Romans 6:1-14 - May 21, 2023

One of the best things about reading through Paul’s letter to the Romans for the past few weeks is that we see exactly how deep and robust the Christian faith is. We see how Paul’s statements build upon each other - from God’s faithfulness to our total need to Jesus’ death being hope for us. 

One of the hardest things about reading through Paul’s letter to the Romans for the past few weeks is that we see exactly how deep and robust the Christian faith is. This stuff ain’t easy, and it’s hard preaching sermons on complex things. And today’s lesson from Romans 6 isn’t any easier. There are themes of sin and slavery, death and resurrection, baptism and freedom. It’s hard to know where to start. 

So, let’s start here: 

We like things our way. When we go to a restaurant, we order it how we want it. “No cheese on that, please.” When we get a new car, we get to pick the options we want - sunroof, color, heated seats for those frigid Myrtle Beach winters, and so forth. When we sit on the couch to have a little entertainment, we can watch whatever we want because we can literally watch anything. 

Pretty much everything in life is about us, so faith and salvation should be, too. 

But what Paul has been saying in Romans so far is, “It’s not about you.” To which we reply, “Umm, yes it is.” At nearly every turn, we’ve been replying to what Paul says with something that makes it about us. Our faith, our clinging, our works. Whatever it is, we try to make God’s gift about us. 

Last week, we heard Paul’s passionate description of God’s cat-like grace. Then, right before our lesson for today, Paul builds to this big crescendo at the end of chapter five: “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more!” God’s grace will always be bigger than our actions, bigger than our sinfulness, bigger than anything. 

So, in response, we start thinking about this “grace abounding all the more” stuff. If God’s grace is really, really good, and God’s grace is always bigger than our sin, and God likes being gracious, and I kind of like sinning… let’s continue in sin so that grace may abound!

Let’s take a quick aside on sin here for a second. There are lots of ways to define sin, but one thing is for sure: it’s more than those little mistakes we make here and there. Sin is bigger than losing your temper or judging someone else for the way they handle their kid at the restaurant. Sin is an inward focus on ourselves. Sin is saying, “It IS all about me.” 

So, should we sin so that grace may abound? Paul’s reply is, “By no means!” Really, Paul is much, much more emphatic with his “No” here than our translation lets on. Bring to mind the most strongly worded way to say “no” you can think of - using whatever colorful words you wish. THAT is the way Paul says “no” here. 

Paul says it is not about you. And you do know why it’s not about you? Because you are dead. But not just dead; crucified. (Which kind of sounds worse than just being a sinner, right?)

But it’s not that we’re simply dead; we are joined to Jesus and to Jesus’ death. His death is way more than any ol’ death. His death is a death that isn’t the last word. His death is a death that gives way to new life. 

And that, Paul tells us, is what baptism is. Baptism is a death like Jesus’ so that we may have life like Jesus. We are dead - dead to sin, dead to ourselves, dead. But Christ is alive. And because he lives, we, too, are alive.

So no, it’s not about you. It’s about Christ.
It’s not about a new set of morals or rules or rights and wrongs. It’s about a new life.
It’s not about feelings or faith or decisions. It’s about resurrection. 

Sin does not have us anymore. It does not own us anymore. We are dead to sin and alive together with Christ. 

Although, it would seem by our daily living that sin still has a hold on us. That sin still has its claws in us. It really could be all about me, if I just do this right and accomplish that and pray and think this way… We really could help grace abound all the more by just giving that grace something to cover. 

These false promises surround us. But the problem with this world’s promises is that they all end at death. They all end at death. But with God’s promises, death is the beginning. Death is just the beginning. And in baptism, since we are crucified with Christ, we are brought into those promises now. 

This is why it is so important to remember our baptism as often as we can - and not the date or who was there or things like that, but remember that we are baptized. Remember that we are claimed forever by God’s grace. Remember that we have God’s promise: what happened with Jesus will happen with us. Our circumstances don’t change that. Our mistakes don’t change that. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 

Water is the reminder that it is not about us, but it is about God in Jesus Christ coming to us and securing us with the Holy Spirit forever. 

I knew having kids would change my world. Everyone told me that. And when Jonah was born, yeah, things were different. There were new car seats and extra bedtimes and diapers - lots and lots of diapers. But it wasn’t too bad. A lot of it was fun - or novel, I should say. I still got to go about my daily routine - going to the office and things like that. 

When we were just starting out as parents, it was actually kind of easy because Jonah just slept all the time. But then… but then I remember distinctly when that changed. 

It was actually Jonah’s baptismal weekend and we had some family come up. We went out to eat at our favorite restaurant, just a few of us. We went there a lot, and the staff all knew us and wanted to meet the baby. But then, nearly the entire meal, Jonah screamed. Cried. Fussed. No matter what we did. I even remember saying to him, “shhh. You’re embarrassing me.” It wasn’t about me anymore. 

It was about something more. It was about a relationship - a relationship that has grown, not just with him but with his sister, too. It’s grown with these two not-so-little any more kids who have their own personalities and who make me laugh and who bring joy to my life. Not all the time, mind you, but more often than not. Sometimes I think back to those memories, and I think of all that’s going on now, and wonder what is to come… and none of it is about me anymore. And that’s for the better. 

That’s what Paul is trying to tell us. 

It’s not about you anymore. It’s about something more. It’s about relationship. Baptism is about relationship. Church is about relationship. Faith is about relationship. 

Our sinfulness wants things to revolve around us, to be the same, to be just like they were before - but we can’t grow into any relationship thinking like that - not with each other and not with God. Sometimes, things in us need to die; WE need to die, be crucified - all in order to be raised up to new life, new growth, a newness that is way better than what the world promised to begin with. 

In our baptismal life, our old selves have been crucified with Christ. And now, with that death, God has room to work - room to raise up relationship, room to resurrect new life in us. It’s not about us anymore. It’s about Jesus. And that’s for the best.