The Three Keys to Profound Life Change (Romans 6)
This sermon delves into a foundational question for Christians: if God's grace freely gives salvation, how does that belief translate into tangible personal change? It offers a profound look at the process of spiritual transformation and how new life unfolds.
This sermon addresses how belief in Jesus leads to profound personal change, not through effort but through grace. It outlines three principles: recognizing spiritual slavery, realizing cosmic unity with Christ, and living daily from one's new identity.
Overview
The sermon begins by posing a core question from Paul's teaching in Romans 1-5: If salvation is received by grace and not achieved by works, why would a believer want to change or live differently? The preacher asserts that Paul answers this by providing three crucial principles for deep, real-life transformation.
The first principle is to recognize the shape of one's spiritual slavery. The sermon explains that everyone is a slave to something, living for a primary source of significance and security. These 'spiritual masters' control individuals through inordinate desires for good things, which manifest as excessive anger, paralyzing fear, or deep despondency when threatened or lost. This foundational sin of idolatry underlies all other wrongdoings, shaping one's life.
Secondly, believers must realize the vast scope of their cosmic unity with Jesus. Through baptism (conversion), individuals are united to Christ's past and future. Christ's past accomplishments become legally true for the believer, freeing them from condemnation. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit brings the future power of cosmic rebirth (palin genosia) into the believer's life now, beginning a transformative process far beyond what they initially imagine.
Finally, true change requires living daily out of this new identity in Christ. The 'old self' has been crucified, and believers are now dead to sin and alive to God. The sermon emphasizes that while all resources for change are present, they are not automatic. Forgetting who one truly is in Jesus is the reason for a lack of change. The sermon concludes by explaining that this process takes time because individuals, though free, often continue to act like slaves until their hearts are inflamed by the gospel's selfless love, which breaks the lie that God will abuse us if we surrender fully to Him.
Key points
- The sermon addresses the question of why believers should change if salvation is by grace, not works.
- It presents three keys to profound life change: recognizing spiritual slavery, realizing cosmic unity with Jesus, and living daily out of a new identity.
- Spiritual slavery means everyone lives for a 'master'—a main source of significance or security—which controls through inordinate desires (e.g., for approval, money, relationships).
- Tests for these 'spiritual masters' include excessive anger, paralyzing fear, and profound sadness when these ultimate things are threatened or lost.
- Cosmic unity with Jesus means believers are engrafted into Christ's life, uniting them with His past accomplishments (acceptance by God) and His future glory (the power of cosmic rebirth entering their lives now).
- Living out a new identity involves counting oneself dead to sin and alive to God, actively remembering who one is in Christ.
- Change takes time because people, though truly free in Christ, often continue to act like slaves due to not fully grasping or living according to their new reality.
In Tim Keller's words
“You thought you were going to be in made into a decent little cottage, but he is building a palace.”
“Yes I know but it is not I.”
“His service alone is perfect Freedom.”
Outline
- I. Introduction: The Question of Change in Light of Grace
- A. The Gospel's radical theme: Salvation is received, not achieved.
- B. The inevitable question: If by grace, why change?
- C. Paul's three principles for profound life change:
- II. Principle 1: Recognize the Shape of Your Spiritual Slavery
- A. You are a slave to whomever you obey (Romans 6:15-16).
- B. No third category: Serve God or serve something else (First Commandment).
- C. Everyone lives for something: significance and security.
- D. Spiritual masters control through inordinate desires (epithemia).
- 1. Test 1: Anger (when an ultimate thing is blocked).
- 2. Test 2: Fear (when an ultimate thing is threatened).
- 3. Test 3: Sadness (when an ultimate thing is lost).
- E. Understanding your particular spiritual slavery is the first step.
- III. Principle 2: Realize the Scope of Your Cosmic Unity with Jesus
- A. We are united to Christ in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5).
- B. Union with Christ's past: His accomplishments are legally yours.
- C. Union with Christ's future: The power of cosmic rebirth (palin genosia) enters your life now.
- D. The magnitude of God's transforming work is beyond human ambition (C.S. Lewis quote).
- IV. Principle 3: Live Daily Out of Your New Identity
- A. Your old self was crucified; you have a new identity (Romans 6:6).
- B. Count yourselves dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11-12).
- C. Failure to change means forgetting who you are in Jesus.
- D. Three questions about this process:
- 1. How does it work? (Augustine's example: "it is not I").
- 2. Why does it take so long? (Lloyd-Jones's illustration: freed slaves still act enslaved).
- 3. Why is it so hard? (The lie that God will abuse us if we surrender completely).
- E. The transforming grace of selfless love (cyclo driver story) breaks the lie.
- F. Give yourself to the only Master who offered Himself for you.
Scripture references
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
Insights
Inordinate desires often reveal our true spiritual masters.
Our union with Christ extends to his past accomplishments and future glory.
God is building a palace where we expected a humble cottage.
Questions & answers
What main question does this sermon aim to answer?
This sermon answers the question of why someone would change their life if salvation is solely by God's grace and not dependent on their actions. It argues that understanding grace profoundly motivates and enables change.
What are the three key principles for life change presented in the sermon?
The three principles are: recognizing the specific ways one is enslaved by spiritual masters, realizing the vast extent of one's cosmic unity with Jesus, and actively living each day out of this new identity in Christ.
How does the sermon define "spiritual slavery"?
Spiritual slavery is defined as living for something other than God—a 'master' such as career, family, approval, or money—that provides one's main sense of significance and security. These masters control through inordinate desires.
What is meant by "Cosmic Unity with Jesus"?
Cosmic Unity with Jesus means that when one believes, their life is deeply intertwined with Christ's. His past accomplishments (like dying for sin) become their past, and the future power of cosmic rebirth begins to work in them now, ensuring their future resurrection.
Why does the sermon suggest that change takes a long time for believers?
Change takes time because, like emancipated slaves who continue to act enslaved due to long-held habits and fear, believers often do not fully grasp or live according to their truly changed status and new identity in Christ, even though their freedom is real.
How does the sermon explain the difficulty of full surrender to God?
It suggests that a deep-seated lie, inherited from Adam and Eve, makes people fear that surrendering completely to God will lead to abuse. This fear keeps them in an illusion of independence, which is actually a form of spiritual slavery.
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