Salem Conference 2012 - Pastor Joseph P. Sugrue Friday PM Part 1

ROM 6:8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall [future] also live with Him,

 

The position we have in Christ is mentioned in verse 5 and here in verse 8 we see that there is a faith or doctrine(s) needed to live with Him as our Master.

 

ROM 6:9 knowing that Christ [contrasted from verse 3 “do you not know], having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.

 

ROM 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin [not physical death], once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

 

Is physical death your real problem? I’m not sure how you might avoid it. [Phil] … He lives so you should live, really live.

 

ROM 6:11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

 

ROM 6:12 Therefore [because of the fact of positional truth - you have a new Master and the faith in doctrine] do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts,

 

OSN reign - “Runaway slave;” running back to the authority of the OSN though it has been crucified when you are forever a slave to Christ.

 

ROM 6:13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

 

Runaway slaves created a massive problem in the Roman Empire. So much so that the search for runaway slaves became an organized business conducted by private fugitivarii [slave-catchers] who delivered the apprehended runaways either directly to the owners or to the nearest municipal magistrate.

 

The “slave-catcher” in God’s plan is the law of volitional responsibility and divine discipline which are designed to deliver you from the cruelty of the old nature under human good, sin and evil, and unto the life of Christ.

 

A master not only owned the slave, but he also owned the production of the slave. Human good, wood, hay, and stubble are not what you have been called to produce.

 

ROM 6:14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.

 

 

 

Slave status changed (positional truth):

 

Believer becomes free, slaves, friends, bride, and sons fellow heirs.

 

Christ becomes Lord, Master, Husband, Friend, fellow heirbrother, and Judge simultaneously.

 

Combined, the relationship between the believer and Christ in the CA is absolutely unprecedented.

 

At salvation our slave status changes from the old master (OSN) to the new Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore; we are slaves of Christ forever.

 

The following will show you how Christ has fulfilled every relationship need that you have. We have a desire to be loved and liked. We are social creatures.

 

1. Slaves of Christ:

One of the titles for Jesus Christ is Lord or ku,rioj[kurios - sir, owner, master, and Lord]. One could hardly call himself an owner if he didn’t own anything and if He is your Lord then He must own you.

 

A simple but crucial point is that the two words ‘Lord’ and ‘slave’, ‘kurios’ and ‘doulos,’ are correlatives. That is they form a matching pair, comparable to lightning and thunder. Not that thunder is the opposite of lightning, or that ‘slave’ is the opposite of ‘Lord’ [slave and free are opposites] but they belong together.

 

1 Cor 7:22

For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave.

 

COL 4:1

Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

 

John 15:20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master [kurios].' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.