Romans 5:20-6:4
There is a wonderful movie starring Dustin Hoffman titled, Hero. In this film Dustin Hoffman plays a character who is always in trouble with the law. Among other things, he buys and sells stolen goods. In the beginning of the film, he is in court accused of selling a lot of stolen latex paint and his court-appointed attorney is arguing on his behalf. When she stands up to plead for his innocence, he reaches into her briefcase and steals money from her wallet. Then when they are outside the courtroom she asks if he can pay her back money she lent to him the previous week and he gives her some of the money he has just stolen from her.
Later there is a plane crash and he reluctantly goes into the plane to pull some people out of the plane, but as he does so, he steals money and credit cards from a woman’s purse while he is saving her life by carrying her out of the plane.
Dustin Hoffman plays a character in this film that is an exaggeration but he is not alone in being a person who looks at every situation and sees how he can profit from it. “What’s in it for me?”
When a company sets up an incentive program, it has to think very carefully about how the incentives will be used by the employees. A software company decided to pay $25 for each “bug” or error in their software programs forgetting that the ones who would look for the bugs were also the ones who wrote the software. The number of bugs created and discovered rose dramatically when the program was announced.
When my daughters were young, we were camping with my two older sisters and their families. At the end I wanted to clean up the campsite so I announced that I would pay one penny for each piece of trash discovered. I have one enterprising nephew who then began breaking glass bottles into little pieces. I paid out much more than I had intended.
This is our human nature. We look to find an angle in any situation that makes something work for us to our benefit.
It is this part of our human nature that Paul addresses in this morning’s text. The question Paul addresses is set up by the end of his discussion of original sin in chapter 5.
Romans 5:20&21,
The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul has talked about original sin, the concept that because we have the freedom to choose, we inevitably choose for our self-interest and against God. “What’s in it for me?” Sin existed at the beginning, before the law was given by God to Moses. But when the law was given, our awareness of our sin increased. It is not that we sinned more after the law was given, just that we were more clear now about what was sin.
What Paul says is that when we became more aware of our sinfulness, our awareness of the grace of God in our lives increased. If you can remember a couple weeks ago, I talked about how the Apostle Paul grew spiritually in his life and that is revealed by his increasing awareness of his sin. He began his letter to the Galatians
Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father,
and moved from that point where he asserts his right as an apostle to a letter he wrote to Timothy at the end of his life
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
As Paul matured in his Christian life, he became more aware of his sinfulness and consequently, more aware of the grace he had received.
When we become aware of our sinfulness, through an increasing awareness of the law or through a gift from the Holy Spirit, we are able to receive a greater awareness of the grace of God in our lives.
This is Paul’s argument in Romans 5:20-21.
But when Paul talked about this with the Gentile world to whom he preached, some asked him the question he raises in Romans 6:1
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
If grace is a good thing, why not get more of it? If a little bit of grace is good, why not get a lot of it by continuing to sin?
There are some Christians who grew up in the church and have followed Jesus for as long as they can remember. When it comes time in church to share your testimony of Jesus, they feel inadequate. Someone stands up and talks about how he was in the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang. He robbed stores, beat up people, abused alcohol and drugs and then he found Jesus and his life turned around.
After hearing a faith story like that, how can you stand up and say, “I’ve known Jesus all my life. I never stole anything. I never beat up anybody. But sometimes I am not nice and I am glad Jesus loves me and forgives me.” It sounds so inadequate.
Of the two, the former Hell’s Angel and the church kid, who experienced the most grace?
I don’t want to escape from the point of the sermon, but let me quickly point out that from heaven’s perspective, there is no difference between the two and both equally need God’s grace. From our perspective we see a huge difference between the two. I don’t think that difference is quite so distinct from heaven’s perspective.
But this is the question that was raised to Paul and so in his theological letter to the church in Rome, he answers that question.
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Why do you think someone would ask that question? Do you think that someone asking that question is trying to get more grace so they will have a richer experience with Jesus? Or do you think they are trying to find a way to not give up the things they enjoy that require God’s grace to forgive? Is that question being asked with pure motives or “What’s in it for me?”
It seems to me that this is the kind of question Dustin Hoffman’s character would ask if he became involved in a church. “What’s in it for me?” “Is there a way that I can continue doing what I have been doing and still take advantage of what the church offers?” After all, if you can take what this world offers and not lose what heaven offers, what a great deal that would be! You could have God and mammon at the same time!
A man with this character appears in the book of Acts chapter 8.
Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.
Simon had a good setup. He amazed the people of Samaria with his sorcery. He had tricks that impressed them and they must have been impressive because people had been following him for a long time because of his magic tricks. Simon had the crowd following him so he had power. They undoubtedly gave him money for what he did so he had wealth. He was an important person in the community. He was receiving wealth, power and prestige and that is all that the world can offer. From Simon’s earthly perspective, he was set for life.
But then Phillip arrived and it became quickly apparent that Simon was an amateur and a professional had come to town. Simon had his tricks but Phillip was healing people and casting out demons.
It’s a bit like a small community that has a football team and the star of the team is admired and treated like royalty in the town. But then a man moves to town who used to be a professional football player and can do things with a ball that the local star could only dream of doing. All of a sudden the crowds follow the newcomer and the star that used to be at the center of the crowd is now just one of the crowd.
It is humiliating. It is bad for business. It is threatening.
Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
Simon was astonished and he watched to see what Phillip did. I would imagine he tried to do it himself, but it did not work. Maybe he had missed something, so he followed Phillip and watched intently to see what it was he had missed.
And then Peter and John came to town and what they did was even more marvelous. Phillip had performed miracles in the name of Jesus but now when Peter and John laid hands on people, they received the Holy Spirit themselves and in some manner made clear that they had been filled with the Holy Spirit. In the context of the magic of Simon, perhaps they themselves began to be able to pray for healing and have people healed. Perhaps they also were able to cast out demons. Perhaps they began speaking in tongues. Luke is not interested in the details of how Simon knew but the point is he did know.
And so Simon made a proposition. He had believed and was baptized. He had what Jesus offered. Now he wanted to return to his position of being a leader of the people by being able to do these miracles that made his tricks seem juvenile in comparison.
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Simon had enjoyed his power, wealth and prestige and lost it when Phillip came. Now he knew how he could get back what he had and be even more powerful, wealthy and famous. He probably sat there thinking through the finances, how much he would charge per person and how many people he could lay hands on in a week. He had been making a good living but now he could do even better. Bigger tricks bring bigger profits. Peter, John and Phillip would leave and then he would once again be the big cheese.
But Peter would have none of this.
Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
Peter let Simon know that he could not use heavenly gifts for earthly gain. Many today need to hear that message.
It has been awhile since I spoke about the television preachers and faith healers. But I am appalled when I see the wealth and power that they have achieved dripping from them as they speak. The fancy cars and jewelry and expensive suits and homes that have come to them are disgusting. Can you see Jesus or Paul wearing a white suit, standing in the spotlight and reveling in the power they have? What do you think Jesus or Paul would have to say about men and women who use the church to gain the wealth and power of the world? What would he say to those who start churches to make money? I know exactly what Paul would say. It is what he said about such men in Galatians, Anathema Esto, May you be eternally condemned, literally, God damn you to hell.
What these preachers and faith healers have forgotten is that they have died to Christ and they no longer live for themselves.
There are exceptions to these men and women. Jack Hayford, Billy Graham, Loren Cunningham and the late Bill Bright are or were men who have remained humble in the midst of tremendous success. They have not allowed their own self-interest to lead them to a pursuit of the wealth, power and prestige of the world.
Because of their faithfulness to God and the proper exercise of their spiritual gifts they have achieved great success, but it is clear when you talk to one of these men or read an interview with them that their heart is first and foremost for God.
How did Paul answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” “Why not sin more so I can experience more grace?”
He wrote:
We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
A deliberate pursuit of sin is no longer an option for a Christian. This is not to say that some Christians do not pursue sin. But when a Christian deliberately pursues a course of disobedience, he or she does so in flagrant opposition to the will of God and there are dire consequences for such action. It is dangerous for a Christian to deliberately set off on a course of disobedience because it may be difficult to ever turn back and the Christian will lose the salvation he or she once gained.
We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
And then Paul continues, using the metaphor of baptism to explain what has happened to us.
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
The image here is of baptism by immersion. When the Christian goes under the water, he or she symbolically dies with Christ. So when you die with Christ you die to your own self-interest. And when you die to your own self-interest, how can you continue to live in sin?
What this means is that it is no longer your life to live. When you are baptized into Christ Jesus you drown your self-interest. The you who seeks first and foremost what is in it for you is buried. You are put in the ground and covered with soil. And then the good news is that we have been raised from the dead with Christ. We have been set free to live a new life.
So a Christian cannot try to figure out the system and see how it can work to his or her advantage. It is not any longer my life to live. I now live for Christ and seek the life he has for me.
Look at Jesus as an example. Do you think Jesus was ever attracted to one of the young women he met? I am convinced that at some point he had his eye on a particular young woman. When he saw her come from around the corner his heart went pitter-patter. One of his temptations was that he could choose to marry her, have children, lead a respected life as a teacher and healer. He could have grown old with her and had the pleasure of having grandchildren. Jesus could have experienced the blessing of Psalm 128 which he chanted each time he came into Jerusalem for one of the three annual feasts:
May the LORD bless you from Zion
all the days of your life;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,
6 and may you live to see your children’s children.
Jesus could have had that but he set the example of dying to himself and prayed to his Father on the night of his arrest:
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Is it bad to get married, have a family and live to see your children’s children? Of course not. But that was not the Father’s will for Jesus and as Jesus gradually became aware of what it was he was called to do, he laid down his will and chose the path of obedience.
Jesus was aware that his life was not his to live anyway he wanted to live. It was what his father in heaven wanted for him that counted to Jesus.
So let me tell you brothers and sisters in Christ, we have been baptized into the death of Christ Jesus and we have been raised to new life with him. We have died to our own self-interest and we seek now not what we want but what our Father wants for us. As Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
We seek what our Father in heaven wants for us and that may be for us to be wealthy, powerful and famous – or not. It may be that we will live a long life and see our children’s children – or not.
I was a pastor in Ohio in the early 80s and in the church there was a young man in high school who was struggling with the decision to commit his life to Christ. We spent a lot of time together. He was a talented musician and his ambition was to become a famous rock star. He was intelligent and perceptive enough to know that he had to choose between his ambition and following God. If he submitted to Christ, he knew he would have to give up his pursuit of fame as a rock musician. He did give his life to Christ and ended up studying classical guitar.
We too have to choose. You have died to your own self-interest. You died with Christ. You cannot scheme to see how you can get ahead. That part of you has died and you need to go the grave side of your declaration to follow Christ and be buried with him and remind yourself of this fact from time to time.
Going to the grave side and reminding yourself of your death is not an occasion for sadness because you trust Christ that because he loves you, when you died with him, you were raised and are being raised to what is best for you.
Look again at the example of Jesus. Jesus gave up what he could have had for what his father in heaven had in mind for him and what happened to him?
Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
You have been raised to a new life with Jesus and just as the Father led Jesus to what was ultimately best for him, so he will lead you to what is ultimately best for you.
Jesus suffered and you too may suffer in the process but it is all about trust. You have died to yourself and been raised to new life with Jesus. Why do you continue to live for yourself?
Why do you sacrifice everything to get to Spain illegally, paying smugglers, breaking the law? If God wants you to go to Spain he will get you there in a legal way. Go back to your home country and apply for a visa. Have faith that God will raise you from death to what is best for you. Trust him.
For some it is getting to Spain. For others it is having a comfortable home, a spouse, a family, a promotion, a large bank account.
Why have you set your heart on living a comfortable life? Do you see the folly of sacrificing eternity for what you will have for just a few short years on earth? God may give you a comfortable life, but do not make that your ambition.
What has God called you to? If you have given your life to Christ, have you really died to yourself? Have you given up your own self-interest so that you can pursue the life God wants for you?
Here is what I want you to carry home in your mind and heart from this sermon. If you are a Christian, you have died with Christ. Your self-interest has been buried with Christ. It is no longer your life that you live. It is not primarily what you want but what God has in mind for you.
This is not a masochistic act on your part. Because God loves you he will take your life and although there may be suffering in it, you will end up at a place where you will see the wisdom of having trusted God with your life.
On the other hand, if you take control of your life and life for yourself, you will be sorely disappointed at the end when you see where it is your self-interest has taken you.
May we be able to say with Paul
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
