Bible Studies
Raised to Walk In Newness of Life: The Resurrection and Christian Living (Rom. 6:4-11)
Series: A New CreationIntroduction:
1. The Bible teaches a theme of new creation. 2. The message is that God is in the business of creating a new heaven and a new earth. 3. Christians are those people who have allied themselves with this movement. 4. The text that we have just read says that we have died with Christ, that we are dead to sin, and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 5. We know that God has raised us up with Christ, but now is it left up to us to maintain this new life? Has God left us to go from here on our own strength? How does our will and God’s power figure in to our victory over sin? Sometimes it seems it is all up to us and yet some passages openly declare “it is God who is at work in you” (Phil. 2:13). 6. What is the relationship between my will and God’s power in my overcoming sin? Romans 6 and other passages seem to say that the resurrection gives me power over sin. How does all this relate together? 7. There are three major N.T. texts that we will look at in this study: Rom. 6; Eph. 4:20ff; Col. 3-4:6 and then try to draw some practical conclusions from them.Discussion:
I. The reasoning in Rom. 6 is that since we have been joined together with the resurrection of Christ we cannot go on sinning.A. The passage contrasts the “old man” and the “new man.”
B. The “old man.”
1. Crucified with Christ.
2. The body of sin done away with.
3. No longer slaves of sin.
4. Freed from sin.
C. The “new man.”
1. Lives with Christ.
2. Lives to God.
3. Walks in newness of life.
4. Does not let sin reign.
5. Sin is not master over him.
D. Observe that it is identification with Christ’s resurrection that is crucial to identification with this new creation.
1. Identification with His death makes us dead to sin.
2. Identification with His resurrection makes us live to God that is equivalent to “walking in newness of life.”
E. It is this identification with His resurrection that inhibits sin (6:12-14).
F. This new life begins at the time of our baptism.
G. In the O.T. Ezek. 37:12-14 presents God as the power behind the resurrection. In Ezek. 36:25-29 God says he will sprinkle clean water and cleanse men, putting His spirit within them and causing them to walk in His statutes. So the power of God exhibited in the resurrection is associated in both the O.T. and the N.T. with not only being cleansed from sin, but then continuing to walk in His statutes.
II. Other well-known N.T. passages also associate the resurrection with the powerful working of God (cf. Col. 2:12-13; Eph. 2:1-10). Reading Eph. 4:20-32.A. Observe that this passage also speaks of a walk.
1. It contrasts “walking as the Gentiles walk” with walking in the way that we “learned Christ.”
2. Walking in the way of the Gentiles (17-19).
a. “Former manner of life.”
b. “Old man.”
3. Walking consistently with having learned Christ (22-24).
a. New manner of life.
b. “New man.”
B. The new manner of life is described in 3:25-6:20.
C. Ephesians, like Romans, connects the walk of the new life with the activity of God concluding that we are the workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus for good works (2:1-10). It openly states, “God raised us up with Christ.” Certainly we do not have the power to raise ourselves from spiritual death. Our confidence is in the God who raises the dead.
D. Observe that in both of the passages: Rom. 6 and Eph. 4 that we are responsible for controlling our lives after God raises us to life. Yet these passages do not imply that God’s power ends at the time of His work of resurrecting us. What was the prediction from Ezek. 36:27? “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” So the work of God continues after our resurrection (cf. Phil. 2:13, but note v. 12). How?
III. Col. 3:1-4:6 reasons that on the basis of our having been raised with Christ we must live differently.A. It uses similar language referring to the “new man.”
B. It identifies God as the one who has raised us from the dead (2:12-13). Note again that baptism is the time at which this occurs.
C. So we are to live like resurrected creatures. Our resurrected status is the basis for our not living sinfully. God is obviously the power behind our resurrected status.
1. Without this power we are power-less to obey God and please Him (cf. Rom. 5:6); death reigned (Rom. 5:17).
a. It is not that we had no power whatsoever.
b. We have the potential power to not sin.
c. But it is obvious this is not enough for we have all sinned.
2. We need more power and God supplies that power (Rom. 8:6-11).
a. God raises from the dead and His Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies. Cf. Ezek. 36:27; Isa. 2:3.
b. Now note the connection in Rom. 8:12ff.
Illustration of briar blade vs. mowing machine. I am not highly motivated to use the briar blade. My power is exhausted quickly. But a tractor and a mowing machine motivates me. I can accomplish so much when I have such power at my disposal. Some may complain that they cannot keep the commandments of the Lord. “It is too much.” There is low level of motivation. Feeling of defeat. But when you tap in to the power of God, when you depend on it (faith) then motivation increases. But some would sit on the couch and wait for the grass to get mowed. These act as though dead. They have not tapped into the power of God. And even after tapping into the power of God we must accept responsibility. We are alive now. We must live like it. Constantly tapping into the power of God. The Spirit gives life—acts through the revealed word, the execution of God’s plan through the church (cf. Heb. 10:24), the giving of hope and whatever other means God chooses to use to bring us to completion.
Conclusion:
1. The resurrection assures us of God’s power to give life. 2. In baptism God raises us to spiritual life. 3. But He does not abandon us. He has given us His Spirit and now we must use His power in overcoming sin.
