Skip HeitzigSkip Heitzig

Skip's Teachings > Heart & Soul: A Study through Romans > Winning the War with Sin

Message:

SHORT URL: http://SkipHeitzig.com/4477 Copy to Clipboard
BUY: Buy CD

Winning the War with Sin - Romans 6:11-14

Taught on | Topic: sin | Keywords: accountability, grace, knowledge, love, new nature, old nature, resist, strategy, struggle, temptation, war

There is not a person I know who doesn’t struggle with sin. Evil thoughts, bad habits, immoral impulses, and recurring temptations all rear their ugly heads, leaving us exhausted and disappointed in ourselves and wondering if any deliverance is possible. This struggle is real. The war can be fierce. How can we believers (who still have our old natures) win in these battles? Consider this four-step strategy.

Date Title   WatchListenNotes Share SaveBuy
9/15/2019
completed
resume  
Winning the War with Sin
Romans 6:11-14
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
There is not a person I know who doesn’t struggle with sin. Evil thoughts, bad habits, immoral impulses, and recurring temptations all rear their ugly heads, leaving us exhausted and disappointed in ourselves and wondering if any deliverance is possible. This struggle is real. The war can be fierce. How can we believers (who still have our old natures) win in these battles? Consider this four-step strategy.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study Guide
Transcript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD

Series Description

Show expand

Heart & Soul: A Study through Romans

Heart & Soul: A Study through Romans

When the wrath of God meets the righteousness of God, where does that leave us? The apostle Paul says that we are marked by sin at birth but marked righteous at salvation. In this series through Romans, Skip Heitzig explains the essentials of Christian doctrine that can transform your thoughts, words, and actions. Move from sinner to saint, and from saved to Spirit-filled as you inscribe the essence of the gospel onto your heart and soul.

Buy series | Buy audiobook

Outline

    Open as Word Doc Open as Word Doc    Copy Copy to Clipboard    Print icon    Hide contract


  1. We Reason (vv. 3, 6, 9)

  2. We Reckon (v. 11)

  3. We Resist (vv. 12-13a)

  4. We Replace (vv. 13b-14)

Study Guide

    Open as Word Doc Open as Word Doc    Copy Copy to Clipboard    Print icon    Show expand

Connect Recap Notes: Sunday, September 15, 2019
Speaker: Skip Heitzig
Teaching: "Winning the War with Sin"
Text: Romans 6:11-14

Path

There is not a person I know who doesn't struggle with sin. Evil thoughts, bad habits, immoral impulses, and recurring temptations all rear their ugly heads, leaving us exhausted and disappointed in ourselves and wondering if any deliverance is possible. This struggle is real. The war can be fierce. How can we believers (who still have our old natures) win in these battles? Consider this four-step strategy:
  1. We Reason (vv. 3, 6, 9)
  2. We Reckon (v. 11)
  3. We Resist (vv. 12-13a)
  4. We Replace (vv. 13b-14)
Points

We Reason 
  • People often make false assumptions about old temptations.
  • Paul described the battle with sin in Galatians 5:17. Our old nature loves to do evil.
  • The struggle between our two natures is familiar to every believer; it's a struggle that doesn't stop until heaven.
  • The Bible teaches that Christians have three enemies: the devil, the flesh (our old nature and habits), and the world (systems, values, and lifestyles opposed to God). When all three enemies work together, they create the perfect storm.
  • Reason is the first strategy for battling sin. If you want to grow, you first must know. Doctrine precedes doing.
  • If Satan can keep you ignorant, you'll be impotent. We study God's Word to know and grow.
  • We should know for certain:
    • Our old life is past; this is demonstrated in baptism.
    • Our old lifestyle is rendered powerless.
    • New life comes with new power. Jesus' resurrection is the power source for victory over sin.
We Reckon
  • The word Paul used for "reckon" is an accounting term meaning "to calculate, to estimate, to be true." Paul was saying, "I believe what God says to be true."
  • Note the difference between knowledge and conviction—conviction is a deeper experience based on what we know is true.
  • Our theology must become be-ology, turning knowledge into conviction.
  • Although we know sin is bad, we must be convinced it is bad. We must reckon it for what it is.
  • Sanctification does not mean we don't sin, it means that we don't have to give in to sin.
  • When we are attacked, we can proclaim, "I don't have to be a slave to sin." We reckon that what we know about Christ's victory over sin is enough to help us fight against sin.
We Resist
  • Paul showed that there is an element of control involved in not sinning. People can resist sin.
  • Besetting sins, habits, and addictive behavior needs support from the outside, first from the Lord, then from fellow Christians (groups, counselors, pastors, etc.).
  • We should not let sinful impulses call the shots (see James 4:1-10).
  • Once we are plugged into God as the power source, we can stop being servants of sin.
  • Practical strategies include:
    • Maintain a safe proximity. Put distance between you and sin; stay far away from temptation.
    • Cut off opportunity. Even with distance, temptation can still present itself. So, close the door, turn off the device, and flee lust (see 2 Timothy 2:22).
    • Foster accountability. Enlist someone to support you in the struggle (see Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
We Replace
  • Replacing sin with righteousness turns a defensive position into an offensive position. The best way to deprive the old nature is to cultivate a new one.
  • Become so engaged in serving God that you lose interest in gratifying yourself.
  • Notice the repeated use of "present" meaning "to place at disposal, to offer as a sacrifice" (see Romans 12:1-2).
  • "Instruments" is a military term for weapons or supplies used during a war. Paul was saying, "Don't give weapons to the enemy. Don't let the devil use your tongue, hands, mind, or feet." Instead, present to God the use of your body.
  • Top-down practical strategies include:
    • Mind: Don't let your mind be an instrument of wickedness; take every thought captive (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).
    • Eyes: Don't look at unholy or impure things (movies, internet, etc.)
    • Mouth: Let your speech be edifying and pleasing to others and speak truth.
    • Ears: Listen to God, to His Word, and to others' needs.
    • Body: Make yourself a living sacrifice by using your body for God's glory.
  • God aims for the transformation of a life.
Practice

Connect Up: One theme Pastor Skip touched on is holiness. Holiness is a moral attribute of God; God is holy (see Psalm 99). Following His example, we are called to holiness as well (see 1 Peter 1:15-17). Consider these two Hebrew words as you discuss holiness:
  • Godesh—apartness. Holiness means "set apart." What are we to be set apart from?
  • Gadosh—sacred. What are we to consider sacred and righteous? How should this help us live a holy life?
.
Connect In: Pastor Skip mentioned accountability with other Christians as support from the outside. Use these questions to discuss accountability:
  • If you have an accountability partner, how has he or she helped you in your Christian walk?
  • If you don't have an accountability partner, why?
  • How can counselors, pastors, and Christian groups help you resist and replace bad habits with godly habits? If you've been helped by any of these, share your story.
Connect Out: An unbeliever must first become a Christian before he or she can truly reckon, resist, and replace sin (since they don't have the Spirit living inside them). How can you use God's holiness and humankind's sin as a springboard to discuss the good news of Jesus? Using the Romans Road to Salvation, look up these verses to discuss: Romans 3:23; 3:10-18; 5:8; 6:23, 8:38-39; 10:8-10; 10:13; 10:17.1


1 For more information, visit www.gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html.

Detailed Notes

    Open as Word Doc Open as Word Doc    Copy Copy to Clipboard    Print icon    Hide contract

"Winning the War with Sin"
Romans 6:11-14
  1. Introduction
    1. Sometimes we can have the false assumption that our old temptations are long gone
      1. However, they can spring to life when we least expect it
      2. The old nature that is prone to do evil wars against the new person that we are in Christ (see Galatians 5:17)
    2. The struggle between the two natures is a struggle that every child of God is familiar with—including Paul the apostle (see Romans 7:24)
      1. Romans 7:15
      2. You may be tempted to think that nobody knows your struggle, but the truth is that everybody knows your struggle because everyone has it
        1. Their struggle might be different than yours, but it's still a struggle
        2. It's a battle everyone has—a battle we all want to win
      3. "In war, there is no prize for the runner up" —General Omar N. Bradley
    3. We are engaged in battle, and there are three enemies allied against us:
      1. The Devil
        1. The Devil isn't a myth—he's a real and powerful spiritual entity
        2. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life; Satan hates you and has a miserable plan for your life
      2. The flesh; the Devil wouldn't be powerful unless we had an old nature that is susceptible to his temptations and can be lured away
      3. The world
        1. Without this third enemy, the first two would not be powerful
        2. Satan uses this world, its values and allurements, to attract our flesh toward his cause
    4. Paul provided our battle strategy to win the war with sin in Romans 6
  2. We Reason (vv. 3, 6, 9)
    1. The first step begins with the mind—with reason and knowledge
      1. "Do you not know?" (v. 3)
      2. "Knowing this" (v. 6)
      3. "Knowing that Christ" (v. 9)
    2. This is where victory begins
      1. If you want to grow, there are certain things you need to know; in doing anything, you must first be learning something
        1. This is true with anything in life—if you do anything, you need to first learn about it
        2. Learning always precedes living; doctrine always comes before doing
      2. Before you go to battle, you have to know your enemy and strategize how to face that enemy
        1. 2 Peter 3:18
        2. Hosea 4:6
        3. Matthew 22:29
      3. We must begin with a knowledge base
    3. What are we to know exactly?
      1. We are to know that our old life is over
        1. The believer's old nature is publicly executed in Christ through baptism
        2. Baptism is the public declaration that a life has been changed
      2. In the Bible, the "old man" is the old you who was identified in Adam before you came to know Jesus Christ
        1. Our old man was crucified with Him
        2. Paul used the word katagaro, which means put out of business
      3. We need to know that our old life has passed and our old lifestyle has been rendered powerless
        1. We also need to know that with new life comes new power
        2. Jesus conquered death by resurrection, and His resurrection becomes the power source for my victory over sin
    4. As a believer, you are both dead and alive: dead to the old you and alive in Christ to serve Him
      1. The problem is that many Christians live in-between lives—between death and resurrection
      2. Jesus died for them, but there's no real advancing, life-giving transformation that takes place
    5. The first step in winning the war with sin is to know certain truths
      1. "This book will keep you from sin, but sin will keep you from this book" —D.L. Moody
      2. Psalm 119:11
  3. We Reckon (v. 11)
    1. The term reckon is logizomai in the Greek, which means to calculate or to estimate something to be true
      1. This is a word of conviction that basically means we believe that what God says to be true in His Word is true in our lives
      2. There's a big difference between knowing something and believing something
      3. We need to be convinced and convicted of these truths; we need to turn our knowledge into conviction
    2. To be sanctified does not mean you never sin; it means you never have to sin
      1. "Sin is inevitable, but it is never necessary" —John Stott
      2. When you're in the battle and the temptations come, you can say, "I don't have to be a slave to that any longer"
      3. Understand that you are dead to sin, then act on that truth
    3. With knowledge comes a deep conviction
      1. So far, all the steps to winning the war with sin have been inward
      2. Proverbs 23:7
  4. We Resist (vv. 12-13a)
    1. The fact that Paul said, "Don't let sin reign in your mortal body" shows us that there's an element of personal control involved
      1. You don't have to sin, so don't let it happen
      2. Sin is a dethroned monarch—it tries to make its claim on you, but you don't have to let that happen
        1. Some people struggle with besetting sins, habits from the past, or addictive behavior and might need support from a group or counselor
        2. The point is that we can't let sinful impulses call the shots
      3. James 4:7
      4. Once we're plugged into the power source of the resurrection, we can stop being servants of sin
    2. If knowing has to do with the mind, and reckoning has to do with the deep conviction of the heart, then resisting has to do with the will
      1. Maintain proximity
        1. If you get too close to temptation, you're going to go over that line every time
        2. Sin is a lot like a wild animal at the zoo: the animal is dangerous, but as long as you stay behind the barriers put there for your safety, it cannot hurt you
        3. "You can't stop birds from flying above your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair" —Martin Luther
      2. Cut off opportunity
        1. Even when you put distance between yourself and temptation, that temptation will follow you around and present itself to you
        2. When Satan calls, the right response is to cut him off, and that might mean you need to physically run away
        3. This is what Joseph did when Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him (see Genesis 39:11-12)
      3. Foster accountability
        1. Sometimes you need people around you to help you through and support you in this struggle
        2. Just telling another brother or sister about your temptation and the things you struggle with often causes that temptation to lose its power and grip on you
        3. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
        4. Just having that accountability can give you the extra courage to walk away from the temptation
  5. We Replace (vv. 13b-14)
    1. This final step is what cements the victory for you
      1. This turns the battle from a defensive position into an offensive position
      2. The best way to deprive my old nature is for me to cultivate my new nature
    2. If knowing has to do with the mind, reckoning has to do with the heart, and resisting has to do with the will, then this has to do with my walk
      1. We can become so focused on the temptation that's bothering us or we can get so busy with serving God, sharing Christ, or fellowshipping with other believers that we don't spend much time cultivating the new nature
        1. It's important to maintain our upward focus
        2. We need to focus on maintaining our pursuit of God, seeking first the kingdom of God
      2. Sometimes our problem is that we get in Christ, but we stay where we got in
        1. We need to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
        2. We grow by presenting ourselves to God
        3. Instead of letting the Devil use your mind, eyes, ears, mouth, and hands, present them to God and let Him use you
  6. Conclusion
    1. It's basic military strategy: don't give your weapons to the enemy; don't give the Devil the use of your body
    2. We need to learn to be focused on our master's face
      1. God's aim for our lives as believers is righteousness, transformation, and holiness—life change
      2. Could it be that you have just covered over your life with a thin layer of morality or ceremony without conversion?
      3. God wants all of you, and He wants you to win this war with sin
Figures referenced: Omar N. Bradley, Martin Luther, D.L. Moody, Robert Louis Stevenson, John Stott

Cross references: Genesis 39:11-12; Psalm 119:11; Proverbs 23:7; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Hosea 4:6; Matthew 22:29; Romans 7:15, 24; Galatians 5:17; James 4:7; 2 Peter 3:18

Greek words: katagaro, logizomai

Transcript

Open as Word Doc Open as Word Doc    Copy Copy to Clipboard    Print icon    Show expand

Winning the War with Sin - Romans 6:11-14 - Skip Heitzig

[MUSIC PLAYING]

This morning would you please turn in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. The Italian sailing team traveled to Australia to compete in the America's Cup race. They were outfitted by Italian designer, Gucci, with the latest sports fashion. They decided to go to Australia a little bit early. They wanted to go rent a car, and go out into the Outback, and they wanted to see kangaroos. Who doesn't want to see kangaroos when they go to Australia?

So they're driving along the road out in the bush. Not only did they see a kangaroo, they ran into a kangaroo. So they stopped the Land Rover, got out of the car, the kangaroo is lying on the side of the road, and they decide to take pictures. So they take pictures. And one guy gets the bright idea of taking off his nice Gucci jacket and putting it on the limp kangaroo to take photographs. So he does.

And just then, as he stepped back to take the picture, the creature came to life-- he wasn't dead, he was just dazed-- and hopped away, ran away before they could catch him off into the bush. So somewhere in Australia Outback is a very fashionably dressed kangaroo. He wears a Gucci jacket, and in the pocket are the keys to a Land Rover, [LAUGHTER] and the team's credit card.

I use that little illustration because I fear we can make the same mistake. We have a false assumption that our old temptations are long gone, maybe even dead. But they can seem to spring back to life when we least expect it. The apostle Paul framed the very unique battle we find ourselves in in the book of Galatians, when he said, "The flesh wars against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh." The old nature that is prone to do evil wars against the new person we are in Christ. Every one of us knows that battle.

Robert Lewis Stevenson wrote a book in the 1800s that has become very, very famous and been made into several movies since then called Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It's a story of a medical doctor named Dr. Henry Jekyll, who develops a potion that lets him become another man, Edward Hyde. Dr. Jekyll himself is a very nice, compassionate, even-tempered individual, whereas Mr. Hyde is this cold blooded killer. So the story revolves around this battle between two different characters trying to control one body.

Somebody asked Robert Lewis Stevenson, "Where did you get your inspiration for your characters?" He said, "I looked inside myself." He said, "I find there's always a struggle with the beast that lives within me." Now, this struggle between two natures is the struggle that every child of God-- even the best of the children of God-- are familiar with. Even Paul the Apostle struggled. Even Paul said, "Oh, wretched man that I am. Who will deliver me from this body of death?" I don't do what I know I should do. I do what I know I shouldn't do. And even he struggled.

I was reading an article about a very unusual lizard, at least to me. There's a type of lizard called a skink. S-K-I-N-K. It's a very shiny, glossy-skinned lizard. It has between 1,200 and 1,500 different varieties and sizes. Some are very, very colorful. But the most unusual skink ever found was found by a homeowner, a house owner, down in Jacksonville, Florida because this skink had two heads, one at each end of its body. So talk about frustration, right?

Whenever it tried to run, the legs would move in opposite directions. That is a struggle. Now, sometimes you might feel like you are unique, and you might be thinking, "Nobody knows the struggle I have."

Here's the truth. Everybody knows the struggle you have because every one of us has it. It might be different than yours, but it is definitely a struggle. It is a battle that never stops. It is a battle we all want to win. It is a battle we all must win.

As General Omar Bradley-- who is one of our military generals, leaders during World War II-- stated, he said, "In war, there is no prize for the runner up." You don't get second and third prize in a war. You either win it or you lose it. And so we find ourselves engaged in a battle. And we have not just an enemy, but we have three enemies who are allies against us. We have the world, the flesh, and the devil.

First of all, we have the devil. And the Bible says the devil isn't a myth with little horns and a pitchfork. He's a real spiritual, powerful entity, and he's got lots of help in the form of demons. Then, we have our flesh. And the devil wouldn't be powerful unless we had an old nature that can be lured away, and pulled away, and susceptible to his temptation.

But then we have a third. And unless we had the third, those two would not be powerful, and that is the world with all of its values and allurements that Satan uses to attract our flesh toward his cause. So we have the world, the flesh, and the devil. Three allies that form the perfect storm, all exploiting our weaknesses.

You know you've heard the old saying, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." Isn't that a wonderful thing to note? It is true. God loves you, and He does have a wonderful plan for your life. But the opposite is also true. Satan hate your guts and has a miserable plan for your life. So the question is facing this battle, how do we win the war with sin?

Well, fortunately we are given a battle strategy in Romans chapter 6. And I want to give you a four step process in winning the war with sin. It's in your worship folder. I've given you four words that take you through these steps. We reason, we reckon, we resist, we replace. Those four steps will ensure that you win the battle against sin.

Let's begin with the first, we reason. Now I know that the texts that I am looking at begins in verse 11 where he says, "Likewise you also reckon yourselves to be dead." But that is not the first step. The first step begins in the mind. It begins with your reasoning. Begins with knowledge.

In fact, if I take you back to verse 3 of chapter 6, note the word a few words in, "or do you not know?" Mark that. "Do you not know?" Then go down to verse 6. He says it again, "Knowing this." And then look at verse 9, first word again. "Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead."

So this is where victory begins. There are certain things you need to know. If you want to grow, there's things you need to know. That's where it starts.

And that's true with anything in life. If you do anything in life, you need to first learn about it. So if you want to work on cars, you need to know about engines. If you want to be an artist, you need to know about different mediums to present your art with, whether it's paint, palette knife, watercolors, sculpting. There's certain things you need to know.

If you want to be a surgeon, please, please know. Learn. Get all you can before you cut into us and operate. So in doing anything, you must first be learning something. Learning always precedes living. Doctrine always comes before doing. So it isn't a battle.

You just don't go out and fight a battle. Armies think it through. They plan a strategy. They assess their assets. They assess the enemy and tactics that they're familiar with before they engage in a battle.

Several years ago, I had this Bible signed by one of my heroes in the faith, J. I. Packer. And in it, he writes, "James Packer," and then afterwards, "Second Peter 3 18." Well, I didn't know what that was at the time, so I looked it up. And I now know second Peter 3 18, "Grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." We need to grow in knowledge.

The prophet Jose has said, "My people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge." Not lack of commitment, not lack of dedication, not lack of love. They're destroyed because they don't know. Jesus said to the leaders of his day, "You are erring because you don't know the scriptures nor the power of God."

So we begin with a knowledge base, begins in the mind. Well, what are we to know exactly? Well, first of all, go back to verse 3. "We are to know that our old life is over." It's past. Or do you not know verse 3 that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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.

The old Skip was publicly executed in an event called baptism. I stood in front of people one day years ago, before I was baptized in that swimming pool in a friend's backyard, and I declared to everyone by my baptism, "The old me is gone, and the new me is about to emerge."

That's why baptism is so important. I don't know why people wait so long to get baptized. Sometimes we'll baptize people in and we'll say, "Well, when did you come to Christ ago?" "20 years ago." Well, OK, I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you're getting baptized. I'm glad you're making this affirmation, but baptism in the New Testament and in many other places happens immediately or very quickly after salvation because it is the public declaration that things have changed.

I've gone to India, and it's interesting. When a person comes to Christ in India, because of the Hindu background they will often-- within a few days-- march with a group of believers getting baptized, march through their town singing a song to get everybody's attention looking down on the streets because they want to, by their voices, say, "I used to be like you, but now I'm different. I'm identifying with Jesus Christ. I'm doing it publicly. I'm making a lot of noise. I want you to know what's happening."

So baptism is like that public execution. The old way of life is gone. That's what you need to know.

A second thing you need to know is that not only is the old life past, but the old lifestyle is powerless. Now some of you are thinking, "It is? I don't think it is. I think it's very, very powerful, that old lifestyle." Well, let me put it another way. You need to know that your old lifestyle has been rendered powerless.

Look at verse 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. For He who has died has been freed from sin." OK. First of all, whenever you read the word "old man" in the Bible, does not mean your dad.

[LAUGHTER]

That's a term from the 1960s. I remember people used to say that phrase along with, "far out," "groovy," "what's your bag?" they would talk about the old man and the old lady, and they meant mom and dad.

But in the Bible, the old man is the old you identified in Adam before you came to know Jesus Christ. So what has happened? What has happened is this. Our old man was crucified with Him that the body of sin might be done away with. [GREEK] is the Greek word. It means, "to be put out of business."

So Jesus went to Satan's headquarters, so to speak. And there you were, working for the devil, until Jesus handed Satan the certificate announcing His crucifixion and His Resurrection and basically said, "OK, buckaroo. It's time for you to close up shop in terms of this individual." Which means I am no longer an employee of the devil. I don't work for him any longer. The wages of sin is death. Thank God we can quit before payday.

[CHEERING]

So we have Jesus hung out the sign "Out of Business" over my life. God help us to hang up that same sign. That's something we need to know, that the old lifestyle has been rendered powerless. We need to hang up that sign.

Maybe you can relate to this prayer. Dear God, you're really going to be proud of me. I haven't gossiped, lusted, or lost my temper today. I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent, and I'm very thankful for that. But, Lord, in a few minutes I'm going to get out of bed. And from then on, I'm going to need a lot of help. Amen. That poor boy just started.

So we need to know that our old life has passed, our old lifestyle has been rendered powerless, and also we need to know that with new life comes new power. Verse 9. "Knowing. Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him." He's a dethroned monarch. "For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all. But the life that He lives, He lives to God."

Jesus conquered death by what? Resurrection. He got up again. He lived again. So Jesus' Resurrection becomes the battery, the power source for my victory over sin that brings death.

So what that means is I am both dead and alive. Remember the old westerns, the posters "Wanted dead or alive?" Here's God's poster, "Wanted dead and alive." Dead to the old you alive in Christ to serve Him. Dead to sin, alive to Him.

The problem is many Christians live in between lives, in between death and Resurrection. In between Good Friday and Easter. Yeah, Jesus died for them, but there's no real advancing, life-giving life transformation that takes place.

So the first step, then, in winning the war with sin is we need to know certain truths. To know is to grow. Dwight L Moody used to hold his Bible in front of his congregation and say, "This book will keep you from sin, but sin will keep you from this book"

I like the way David put it. He said, "Your word I have hid in my heart that I might not sin against you." That's where it begins. Begins reasoning, thinking, knowing the truths of God's word. That's the first step. The second step after we reason is we reckon. That's verse 11. "Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord."

Now, verse 11 proves that Paul was a Texan because he said reckon. Or, at least, he's from southern Tarsus. I don't know.

You know, the term reckon is not a word we used a lot today. Of course, in the South it is a word that means to guess or suppose. You ask a person, "Well, how you doing? You doing OK?" And they say, "I reckon so." Means I think so, I suppose so.

But the word means something much stronger than just "I think so," or "I suppose so." It's the Greek word, "logizomai," we get our word "logic" from that word. It means "to calculate," or better yet, "to estimate something to be true." It is a word of conviction it is a word that basically means I believe that what God says to be true in His word is true in my life.

You know, there's a big difference between knowing something and believing something. Just having knowledge or having the conviction, the deep-seated heart belief that it is true. Somebody once said the longest journey you'll ever make is the 18 inches from your head to your heart. Where something is just really a part of you.

So our theology must become our be-ology. We need to be convinced. And convicted of these truths. We need to turn our knowledge into conviction.

Let me give an illustration of what it means to reckon. In a Jewish family-- in an orthodox Jewish family-- if let's say a son or a daughter converts to Jesus believing in Christ to Christianity. There's such an uproar in that family that the Father will declare, "My son is dead to me." Now that does not mean his son physically died, but what it means is relationally I am reckoning, I am counting, I am supposing. My conviction is he has done something that separates him from me, and my son is dead to me.

So we are to reckon ourselves to be dead in that same manner, sort of like endorsing a check. Somebody write you a check for $100, if you actually believe money is in the account what do you do? You sign your name to it and you cash it. So you're dead to it. You're saying, "Well, if sin is dead in my life, I wish it would just lie down because it sure gives me a lot of trouble."

Here's what you need to know. Sanctification-- that's what we're talking about-- becoming holy, being set apart by God. To be sanctified does not mean you never sin, but it does mean you never have to sin. There's a big difference.

John Stott put it this way. "Sin is inevitable, but it is never necessary." You don't have to do it. You can't keep saying, "The devil made me do it. I couldn't help myself. It's just who I am."

What it means is when you are attacked, when you are in this battle and the temptations come, you reckon. You say, "I don't have to be a slave to that any longer." Notice that Paul did not say, "Feel as if you are dead to sin." Because we don't. He said, "Reckon yourselves to be dead to sin." Understand it, and then act on it.

So after knowing certain things, the knowledge becomes a deep conviction. So far I think you can see that the steps are all inward, right? They're all going on in our thought process, in our heart. Like the Bible says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."

That takes us, now, to the third step. We reason, we reckon, and third we resist. Verse 12. "Therefore," and whenever there's a therefore, find out what it's there for. All right? So it's tied to a previous thought.

The fact that you know certain things and you suppose as true, those things are true in your life. "Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lust." Notice the wording the very fact that it's worded this way, that Paul says, "Don't let sin reign in your mortal body," it shows me that there's an element of personal control involved.

Oh, it wants to reign. Oh, I am tempted by it. I don't have to let it take over. Do not let sin reign in your mortal body.

There was a pastor who was pulled over by a police officer, a pastor pulled over for speeding. It wasn't me.

[LAUGHTER]

It could have been, but it wasn't me. And this pastor decided to pull out-- to play the minister card. So he turned over his license and registration and as he gave it out the window to the police officer, he looked up and he said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Police officer smiled, didn't even bat an eye, handed him a citation and said, "Go and sin no more."

[LAUGHTER]

You don't have to do it. So don't let it happen. Don't let sin reign. Sin is a dethroned monarch. It makes its claim on you. You don't have to let that happen.

Now let me just add a side note to that. I understand that some people struggle with besetting sins. I understand that people deal with habits from the past or addictive behavior that might need support from a group or a counselor to get them through that. I understand that. But here's the point-- don't let sinful impulses call the shots.

What does James chapter 4 say? "Resist the devil and--" what will he do? "He will flee from you." "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." so once we're plugged into this power source, the Resurrection power, we can stop. We can stop being servants of sin.

So if knowing has to do with the mind, and if a reckoning has to do with the heart-- that deep conviction-- then resisting has to do with the will. So we're at the mind, the heart, and now the will. Now you're hearing this. Some of you heard this before many times, and you're thinking, "Well, Skip, these are nice thoughts that you're bringing, but how do you implement this practically?"

Well, let me give you some practical things to do to implement this knowing and reckoning and resisting. Practical thought practical tip number one. Proximity. Maintain proximity. Don't get too close to that sin. Don't let that sin get too close to you. Stay away from temptation.

If you get so close to being tempted, you're going to go over that line every time. If you try to sail so close to the lake of fire, your sails are going to get singed. Stay away. Maintain proximity.

Remember that news story that broke three years ago? There was a four-year-old boy named Isaiah Dickerson in the Cincinnati Zoo who climbed underneath the fence to the gorilla enclosure? So here's a little boy. He gets in the gorilla cage, his parents are horrified, the officials are called in, and they have to make an immediate decision.

And they did it. They shot the 17-year-old gorilla-- Harambe was his name-- and killed that gorilla to save the boy. It caused public outrage and a lot of debate. It made the news.

But here's the deal. Sin is a lot like a wild animal at the zoo. Those animals are dangerous. They can harm you. But as long as you stay behind the barriers that are put there for your safety, they cannot hurt us.

It's only when we go around the barriers, or crawl over the fence or under the fence and get in that cage with them that we are in danger. Martin Luther put it this way, "You can't stop birds from flying above your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair."

[LAUGHTER]

Maintain proximity. That's tip number one on resisting. Tip number two in resisting, not only maintain proximity but cut off opportunity. Because, you see, even when you put distance between you and temptation, that temptation likes to follow you around and just poke its head in your way and say, "Here I am." Present itself to you.

So what do you do? Well, let me give you another illustration. We have a piano on stage. I'm going to just go over to it. Don't worry I'm not going to play a song.

So on this piano there are pedals on the bottom. One pedal makes things softer, one pedal is the sustain pedal. So if you hold a chord--

[PIANO CHORD]

--and you have the sustain pedal, it just keeps ringing. Take it off, it stops. Now, if I push the sustain pedal and I sing a note into the piano-- do you mind? OK.

[VOCALIZING]

You heard my voice sustained, right? You know why? Those strings vibrate in response to my voice. That's not how a piano is designed to work. A piano is designed to have the strings vibrate not by a human voice, but by a hammer hitting it.

That's how temptation works. Satan calls, and you vibrate.

[LAUGHTER]

You do. You want to respond to his voice. Ooo, you're allured. So when Satan calls, you know what the right response is? The right response when Satan calls like that, close the top.

[APPLAUSE]

Close the top. So you're being tempted. [VOCALIZING] "I hear that voice." Close the top. That might mean you need to actually run away. That's how you close the top.

Joseph did that when Potiphar's wife grabbed that young man and said, "Let's go to bed." He didn't say, "Well, I'd like to negotiate." He just said, "I'm out of here." Right? He actually streaked out of the house naked. She was holding his robe. Best thing he could have done.

The Bible says, "Flee temptation." Don't negotiate temptation. Get out of there. Maintain proximity, cut off opportunity. Close the lid.

Here's a third practical suggestion, foster accountability. Sometimes you need people around you to help you and support you in this struggle. And I've discovered just telling another brother or sister about your temptation, the things you struggle with, often causes that temptation to lose its power and its grip over you. This is why Solomon said, "Two are better than one." Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

Just having that group, that brother, that sister, that counselor, that accountability can give you the extra courage to walk away from the temptation. But there's the final step. And this final step is really the coup de gras in the battle. This final step is what cements the victory for you. So we reason, we reckon, we resist, but finally-- number four-- we replace. We replace.

Verse 13 says, "Do not present your members as instruments of righteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead and your members--" that is your body parts-- "as instruments or weapons of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace." Now, this turns the battle from a defensive position into an offensive position. You know the best defense is often a good offense.

The best way to deprive my old nature is for me to cultivate my new nature, feed my new nature. So if knowing has to do with the mind, and if reckoning has to do with the heart, and if resisting has to do with the will, then this has to do with my walk. That's the final step. I replace it. That is, I can get so focused on the temptation that's bothering me, and I'm dealing with it, and I'm being tempted, and I'm struggling; or I can get so busy with serving God, sharing Christ, fellowship with other believers, reading the Bible, praying, expanding the Kingdom of God, I don't have much time left over for doing anything else but that. I'm cultivating the new nature.

There's a great old song. It says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." It's true. That upward focus, maintaining that pursuit of God, seeking first the Kingdom of God, makes the things of earth grow dim."

Amen.

There was a little girl who fell out of bed one night. She cried out, her mother rushed into her room, picked her up, held her tight, then put her back into bed, tucked her in and said, "Sweetheart, why did you fall out of bed?" She goes, "I don't know, mommy. I think I stayed too close to where I got in."

[LAUGHTER]

That's our problem. We get in Christ, but we just sort of stay where we got in. We just sort of stay on the edge, stay on the border. We need to move into the grace of God, move into the love of God, grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How do we do that? We do it by presenting ourselves to God. That's the word he uses is here. "Do not present your members who are parts of your body as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead?"

It's saying, "God, here's my body. I'm giving it to you." Right? Romans 12, "I beseech you by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, which is your reasonable servant." So you say here I am. I'm yours today. I want you to use my mouth, my ears, my eyes, my mind, my hands, my feet for your glory.

By the way, that word instruments can be better translated "weapons," since he's talking about a battle here. And that sin is a dethroned monarch. It doesn't have to reign anymore, so you win by presenting your body parts for God's purpose. Instead of letting the devil use your mind, your eyes, your ears, your mouth, your hands, you present your ears, your mouth, your hands, your feet, your mind to God and let him use it.

That's basic military strategy right there. Basic military st-- don't give your weapons to the enemy. Right? Isn't that basic? Would a soldier ever go up to an enemy and go, "I got to tie my boot. Would you hold my gun for a minute?" Stupid.

So don't be stupid in the battle. Don't give the devil your weapons. Don't give the devil the use of your mortal body.

Let's start up at the top. Our mind. Did you know that you can offer your mind as an instrument of wickedness to think unwholesome thoughts? That's where the problem, the battle begins in the mind. Move down a little bit to the eyes. You can offer your eyes to look at unholy things, impure things, wicked things like pornography or the wrong kind of literature, the wrong kind of movies, the wrong kind of television.

Let's go a little bit further south. Your mouth. Anybody here ever have problems with their mouth? Yeah, we all do, right? But James said it's like a forest fire. It can destroy things. We've definitely gotten into trouble with that part of our body.

Our ears. Listening to evil reports, listening to gossip without substantiation. I'm not going to move any further south than that. I think we can all realize that every single part of our body can either be used for good or for bad, for righteousness or unrighteousness.

But what we need to learn is the lesson that dogs learn. If you've ever trained a dog-- I have tried in the past, and it's worked on occasion. But so so you take a little goodie, a little treat. You put it down on the floor like this, and then you tell your dog-- this is what I've done-- "No." And they sit there.

Now, the dog will do something. The dog will not look down at that little treat because the temptation is too great if it's focused on that little treat. So I put it down and go, "No," and the dog looks right up at me.

[LAUGHTER]

And then I say. OK. [VOCALIZING]

[LAUGHTER]

Right? What's the secret of the dog? It's looking at its master's face. It's focused on the master's face. It's waiting for the master to say yes or no. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth [PANTING] will go strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. That's a truth.

So in summing this whole section up, it's pretty obvious that God is aiming in our lives as believers-- and this is a sermon for Christians-- He's aiming at righteousness, transformation, what we call here life change. He's aiming at holiness. He wants all of you.

There was a man, a painter, who was hired to paint a church a different color. The painter came to the job, but he realized he did not have enough paint to finish the job, so he added paint thinner so he could go further. And he started painting the walls of the church on the outside, but he was running out so he added more thinner. And he kept painting, and he was running out so he added more thinner. And he kept painting.

The next day, like last night, we had-- they had a rainstorm in that town. And the paint was completely washed off the building. The pastor was so angry, he went to the painter and said, "Repaint and thin no more."

[LAUGHTER]

That's good advice, right? Sort of like repent and sin no more. Repaint and thin no more. Could it be that you have just covered over your life with a thin layer of morality, or religiosity, or ceremony, but there's no conversion? God wants all of you, and he wants you to win this war with sin.

And it's possible. It's doable. You don't have to let sin rain any longer. It's been dethroned. Know it, reckon it, resist it, replace it.

Father, how we thank you for the practical steps that we find in scripture to do exactly that. We all know this battle. And we who have become believers and follow Jesus know this battle more acutely than anyone else.

We know the pull of the flesh, and the world, and the devil. We know that he is very strategic. Paul said, "You're not ignorant of his devices. He has devised a strategy against us." Thankfully, you have given us a strategy to counteract that terrorism on a spiritual level.

I pray, Lord, that we would be given to knowing and discovering-- rediscovering Bible truths that we can then internalize, believe, count on, suppose are true. And being tied to the Resurrection power of Jesus, resist--

[MUSIC PLAYING]

--by your power, your strength, your enablement, resist the temptations that come in part by replacing the energy we spend in that area with serving you, glorifying you, spreading around your truth, seeking first the Kingdom of God. May we, Lord repaint and thin no more. In Jesus' name. Amen.

How will you put the truths that you learned into action in your life? Let us know. Email us at MyStory mystory@calvarynm.church. And just a reminder, you can support this ministry with a financial gift at calvarynm.church/give. Thank you for joining us for this teaching from Calvary Church.

Additional Messages in this Series

Show expand

 
Date Title   Watch Listen Notes Share Save Buy
5/5/2019
completed
resume  
The Heart and Soul of the Gospel
Romans 1:1-7
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Today we embark on a thirty-two-week journey through the book of Romans. Considered to be Paul the apostle’s magnum opus, this book is largely responsible for igniting the fires of the Protestant Reformation and the Wesleyan Revival. As Paul introduced himself to the church at Rome, he got right to the heart and soul of the matter—the gospel—the good news that presents Jesus Christ as God’s great answer to the pressing need of the human race.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
5/19/2019
completed
resume  
Unashamed!
Romans 1:16-17
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Standing up for and speaking out about our faith in Jesus Christ can sometimes feel awkward and intimidating. Often our message is not received with glad faces or with open arms by the people we work with and live next to. As Paul was planning to visit Rome, he expressed eagerness rather than hesitation to herald this message. Why was that? The apostle gives us five reasons for his readiness and enthusiasm.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
5/26/2019
completed
resume  
Is God Mad?
Romans 1:18-32
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
The Wrath of God Is Revealed God is full of love, right? Right! That’s the good news. And Paul gets back to that theme and develops it fully in the chapters ahead. But first, there’s some bad news. Like a powerful prosecuting attorney, Paul made the case as to why we need the good news of Christ. God’s grace is necessary because of our guilt. In this section, we learn about the wrath of God—an attribute that many people can’t wrap their heads (and hearts) around.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
7/7/2019
completed
resume  
Four Mistakes Religious People Make
Romans 2:1-11
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Jesus was not a religious leader. He was a righteous leader. And He was often confronting the religious leaders of His day. Likewise Paul found many enemies among the religious elite of his day, among both Jews and Gentiles. After announcing his theme of good news in Jesus, Paul promptly plunged into the bad news of God’s wrath—a subject that religious people sometimes love (but for all the wrong reasons). Paul tells us some of their most common mistakes.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
7/14/2019
completed
resume  
Hypocrisy Gets an Audit
Romans 2:17-29
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
All businesses, corporations, and individuals have blind spots. Auditors can help by giving a clear and unbiased reading of practices and procedures, and then give appropriate recommendations for change. Here, Paul played the role of auditing the hypocrite—the one who has spiritual style but no substance. Let’s consider the assets, the deficits, and the net appraisal of the one who wears a spiritual disguise.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
7/28/2019
completed
resume  
The Advantage of Having the Bible
Romans 3:1-8
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Those who have been raised in a home with spiritual foundations and the teaching of Scripture have an edge over those who were never exposed to such benefits. The advantage of having access to the Bible is enormous, but it is not a fail-safe. Paul addressed the Jews who were caretakers of God’s own words, and much can be applied to anyone who has the advantage of revealed truth but fails to take it to heart.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
8/4/2019
completed
resume  
How Prisoners Go Free
Romans 3:9-26
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Freedom is a huge word for the Christian believer. Picture yourself nervously standing in a courtroom before a judge who has just read the pile of evidence against you. Just before the gavel strikes the bench proclaiming your guilt, a piece of evidence strikes his gaze and he unexpectedly announces your innocence. You can now go free! Here Paul explains how any person anywhere can find hope and freedom because of the gospel.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
8/11/2019
completed
resume  
Old Age; Young Faith
Romans 4
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Our skin may wrinkle but our faith never has to. Abraham’s faith was vibrant and youthful even when he was nearing one hundred years of age. As Paul points to the patriarch Abraham as an example for justification by faith, we can learn what it means to believe God through all the ages of life. How vibrant is your Christian faith? Have you let cynicism and doubt choke out your confidence in God?
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
8/18/2019
completed
resume  
Our Benefits Package
Romans 5:1-5
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Why is being a Christian so great? Every unbeliever you meet is asking that question as they observe your life. What are the benefits of living with a committed faith in Jesus? After explaining what it means to be right with God by believing in Christ, and after illustrating that principle with Abraham, Paul gives a short list of some of the benefits of a saved life.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
8/25/2019
completed
resume  
Unrivaled Love
Romans 5:6-11
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Modern wisdom continually tells us, “Love is a verb,” rather than a sentimental feeling. Love is a commitment that involves action. For the first time in the letter to the Romans, Paul introduced the word love and a very singular kind of love—God’s love for us. Wanting to show how secure we are in this salvation, he described the greatest demonstration of love—its proof, its provision, and its product.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
9/1/2019
completed
resume  
A One-Man Show
Romans 5:12-21
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Just one person can do a lot of damage, and conversely just one person can do a lot of good. Paul here showed the effect that Adam brought on by his rebellion and the effect that Jesus bought with His blood on the cross. One caused death. One conveys life. One brought guilt. One bought the gift of grace. The big question is, have you received the gift?
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
9/8/2019
completed
resume  
Don’t Look Back
Romans 6:1-7
Nate Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Returning to a life of sin after becoming a Christian is like winning the lottery but choosing to continue to live in poverty. Pastor Nate Heitzig poses this question: Can one be a Christian and continually pursue a sinful lifestyle? In examining Romans 6:1-7, we find the biblical answer: No. Because of what God has done for the Christian, the Christian's rightful response to God should be to pursue a transformed lifestyle.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
9/22/2019
completed
resume  
The Struggle Is Real
Romans 7:14-25
Nate Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Christians can struggle with consistency. Like everyone, we sin and fall short in many areas. It's easy to get discouraged and think to ourselves, "I'm weak," or "I must not be called to the Christian life." The struggle with sin is real for every Christian. In this message, Pastor Nate Heitzig examines the believer's situation and struggle with carnality as well as the solution for victory.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
9/29/2019
completed
resume  
Safe and Secure
Romans 8:1-11
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
As the old saying goes, “It’s always darkest before the dawn.” That’s certainly true of Paul’s authorship of this book. He closes chapter 7 on a low note, only to crescendo to a swelling high point in chapter 8. “Don’t despair! You’re in secure hands and you’re safe,” Paul tells us. He reminds us of four facts that should settle every heart.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
10/6/2019
completed
resume  
The New You
Romans 8:12-18
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Most people love new stuff: a new car, a new set of clothes, a new puppy, a new haircut, a new adventure. But the best new thing you could have is a new you! Being a Christian isn’t a temporary reformation but a total transformation. When the Holy Spirit gets hold of a person’s life, He begins the process of a total makeover—changing you from the inside out. As a Christian believer these are among the changes you can expect to see.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
10/13/2019
completed
resume  
The Steady Hand of a Caring God
Romans 8:28-30
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
The world to many people seems to be a random place where anything can happen. But a believer can (and should) step firmly onto the soil of life. Why? Not just because God exists, but also because God cares! There is not a single atom nor molecule out of place in God’s universe; His hands and heart are steadily controlling your every breath. Let’s examine some of the richest truths about the quality of care from a loving God.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
10/20/2019
completed
resume  
A Midterm Exam: Five Questions to Test Your Understanding
Romans 8:31-34
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
In the middle of any given course or semester, a test consisting of questions is given. This does two things: it measures the student’s grasp of the course materials, and it helps identify any areas that need work. Right in the middle of his sixteen-chapter book, Paul gives his readers a series of questions to jog our spiritual memory and face some wonderful realities about the love of God. Let’s consider five questions in these verses.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
10/27/2019
completed
resume  
For the Love of God
Romans 8:35-39
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Can anyone really comprehend unconditional love? Perhaps the love that parents have for their children is the closest to unconditional love from a human point of view. But life’s circumstances certainly can challenge the idea that God loves us unconditionally. We’ve all heard about God’s love, we’ve sung about it, and we’ve affirmed it with our “Amens!” But as Paul closes out this section of Romans, he moves us into a fixed and secure confession that no matter what life can throw at us, we need never doubt God’s love for us.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
11/10/2019
completed
resume  
God, the Jew, and You
Romans 9:1-26
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
We now come to the third major section of Paul’s letter to the Romans that reveals God’s plan for Jew and Gentile. The early church in Jerusalem was entirely Jewish, but by this point, in most other parts of the world, it had become predominantly non-Jewish. But if God made so many promises to the Jewish nation, does that mean those promises are all now annulled? How does Israel’s rejection of Jesus as Messiah fit into God’s sovereign strategy, and where do we fit in?
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
11/17/2019
completed
resume  
Salvation: Reverse Engineered
Romans 10:1, 14-17
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Right in the middle of Paul’s great trilogy about Israel (Romans 9, 10, and 11), he gave an expanded view of how salvation operates. These are the seven components that make up the journey for anyone (Jew or Gentile) who comes to know Christ. Evangelism always begins with God’s sovereign election, but it also involves human cooperation. It takes both someone who will transmit the gospel and someone who will receive it.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
11/24/2019
completed
resume  
God’s Plan for Israel—and the World
Romans 11:25-27
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Can God be trusted? More to the point, can God’s promises be trusted? If He promised to the Jews a kingdom, won’t their rejection of Christ cancel out His promises to them? Wouldn’t that mean that God is finished with Israel as a nation? Does their blindness forfeit God’s blessing? Today we’ll get the big-picture view of Israel, the church, and the kingdom age, and I think you will have a few loose ends tied up about God’s future plan for the world.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
12/8/2019
completed
resume  
Now It’s Your Turn
Romans 12:1-2
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
The blessings of God and the work of Christ have been flowing like a dynamic stream for eleven chapters so far. He saves, He justifies, He promises, He gives peace, He works everything together for good in our lives, and He plans an epic eternity for us. So how should we respond to all of this? What is our part? That’s what the next five chapters of Romans are all about. The thrust of this next section is: Based on all that God has done for you, now it’s your turn!
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
12/15/2019
completed
resume  
Made for Purpose
Romans 12:3-8
Nate Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
The beauty of God's creation is evident all around us, yet nature is not God's greatest work; mankind is God's greatest masterpiece. It's estimated that to write down one person's DNA blueprint would require 200,000 pages. And God knows every sentence on every page. For the Christian, there's a custom design—a purpose in life to partner with God through gifts from the Holy Spirit. Pastor Nate Heitzig explains how believers can find their purpose in Christ in this message from Romans 12:3-8.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
12/22/2019
completed
resume  
Exercise for Your Soul
Romans 12:6-8
Nate Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Americans seem obsessed with fitness and exercise, yet the U.S. is one of the most obese nations in the world. It’s similar in the body of Christ—many Christians are idle, preferring to sit around rather than exercise our spiritual gifts. The key to both spiritual and physical health is balancing exercise and rest. In this teaching, Pastor Nate Heitzig discusses why God gives certain gifts to each member of the body of Christ as well as how those gifts are given so that the entire body might grow and be strong.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
1/5/2020
completed
resume  
Love Is a Verb
Romans 12:9-21
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Perhaps the most overused (but under-practiced) word in human language is the word love. We use the word for everything that includes a mild liking of a meal to having intense affection for another human. Paul is far more practical, knowing that love will show itself in the form of action. Love is a verb. He shows us how the hallmark virtue of Christianity, love, is shown among other believers and in the world, even when they hate us.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
1/12/2020
completed
resume  
The Christian and Government
Romans 13:1-7
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
There has always existed a tension between God’s people and human government, especially when we are not in favor of those who are in power. We may find it hard to “render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Matthew 22:21) while being faithful to God. The Christians in Rome were no different when Paul wrote this letter. Let’s consider five principles that form a practical theology for Christian believers in relationship to secular human government.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
1/26/2020
completed
resume  
Wake Up Call
Romans 13:11-14
Nate Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
We are a fallen people living in a fallen world. Romans 3:10 says "none is righteous." There is evidence all around us that Jesus is setting the scene for His return, and Romans 13 is Paul’s call for the church to prepare for that event. Jesus Himself told us to "occupy till [He] comes" (Luke 19:13, KJV). In this message, Pastor Nate Heitzig explores the apostle's wake-up call to believers and helps us understand how we can effectively occupy until Jesus returns.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
2/2/2020
completed
resume  
Acceptance, Judgment, and the Essential Point of Nonessential Points
Romans 14:1-6
Nate Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Today it seems that the church has become known for being judgmental and critical, not just toward unbelievers but even among fellow Christians. That's why we must focus on our commonality in Christ alone. In Romans 14, Paul addressed two groups of Christians—Gentile believers and legalistic Jews—who were causing division and friction among the early church. In this teaching, Nate Heitzig shares how to navigate the nonessential points of our faith while embracing unity in the essentials.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Detailed Notes
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
2/16/2020
completed
resume  
The Cure for "I" Disease
Romans 15:1-6
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
Selfishness is part of our basic human nature. It is the default position for every human being. Left unchecked, everybody would focus on himself and live only to please himself. But redemption brings with it a different lifestyle—one that is focused on others, patient with faults, and motivated by a sense of unity in the church. Let’s consider a fourfold strategy to counteract selfishness and promote harmonious living.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
3/15/2020
completed
resume  
How to Treat Your Family
Romans 16:1-24
Skip Heitzig
Info
Message Summary
I am so honored and thankful to be part of this spiritual family. You are one of God’s greatest gifts in my life! In this last chapter of Romans, Paul’s tone and subject matter is familial—he approaches them not as Paul the theologian, but Paul their brother in Christ. It’s unfortunate that many believers don’t pay much attention to chapter 16 because in it we get a great example of how to treat our own spiritual family.
Message Trailer
Watch
Watch and take notes
Listen - Mini Player
Listen and Take Notes
Listen in Spanish
Outline
Study GuideTranscript
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Video (MP4)
Audio (MP3)
Spanish (MP3)
Buy CD
There are 30 additional messages in this series.
© Copyright 2024 Connection Communications | 1-800-922-1888