Our conversation takes a deep dive into how we can escape the grip of shame and addiction by recognizing our resurrection in Jesus. We discuss the importance of serving others even when we face our own struggles and the historic implications of isolationism in Christianity. Hear stories that illustrate the transformative power of faith in action and learn how this perspective can inspire you to contribute positively to your community, acknowledging both personal challenges and strengths.
So Paul is now going to tell us, do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Now, I was struck by this passage many, many years ago, and still am when I read it, that Paul is emphasizing that we present our bodies as being alive from the dead. Well, that was a turn of course for me when I really began to realize what it meant and started acting on it, because I had spent years simply trying to die to sin. You’ve already heard me talk about what that means. It’s recognizing that our humanity, our natural fallen human nature, is crucified with Jesus Christ on the cross. That is, it is treated as if it were crucified. executed, as if the judgment upon us had already taken place in Christ. That’s what Paul means when he says, likewise reckon you also, sorry, let me say that again. I was automatically quoting the King James Version. Likewise you also reckon yourselves to be dead, indeed, unto sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And as I said, I had spent years misunderstanding that and trying to put my human nature with all its natural inclinations to lust and sin to death. Well now, think of this. People in addiction become addicted to overcoming their addiction. Let me repeat that. People in addiction become addicted to overcoming their addiction. You can be as addicted to saying no to something as the thing itself. We become obsessed. Why is this so? Because our minds are overrun with guilt and shame and fear, and so we obsess on the thing itself in order to relieve ourselves of the guilt and shame and fear. If we can say no to something long enough, we won’t feel so guilty about it. But the truth is that real victory and freedom is about learning how to teach our mind the healthy news about Jesus Christ and who he is for us. So when Paul says, but present yourselves to God as a living, as being alive from the dead, what really would that look like? I remember years ago somebody saying to me, well, a very authoritative person, actually, a president of a conference that I was working for in the ministry. I’m not in the ministry now, but I was working for him at that time. And he said, you really ought to let go of the ministry. And I said… Okay, why do you think that? He said, well, if people found out your sins, they’d be very embarrassed, or they would be shocked, or they would be offended, or they would walk away from the truth. Is that really true? Is it necessary for us to have a perfect life in order to witness properly to Jesus, or is it the life that we have to speak to others about the life we have of how God has shown mercy to us and God is helping us on a daily basis? What I mean by that little story is that the president of the conference that I was working for was basically saying, dying to your sin or giving up on the ministry as a way of dying to your sin is more important than living to God, living for God. Well, my experience at that time, I knew the gospel well enough to say to myself, no, I can’t take that man’s advice. I must live as though I were alive from the dead. Live as though you were alive from the dead. Live as though you were alive from the dead. That is the message that the gospel is teaching us. So many people don’t go to church or don’t witness to him or don’t do any service to God because they feel they’re not worthy. I can’t do this job. I can’t witness to Christ. I’m too much of a sinner. If people found out about my sins, they would be offended and they would walk away and they’d say I was a hypocrite. Look, if we’re all trying to be enclosed and encased in some kind of force field that will stop us from sinning, what will become of our lives for the service of the world? The Christian message from day one has been to go out, get out there, and help people, serve people, witness to people, love people, be merciful to people, just as God has been merciful to you. In other words, the gospel has been about resurrection. not about death only. Yes, there is a dying by faith in Jesus Christ to account ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive to God. And so when I read this verse years and years ago and really understood it for the first time, I began to see that Christian faith is a breaking out. It’s a breaking out into the world, a breaking out into service for God, not forever hiding away for our shame. Look how much has happened to us in our lives by hiding away in our shame. We’ve become minimal, minuscule, trivial, pitiable. There are millions of Christians who, through the centuries, have hidden away from service. They’ve gone into monasteries. You know, the Christian church had so many monasteries in England before Henry VIII that there were more people in monasteries than there were in the working force in England. So much so that Henry VIII forbade or outlawed monasteries. It was called the dissolution of the monasteries. Can you imagine that? What in the world was happening? People were developing this crippled, weak mentality that in order to be godly people and holy people, you have to avoid the world and live in mountaintops or in isolated places. Can you imagine what that would lead to ultimately? It would lead to isolationism. It would lead to a defensiveness in Christian life that would make us so incredibly weak. But we have come to the conclusion that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for us. And since he did it for us and on our behalf, we also break out from death. And we also move forward in the world. Now, I grant you it’s more difficult for me as an older man to do this, but in the way that God has given me the freedom and ability to do so, that’s what I do. That’s why I’m writing the book that I’m working on and have almost finished, by the way, now. I’m sure some of you wonder, rolling your eyes, whether it’ll ever be done. Well, it’s near to be done. It’s near done. But the point that I’m making then is about your life. Let’s suppose you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol or food issues or sexual addiction. What do you do? Do you wait forever to overcome your addiction before you serve other people? No, you do not. Have you noticed that Alcoholics Anonymous… They help people to find their freedom from addiction, from alcoholism or alcohol. But what those men and women do in the meantime is to serve one another. They’re not just hiding away in meetings, anonymous groups forever. The genius of Alcoholics Anonymous is that those men and women go out to help another guy find freedom. In fact, I remember reading the history of Alcoholics Anonymous decades ago, and one man—I’ve forgotten whether—I never get it clear whether it’s Brother Roger or Brother Bob. Anyway, one of the two founders— called the one who was their, what shall I say, spiritual advisor, and said, Doc, please give me an addict to call because I’m near the edge of falling off the wagon myself and I need to help somebody else. And the doctor gave him the name of a man and he went to him and he told him the truth, all the truth that Alcoholics Anonymous teaches about helping somebody else. And by that means he stayed free from falling himself. So do you see, let’s read this verse again. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead. Now that takes some courage, but it is the courage of faith. Jesus rose from the dead for us. You and I cannot obviously rise from the dead of ourselves. We cannot do the work of Jesus in that regard. So many people naively talk about, we need to follow Jesus’ example, and they think that’s all there is to it. No, no, no. That’s rubbish. Because try rising from the dead as an example, as following Jesus’ example. And it doesn’t work, does it? But if by faith we identify with Jesus and say, as he rose from the dead, declaring that death no longer has control over him, as it says in verse 10, remember? Did you remember that? For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life that he lives to God… When Jesus rose from the dead, he was freed from the power of death. Now remember, when Lazarus rose from the dead, he wasn’t freed from the power of death. Lazarus would have to die twice. but not Jesus. When Jesus rose from the dead, death was over for him. And this is what you and I begin to exercise, the faith that we exercise. We say, the power of death is done. It is over for me. Though I die, yet shall I live. As I believe in him, I will never die. We see death as a mere transition. And because of that, we serve God to our dying days, knowing that we are alive from the dead and therefore are useful in the kingdom of God. If you are still struggling with addiction, don’t think you have no place in the kingdom of God. Don’t think that you have no right to serve other people. You can say, yes, I’m struggling with my addiction, but I thank God that I have the right, since I’m accounted as resurrected from the dead, to help somebody else who may also be struggling with an addiction. And if he or she isn’t struggling with an addiction, maybe it’s with depression or anxiety or worry or financial difficulties or just not being able to get out of the house. Do you see what I’m saying? Your resurrection from the dead by faith in Jesus gives new power to you, and it enables you to realize you have significance in the world because you’re one of God’s men whom Jesus raised up just like Lazarus. Thank you very much. If you’d like to make a donation to the broadcast, it’s listener-supported radio. It’s now in its 27th year. Go to faithquestradio.com and make your donation there. Thank you so much. I appreciate all your help, and I’ll see you next time. Cheerio and God bless.
