him and as those who have been brought to life, 235 00:23:00.029 --> 00:23:03.829 do we now take our members, the members of our bodies, and 236 00:23:03.990 --> 00:23:10.750 present them as instruments of unrighteousness? May It never be. Instead, we 237 00:23:10.910 --> 00:23:15.859 take our bodies as those who have now been who have now begun in the 238 00:23:15.980 --> 00:23:22.140 resurrection through our death in Christ. We take our bodies, as Paul says 239 00:23:22.259 --> 00:23:26.700 in at the end of this passage and in verse twelve, Thirteen and fourteen, 240 00:23:26.819 --> 00:23:32.970 and we present ourselves to God as those who have been brought from death 241 00:23:33.049 --> 00:23:40.609 to life and are members to God as instruments for righteousness. We are members 242 00:23:40.809 --> 00:23:45.480 of his church, we are members of the body of Christ and, as 243 00:23:45.640 --> 00:23:49.559 such, we now use our bodies to love God and love our neighbors, 244 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:55.559 because that is what Christ has done. That is the new life that he 245 00:23:55.599 --> 00:24:06.349 has brought us into. So, you see, just as the penalty for 246 00:24:06.509 --> 00:24:10.259 sins was paid for us on the Cross and our Old Self was crucified with 247 00:24:10.339 --> 00:24:15.099 Christ on the Cross, so too have we been raised, for with him 248 00:24:18.339 --> 00:24:23.140 no longer are we subject to the slavery of death, no longer are we 249 00:24:23.289 --> 00:24:30.609 subject and ruled, enslaved by our passions and our sins. No longer are 250 00:24:30.690 --> 00:24:36.650 we only capable of raving against God, of lying and hurting other people, 251 00:24:37.089 --> 00:24:41.519 or lying to and hurting other people that we ought to love, but in 252 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:48.880 Christ, through his washing, through his death and through his resurrection, we've 253 00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:53.549 been set free. We've been set free to now walk in the newness of 254 00:24:53.630 --> 00:24:59.430 life. And so, brothers and sisters, as we consider our baptisms to 255 00:24:59.470 --> 00:25:03.910 day, let us look to the promise that they picture and the one who 256 00:25:03.990 --> 00:25:08.299 puts his name on us. And if you do not know Jesus Christ, 257 00:25:08.339 --> 00:25:15.380 let us lead him, or lead you to him, so that you too 258 00:25:15.460 --> 00:25:22.529 may be washed and made clean, so that you may be ready to serve 259 00:25:22.609 --> 00:25:26.970 the king. Let's pray now and ask God to bless us in all these 260 00:25:27.049 --> things.