LIVE LIKE A DEAD MAN

LIVE LIKE A DEAD MAN 

The Christian should live like a dead man.  For in many ways, that is what we are.  We are alive only in Him.

Romans 6:11-14; 12:1-2 

1)      Choice—to live like you’re dead—dead to sin

2)      Who rules over you—who do allow to rule over you?

a.      V. 12  Sin reign—obey its evil desires—Who is your ruler/king when you choose to sin?

b.      V. 13  Think in context of worship—who is worshiped?  “Offer the parts of your body to sin—offering a sacrifice—bowing down to worship

c.      Body can be an instrument of wickedness—who is worshiped?

d.      Instead—offer your body for righteousness

e.      Live like a dead man—toward sin—the dead do not sin—above that—Christian chooses who will be Lord—chooses whether to live as dead to sin or dead toward God

Romans 12:1-2 

1)      How do you live for God not sin or Satan—worship God?

a.      Paul urges—pleads

                                                               i.      Why?  God’s mercy—you have received from whom?

                                                             ii.      Offer body as living sacrifice—worship by offering yourself to God—“Animal sacrifice—animal died representing giving ALL to God.”

                                                            iii.      Living sacrifice—one living as dead—live as a dead man

                                                           iv.      Offer body

1.      Holy—God is holy—holy sacrifice to Him

2.      Pleasing to God—Is sin or righteousness pleasing to God?

3.      This is genuine worship—life given daily to God, not sin or Satan—more than a Sunday worship experience 

2)      How do you live like a dead person?

3)      V. 2  Don’t conform

a.      Conforming is giving in—being like others—like the world’s sinful pattern—worship of Satan

4)      Be transformed

a.      Change from the inside out—caterpillar to butterfly

b.      Genuinely changed—happens not from outside in (conforming) but inside out (begins in the heart/mind)

                                                               i.      Renewing of the mind/heart

1.      Reading of God’s Word

2.      Prayer

3.      Obedience to God—knowing leads to doing

                                                             ii.      Consistent reading Bible/praying will either lead to a person turning away from sin, or lead a person to turn away from God (and Bible/prayer).

                                                            iii.      Contradictions cause us to make a choice—whom will you worship/serve? 

Rest of Romans 12 gives ways to give your life to God and turn from evil/sin/Satan.  Esp. vv. 9 ff. 

Who are you giving your life to—even as a believer in Christ—to Satan or to God? 

Who reigns over you—sin or Christ? 

You have a choice. 

1)      Present your whole self/body to God—that is genuine worship.

2)      Turn from conforming to others and being just like everyone else in the world

3)      Be transformed—changed from the inside—heart/mind

4)      Neglect the Word and prayer—choosing to turn to sin and Satan—be consistent to worship God, read the Word, pray—choosing to worship God and turn to His way. 

The choice is yours—Who will you worship? 

Live as one dead to sin—but alive to God.