How Can We Break the Chains of Sin?
Sermon Notes
Hey everybody my name’s Louis I’m the lead pastor here at City Awakening, it’s great to gather with you both onsite and online. At this time we can dismiss our children to children’s church, and if you didn’t get to check your child in please see our children’s ministry leaders in the back to assist you with that...Today we’re continuing our teaching series on a book of the bible called Romans. It’s a series about renewing your mind, for the transformation of your life. What we’re talking about specifically today is the doctrine of sanctification. What is the doctrine of sanctification, and how can we break the chains of sin? Both skeptics and believers struggle with certain sins that we know aren’t good for our lives and relationships. But no matter how hard we try we can’t seem to overcome them. What are those sins for you?...What are those sins you’ve tried to overcome, but you can’t seem to overcome them?...It’s discouraging when this happens. It can feel like we’re chained, like we’re trapped by certain sins that have a tight grip on us and won’t let us go. But what if it isn’t that our sins have a tight grip on us, it's that we have a tight grip on our sins?...What if we have a tight grip on our sins, and we’re not willing to let go?
Years ago I read a story about hunters capturing monkeys in India. It started with a hunter who realized monkeys can’t resist certain cravings. So he cut a small hole in a coconut just big enough for a monkey to fit their hand inside, he anchored it to the ground, and filled it with food monkeys crave like peanuts and bananas. When the monkeys see the food they stick their hand inside, grab the food, and try running off, but they can’t because their hand gets stuck inside the coconut. It gets stuck because their hand is small enough to fit inside the coconut, but when they grab the food their hand becomes a fist full of food that’s bigger than the hole. All the monkey has to do to escape, is let go of the food...Just let go of the food, let go of the craving, and they’ll be free...Their freedom is literally in the grip of their hands, but because they aren’t willing to let go of their craving they remain trapped...What if the reason we’re still trapped in certain sins, is because we have a tight grip on our sins?...What if the thing keeping us from enjoying the freedom God wants for us, is that we aren’t willing to let go of the sinful cravings trapping us?...Today we’re talking about the doctrine of sanctification, and breaking the chains of sin. So let’s turn to Romans 6 and get into it. You’ll find Romans in the last quarter of the bible. We’ll be in Romans 6:1-23. Title of today’s message is How can we break the chains of sin? The big idea is, you’re no longer a slave to sin...If you put your faith in Jesus, then you’re no longer a slave to sin...
Here’s your context. Romans was written by the Apostle Paul who was a skeptic and enemy of Christianity, until 35 A.D. when he has an interaction with Jesus that changes his life, and he becomes a Christian. Then 20 yrs later he writes this letter to Christians living in Rome to teach them about Jesus and the gospel that transformed his life. In ch’s 1-4 he explains why we should put our faith in Jesus. In ch 5 he explains how that faith in Jesus can benefit us, and how Jesus is the cure for the inherited sin nature we received from original sin. But in ch’s 6-7 Paul explains that we’ll still struggle with sin, even after coming to faith in Jesus. He’ll teach us why we still struggle, and how to keep growing despite the struggle. So let’s check it out.
Romans 6:1-23, “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” Paul’s referring to what he said in ch 5, which is that wherever sin multiplied in your life, the grace of Jesus can multiply even more. Wherever sin multiplied, whatever sins you committed in your life, they’ll never be greater than the grace and forgiveness Jesus has for your life. Paul says some people may hear that and think, “Well can’t we just do whatever we want then? If we’re always covered by the grace of Jesus can’t we just continue to sin?” Paul says absolutely not! It’s because if you truly love Jesus you wouldn’t want to continue to sin. If you truly love Jesus and believe he died for your sins, you wouldn’t want to continue living in the very sins that nailed him to the cross. Just like we hate cancer for killing the people we love, we should hate sin for killing the Jesus we love. If we truly love Jesus, we should deeply hate our sin, for killing the one we love.
Vs. 3, “Are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.” Baptism is an external expression of the loving relationship we have with Jesus, just like a wedding ring is an external expression of the loving relationship a marital couple has with each other. When a person is baptized they go under the water as an external expression of dying to their old sinful life without Jesus, but then they rise from the water as an external expression of the new life they now have with Jesus. Paul’s saying the same day you put your faith in Jesus, is the same day you die to your old sinful life without Jesus. You aren’t the same person anymore, which means you’re now free to walk in newness of life with Jesus. We’re actually baptizing two people later today, who said yes to living this new life with Jesus, so let’s praise God for that!...
Vs. 6, “For we know that our old self, was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin.” If you’re a skeptic, this is one of the reasons you still struggle with sin. Paul says it’s because sin has power over you, it’s enslaving you. As a skeptic you may not want to admit it, but you can feel it. When I was an atheist I remember feeling like some sins had a power that would keep tugging at me, keep drawing me in, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t stop or didn’t care to stop. It’s because as a skeptic I was enslaved so sin. But Paul says when we put our faith in Jesus we’re no longer enslaved to sin, because Jesus breaks the chains of sin so it doesn’t have to rule us, control us, enslave us anymore. This doesn’t mean Jesus turns us into mindless robots after we become his followers. We don’t lose our free will, which means we’ll still struggle with sin like a skeptic. But the difference is he breaks the chains of sin and empowers us to resist the sins that were enslaving us. He empowers us to live for him, instead of living for sin. We aren’t freed to sin, we’re freed from sin. We aren’t slaves to sin, we’re freed from sin. We’re no longer slaves to sin, but we need to choose to walk in our freedom from sin.
Vs. 11, “Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” He says consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God, meaning you’re now a new person with a new life in Christ. If you have faith in Jesus you aren’t the same person anymore. You aren’t the same person who used to live for sin, you now live for Christ. This is something that can help us when we’re struggling with sin. In the exact moment you’re being tempted with sin you need to remind yourself that’s who you were, but it isn’t who you are anymore. There’s a great example of this in the life of St. Augustine. Before he became a Christian he sinned a lot with his lust for women, and after he became a Christian it wasn’t like his attraction for women suddenly stopped. In fact after he became a Christian a former lover tempted him, by offering to have a few passionate nights with him. She invited him to her place, but he turned her down. He was still very attracted to her, but he turned her down, and it confused her. So she said “Augustine, don’t you realize it is I?” He politely smiled and said “Yes, I know it is you. But it is no longer I...” In the moment of temptation, he was remembering he died to his old sinful life. He was saying, “I’m not that same guy anymore. I’m not that same guy who was mastered by sin and chained to lust. Instead I’m a new person, with a new master named Jesus, and he broke my chains of sin and lust.” He was still being tempted, but he was remembering his new life in Christ as he was being tempted. We’ll still be tempted, but we need to remember our new life in Christ as we’re being tempted. As we’re being tempted, we need to say to our sin, “Yeah I know it’s you. But it is no longer I...”
Vs. 12, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.” He says we can use our lives as weapons, to fight for unrighteousness or to fight for righteousness, to fight for sin or to fight for Jesus. The implication is that our lives are like a war, like a cage fight, and we have to fight against our sin. The implication is a Christian isn’t somebody who doesn’t struggle with sin anymore, it’s somebody who still has to fight against sin. We’re all in a cage fight against sin. We can’t flirt with sin, we have to fight against sin. Some of you think you can flirt with sin. You think you can compromise a little and get away with it. But a compromise turns into more compromise, which turns into patterns of sinful destruction in your life and relationships. If you compromise, if drop your hands in a cage fight, that’s when you get dropped. If you compromise, if you drop your hands, if you stop fighting, that’s when sin starts inching its way back to the center of the ring to take control of your life. It always starts with a little compromise, a little step away from Jesus, and a little step toward your sin.
So what’s your fight?...What sins are you fighting with, at war with, in a cage fight with?...Paul says our bodies are weapons for unrighteousness or for righteousness. So is your fight with your mind, thinking bad things, or doubting Jesus loves you and will provide for you?...Is your fight with your eyes, looking at things, watching things, searching things you know you shouldn’t be looking at?...Is your fight with your ears, listening to degrading music, talk shows, youtubers, or listening and participating in gossip?...Is your fight with your mouth, saying things you shouldn’t say, or eating, drinking, smoking things that aren’t good for you?...Is your fight with your hands, using them for hurtful actions, including hurting others emotionally through texts, group chats, and emails?...Is your fight with your feet, going places you shouldn’t go, or hanging with people you shouldn’t hang with?...Like it or not you’re in a cage fight. There is somewhere in your life where you’re in a cage fight, and you have to fight to win against sin.
Vs. 16, “Don’t you know if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin leading to death or obedience leading to righteousness?”
When he says if you offer yourselves to someone, he’s talking about giving your life either to sin or to Jesus. You make someone or something your master, or you make Jesus your master. We all have things we offer ourselves to, we make our masters instead of Jesus. It’s things like our career, money, success, academics, athletics, gaining people’s approval, the list goes on. Some of these things aren’t bad things, but they become bad things when we let them control us, enslave us, make them our masters instead of Jesus. If you see a Christian sin it isn’t because the chains of sin haven’t been broken in their life, it’s that they made something else their master in that moment instead of Jesus. If this happens we need to repent for our sins, turn back to Jesus, and get back into the fight again. We need to get back into the fight because we love Jesus too much to continue in sin. We love Jesus too much to continue in the very sins that nailed him to the cross. If you’re willing to fight for the family you love, the friends you love, the country you love, then be willing to fight for the savior you love. Be willing to fight for the one who laid his life down for you, by laying your sin down for him. Don’t replace him as your greatest master and love.
Vs. 22, “But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul talks about sanctification here, and it’s the major theme for ch 6 and 7. So what is sanctification? It’s the transformation that starts happening in a person after they become followers of Jesus. It’s where God starts to transform us into being more like Jesus, so that our hearts will be more like his heart, and our thoughts will be more like his thoughts. It’s a process that takes time, but we keep growing over time. We aren’t perfect like Jesus, but we are progressing into being more like Jesus. So sometimes you’re going to see us sin, but true a Christian will be growing further away from their sin. It’s because sanctification isn’t about perfection, it’s about progression.
Now the process of sanctification is different than salvation and justification. We don’t partner with God in our salvation and justification, but we do partner with God in our sanctification and growth into becoming more like Jesus. We grow by doing things like reading our bibles, praying, coming to church, pursuing Jesus as our greatest love, and fighting against our sin. If you’re passive in your growth, not pursuing a deeper relationship with Jesus, you’ll experience very little growth, and sometimes for many years. It’s because unlike salvation and justification, God wants your active participation in sanctification. Just like a marital relationship requires both spouses spending time with each other to grow, our relationship with Jesus requires you spending time with him to grow. But don’t get discouraged if you stumble in sin, instead be encouraged by looking back at all the days you didn’t stumble. Don’t get discouraged by all the things that haven’t changed, instead be encouraged by all the things that have changed. You’re not who you were when Jesus started with you, and you’re not who you will be when Jesus is finished sanctifying you. You’re not perfect, but you will be made perfect when Jesus finishes what he started. Paul says in Philippians 1:6, “He who started a good work in you, will carry it on to completion.” Jesus won’t ever quit on you, until he finishes the sanctifying work he started in you. So keep fighting, keep growing, keep pursuing Jesus as your greatest master.
C.S. Lewis describes the sanctification process like a house being remodeled. Lewis states, “Imagine yourself as a house that God comes to rebuild. At first you understand what he’s doing. He’s getting the drains right, stopping the leaks in the roof, etc. You know those jobs needed to be done, so you’re not surprised. But then he starts knocking the house around in a way that hurts, and it doesn’t seem to make sense. What on earth is he up to? The answer is he’s adding a new wing here, putting an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards... You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage, but he’s building a palace…If we let him, he’ll make the feeblest and filthiest of us into dazzling, radiant, immortal creatures, pulsating with such energy, joy, wisdom, and love we can’t even imagine. We will be a bright stainless mirror reflecting back to God perfectly, his boundless power, delight, and goodness. The process will be long and sometimes painful, but that’s what we’re in for, and nothing less.”
The big idea of the message is that if you put your faith in Jesus, then you’re no longer a slave to sin. Jesus is now your greater master who did what you and I can’t do. He never sinned, he was never controlled by sin, and died on the cross for our sins. He’s the greater master who conquered sin and death, which means he’s the only one who has the power to break the chains of sin in your life. He’s the only one who can set you free from sin, give you a new life today, a sanctifying life tomorrow, and eternal life in heaven. It isn’t a perfect life, but it is a progressing life. It isn’t a perfect life, but it is greater life with a greater loving master than our sin.
Communion is a reminder of this. It’s a reminder of how Jesus died for our sins to break the chains of sin in our lives, and to give us a new life in him. If you don’t believe Jesus died for your sins, if you aren’t a follower of Jesus, then please refrain from taking communion so you don’t go through the motions of this. Instead use this time to reflect on where you’re failing to win the fight against sin, and consider asking Jesus to be your savior, to break the chains of sin in your life...As the elements are being passed, let’s take a few minutes to prep our hearts, and for those at home to prep their tables. Let’s take a few minutes to pray asking Jesus to forgive us of our sins, and thank him for dying for those sins, thank him for giving us a new life in him.
On the night Jesus was betrayed he took some bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it saying “This is my body which is to be broken for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you eat it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done for you.” When supper ended he took the cup, blessed it, gave thanks for it, and said “This is a symbol of my blood which is to be shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you drink it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done.” Let’s eat, drink, and worship Jesus for saving us and making us, no longer salves to sin.