Theme: From Death Row to Freedom
1. All people are prisoners of sin
2. Only through Christ is there a “Means” of freedom
Romans 6:1-6 What
shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly
not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know
that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His
death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that
just as Christ was raised 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 united together in
the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His
resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the
body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
As I was reading through news headlines this week I saw an
article about a photographer who re-created the last meals of death row
inmates. Every individual who receives capital punishment is almost always
given a choice in determining their final meal. The photographer remarked that
he found it fascinating that a person’s meal choice was so indicative of their
personality. Whenever think of “last meals” I can’t help but feel sad. Who
would want to gorge themselves before impending death? Could you really enjoy
it knowing that this is it? If placed in the same situation I think I would
lost my appetite entirely.
It’s also not uncommon to hear death row inmates called
“dead men walking.” This title is a constant reminder that their days are
numbered. There is no escape from the punishment of the crimes they committed.
They will have to suffer the ultimate price, it is only a matter of time.
But, doesn’t that title apply to us all? All people are
really “dead men walking.” Whether a person has committed a heinous enough
crime to warrant capital punishment or not doesn’t matter. Death is a reality
for us all. And even more than that, death is an experience that we have all been
through. I’m not talking about physical death, but any kind of separation from
life – which is really what all death is. Spiritual separation, or death,
occurs long before physical death. Paul said it simply a few verses after our
text, “The wages of sin is death.”
(Romans 6:23) He wrote elsewhere to the Ephesians, “…you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians
2:1-2).
The story of death row inmates should resonate with us,
because God reveals in His Word that as it pertains to our spiritual lives, we
are very much in the same situation. We’re living but without escape from
death. We are dead men walking.
This prospect is inescapably startling of you truly think
about it and take it heart. So startlingly, in fact, that many ignore it and
are even offended that you would suggest it. It’s much easier to digest man’s
opinion, that while we may not be perfect, there is certainly a host of things
that set apart a person on death row from someone who is ordinary. And
certainly that difference has to count before God, even if He will require an
account of my life when I stand before Him. But, there’s a problem with that
line of reasoning because it suggests that God will base His ruling by
comparing people with each other. The Bible says the comparison will actually
be between the you and God. How you compare with someone else’s merits means
very little before God. He is concerned with your righteousness as He is
righteous. Given such a comparison, there’s no escaping a sentence of death, of
separation from God. Rather, it is a reality that we all must come to grips
with.
What connection, then, do the Sacraments and the gospel
have to this reality of death? The answer is that they are the means by which
God extends forgiveness, or in other words, they free us from death. These
means do not circumvent the obligation of death under God’s law. The means of
grace are not cheap tricks to escape God’s punishment. They are not “get out
jail free cards” that allow us to do whatever we want and have a guaranteed
pass from God. Essentially, they do not escape the necessity of death and yet
they make us free.
Paul explains as it pertains to baptism. How shall we who died to sin live any
longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Baptism is meant to be one of
God’s greatest and most comforting blessings and yet Paul says that it causes
death. Once again, let us return to the basic meaning of death to help us
understand. Baptism causes a separation, a death in that sense. This is not a
separation from God, but a separation from sin.
We didn’t have to do anything to die spiritually from God.
That death has been the fate for all people since our very first ancestors sinned
in the Garden. That death, in a rational way of thinking, is extremely simple.
No effort required on our part – we are all sinners. This very first death then
leads to the many ways in which we die through sins in our lives. Obviously, as
it pertains to our responsibility before God these latter sins are quite
damning.
Paul then takes this haunting reality, that we are on death
row, and uses it to explain what Christ did. When Jesus came to earth to secure
our salvation, He didn’t shortchange His Father’s demands. Jesus died. He
suffered the just penalty that we deserved. So often people complain against
God and ask why He doesn’t just intervene and stop evil if He is all-powerful.
Furthermore, if sin is so bad, why doesn’t God just fix everything and be done
with it? It’s a logical argument in a sense, but most people don’t follow it to
its logical end. Suppose that God just mystically snapped His fingers and did
away with everything evil. Suppose He changes this instantly, in the blink of
an eye. On the surface this sounds nice because we would then be back to
perfection. But, two other good things would also be radically changed.
1. We would no longer be free. God specifically created
people as free creatures. He gave us a mind and senses to think for ourselves.
He designed us to serve Him of our own will, not be forced into it as the
animals were created. While this freedom today is corrupted by sin, it is still
a blessing and is meant to enrich our relationship with God by faith. Simply
changing everything would eliminate this freedom.
2. The second thing that would change is the nature of God.
If God supernaturally intervened to change everything in the world through His
sheer power He would cease being God. This example is parallel to a skeptical
question you’ve probably heard before. Can God create an object so big that
He can’t move it? On the surface this question sounds good to the
unbeliever because in their minds it shows the limitation that even an
all-powerful God can have. But, in reality, it is a useless question, because
although God is all-powerful he would never do anything that contradicts who He
is. Therefore, God would never solve the problem of sin in a way that betrayed
another part of His nature. Here we focus on God’s justice. It would certainly
be a loving thing to take care sin with a flash of His magical wand, but it
wouldn’t be just. Justice means doing what is right, what is perfect. From the
very beginning God has clearly said that sin demands a punishment. The height of
that punishment is where we are led in our text, death. God could not eradicate
sin without dealing with the penalty for that sin. If He did He would not be
God and it wouldn’t matter what else happened because there would be nothing
left for us.
This is why what Jesus did is so important. God intervened
in our affairs by sending His Son in our place, not by doing some supernatural
reversal of sin. For this mode of salvation to work Jesus would have to uphold
every attribute of God while He was in our place. All of these attributes could
be narrowed down to love and justice. The way in which Jesus secured salvation
had to perfectly satisfy God’s nature of being all-loving, but also being
completely righteous. Therefore, to be a sinless Savior Jesus had to keep all
of God’s commandments and He had to pay our penalty for not.
Jesus did it. He died on the cross. He was buried in the
tomb. He walked our path on death row and received, in His own body, the
ultimate price for our sins. Every step He took in this manner was absolutely
necessary. It was the only way we could be saved. The fruit of this sacrifice
was the resurrection. Because Jesus did it all perfectly, death had no claim on
Him. He defeated it and paved the way for all who believe in Him to likewise be
rescued from it.
The Sacraments and the gospel Word are important for us
because they flow from this work of Jesus. Just as God could not circumvent the
means that were necessary for obtaining our salvation, so also we cannot
circumvent the means necessary for receiving salvation. The two go hand in hand
and so Paul appropriately fleshes out the illustration: Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just
as Christ was raised 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 united together in the
likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His
resurrection.
When someone is baptized, God wants us to recognize that
they have died and been raised in the same manner as His own Son. It’s a
continual testament to the fact that God did not just overlook the problem of
sin. It is also a continual reminder of everything Jesus has defeated for us to
get to heaven. The same can be applied to the Lord’s Supper, when Jesus
promises, “This is my body given for
you, and my blood shed for the forgiveness of sins.” In both instances, God
does not ignore the reality of death – rather He purposely embraces it both in
His justice and in His love.
I believe there is a connection in our culture between the
popular attitude of calling for only love, not justice, and also diminishing
the means by which God brings His grace and forgiveness to us. And why wouldn’t
there be? If people ignore the tragedy and reality of death there is no need
for divine justice. If people want God to miraculously intervene in life and
immediately make everything better they won’t want to receive His blessings by
His methods. But, to ignore the separation that sin has caused is like death
row inmate ignoring the impending future. We are all trapped in that dire
reality. But, as Jesus Himself said, “Be
of good cheer.” For our death has been defeated by His
death.
Be confident that through baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and
the gospel Word, you are united in your Savior’s death and resurrection. Your
sins of past and present are buried and gone. Your loving Father’s righteous
justice has been met and you will be able to stand before Him. Amen.
The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will
keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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