WITHOUT ARE UNDER A SENTENCE OF DEATH

THE DEATH SENTENCE - CRUCIFIED WITH HIM

Last week we thought about the real message of Easter, Resurrection Sunday. Without the resurrection, Easter would have no significance. The “good news” of the Gospel is that Christ, our creator, the Son of God, willingly gave Himself to be a blood sacrifice that our sins could be removed forever through Him. The whole reason for His coming is clearly stated in John 3:17. “For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” Notice the words “might be saved.” Whether we are or not is up to us. Three facts stand out in the book of Romans. Let us look at them together.

1. THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH

Romans 6:23

23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This we also read as early as the book of Genesis 3:3, where God told Adam and Eve, not even to touch the fruit of the tree at the center of the garden, lest they die. They touched, they ate, and they were separated from God. They died spiritually on the spot, and began to die physically from that time on. From that beginning, all mankind has followed this same pattern of disobedience to God and spiritual death.

2. ALL HAVE SINNED

Romans 3:23,24

23. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24. Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

3. THE CHRISTIAN’S SINS HAVE BEEN PARDONED

Romans 6:1-6

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.
5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.
6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Quotations are from the King James Version.