Obeying the Gospel – Lesson 6 – Dying with Christ

Introduction

1. Text: Rom. 6:3,4.
2. “This is a faithful saying: for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him” (2 Tim. 2:11).
3. It is in baptism that we die with Christ – Rom. 6:3,4.

I. Why We Need to Die with Christ

1. Atonement for our sins had to be provided by Christ’s death – 1 Pt. 2:24. Cf. Rom. 3:25,26.
2. We would be helpless to save ourselves without Christ’s sacrifice – Rom. 5:6-8.
   1. We cannot save ourselves by the mere effort to be more obedient – Rom. 7:21-24.
   2. Only through Christ’s sacrifice can we be “reconciled” to God – Rom. 5:11. Cf. 2 Cor. 5:18.
3. It should be love and gratitude that motivate us to live for Him – 2 Cor. 5:14,15.

II. Dying with Christ in Baptism

1. As we have seen in the previous lessons in this series, all the other steps lead up to forgiveness, but it is in baptism that our sins are washed away – Ac. 22:16.
2. If it is in baptism that we “die with Christ,” then the question “Have you been baptized?” becomes very important.
   1. Baptism is not an arbitrary action required by God — it is the act in which, according to God’s design, we die to our old life and become “new” in Christ – Col. 2:12. Cf. 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20; 3:27.
   2. If we’re thinking rightly, we would want to be baptized “in the same hour of the night” (Ac. 16:33,34). Cf. 8:35,36.
3. Jesus commission to His apostles included the command to baptize those who were receptive to the gospel: “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28:19).

III. Dying with Christ Is a Decision

1. Dying with Christ is not automatic; it is a matter of choice – Col. 3:1-11. Cf. Rom. 6:1-8.
   1. Our decision is one we must continue to remember and re-make daily – Col. 2:6. Cf. Lk. 9:23.
   2. The command to “be faithful” (Rev. 2:10) is a command we can obey — and we must choose to obey it.
2. Importance of the Lord’s Supper each week as a reminder.
   1. In this observance, we remember not only that Christ died (1 Cor. 11:26) but that we have died with Him!
   2. “He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15).
3. Commitment involved. How committed are you to “walking in newness of life”?

Conclusion

1. Those willing to die with Christ must be willing to share in His shame and His suffering.
   1. Going “outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hb. 13:12,13).
   2. Sharing the “fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil. 3:10,11). Cf. Col. 1:24; 1 Pt. 4:13.
2. So to “confess Christ” and “die with Him,” we must be willing to take our stand with Him, openly and courageously – Mt. 10:32,33.
3. Have you died with Christ, receiving the forgiveness of your sins and becoming a disciple of His?
4. What hinders you from obeying the gospel? Cf. Ac. 22:16.

Gary Henry – WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com