Forgiven and Free
3 Keys to Overcoming Sin
Aaron Lee | Romans 6:11-14 | FCBCW Youth Worship | January 19, 2025
Introduction
Does the cross of Christ have any practical effects on our lives today? We all know that Jesus died on the cross to forgive us for our sins. That was in the past. What about the present? To put it in educational terms, we understand the cross in theory. But how do we apply it?
I’ve gone through seasons where I’ve found myself stuck in my sins. I know I am forgiven, but I find myself stuck. When we face trials and tests in life, just knowing “Jesus” as the answer doesn’t really do anything. How do we apply the cross to our lives?
Context
In our passage, Paul has just explained that believers are united with Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:5). When we are united with him, we are buried and raised with him. Just as Jesus overcame the power of sin, so can we – because we are united with him.
Sermon Preview
We’re going to see 3 keys to overcoming sin. The text contains so many transitions that happen in the life of the Christian. They are concepts that capture the transformative work of the Gospel. Christians are no longer controlled by sin, but convicted by the Holy Spirit. Paul shows us today:
The Premise: Death to Life
The Process: Unrighteousness to Righteousness
The Promise: Law to Grace
1. The Premise: Death to Life
The first key to overcoming sin is the premise. This is premise:
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:11)
When Paul says consider, he does not mean “hey just try this out” or “I’m just casually thinking about it” – like how you might consider going out to watch a movie or trying out some new food. Paul is using the word consider as a show of confidence. It is not a suggestion, but a surety – like how someone might say “consider it done.” Another way to say it would be to reckon it or regard it as having happened. In simple terms, it means to really believe that you are dead to sin and alive to God.
Don’t miss the last part, to consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. In Christ, sin has no more power. This is the first time in Romans where we see this phrase that Paul loves. My favorite use comes from Ephesians 1:3-14: In Christ, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing. In Christ, we are holy and blameless. In Christ, we have redemption and the forgiveness of our sins. In Christ, the purposes and plans of God are revealed and revered. In Christ, we have an inheritance and a hope. In Christ, we truly hear the Word and we truly have the Gospel. In Christ, we receive and are sealed by the Holy Spirit – who promises and empowers a life that pleases God. The key to it all is to consider yourself in Christ.
Consider Yourself in Christ
So, will you consider yourself in Christ? To be in Christ means to be united with him. To use more biblical language, it means to abide in him. To dwell with him. This might seem basic, but I think it’s important to understand. When I present the Gospel, I find it helpful to use this language: Admit that you are a sinner, believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross for your sins, and then confess him as the Resurrected King over your life. And then I say something along the lines of: Your sins are forgiven by Jesus, but you are also to follow him. Let me take the time now to clarify what I mean when I say follow him – and I think this will help us better understand what it means to be in Christ.
Let me give you an example from my own life. It’s not like how you can follow someone online. It’s not at a distance. It’s more like you leave your home, you leave your friends, you leave your family, and you go wherever Jesus goes. You are totally aligned with him. And not only do you go where he goes, but you give him everything you have. You belong to Jesus and all that you are and all that you do and all that you own now belongs to him. You don’t just “accept Jesus in your heart” and just move on from him. He is not a spiritual stepping stone to the next level. Jesus is the only stone. He is your solid ground on shifting and sinking sand. Being in Christ, being united to him, means that you’re clinging to him for your life and you cannot let him go. You are literally alive to God because you are in Christ.
Paul used the word “united” earlier in Romans and it works well to explain the phrase in Christ. You are on the same page and linked together. Think about how a husband and wife are supposed to be “united.” Another way to think about being in Christ is through your identity. You identify with him so much that you are wrapped up, bound, and tied together with him. So when you are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ, sin cannot claim you. You do not belong to sin. You belong to God. From a legal standpoint in the courtroom of God, he sees you as being totally justified because you are in Jesus. And so to truly follow Jesus means that you consider yourself in Christ. You are totally united with him in his death and resurrection. Your identity is wrapped up in the righteousness of Christ. You don’t “move on” from Jesus after becoming a Christian – but you live in a relationship with him, moment by moment.
“But as I ran my hell-bound race, indifferent to the cost, you looked upon my helpless state and led me to the cross.” The first key to overcoming sin is the premise: consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
2. The Process: Unrighteousness to Righteousness
The second key to overcoming sin is the process. First we had the premise, now we have the process. While 6:11 looks at the thoughts of the mind, verses 12 and 13 looks at the actions of the body. This is the process:
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. (Romans 6:12-13)
Paul begins by personifying sin. He says that sin is like someone who can reign or rule or run freely over you. Like a dictator. Like a tyrant. Sin makes you obey its passions, it forces you, it compels you. It will control you and it will consume you. So now we have Sin personified – and Paul is saying don’t let Sin do this to you. And the way that you prevent this from happening is that you do not present yourself to Sin. You do not go to Sin, you do not engage with Sin, you do not willfully give yourself to Sin.
It’s interesting that Paul specifically says do not present your members to sin. When he says members, he means the different parts and limbs that make up your body. It’s like when Jesus said if your eye causes you to sin or if your hand causes you to sin. I think it’s actually very helpful to think this way on a practical level – but we’ll get back to that later in application. When Paul says that the different parts of our bodies are instruments, he’s not talking about musical instruments. He’s saying they are like tools. And when it comes to spiritual warfare against our sin, he’s saying that they are like weapons. They can be weapons for righteousness or they can be weapons for unrighteousness. To take the analogy further, we can say that we must take care of our weapons, our tools, our bodies – so that they are actually useful in the fight. You need to get enough sleep. You need to eat and drink. There’s a whole theology of sleep, exercise, eating, drinking, and drug use that we could talk about. For now, just know that Paul says that instead of defaulting to Sin, deliberately give yourself to God. Pledge yourself to him. Romans 12:1 says that we are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice – and I think this is a good way to grasp the concept. You are offering your entire body to God as worship. To continually keep our bodies from sin, we must have a commitment to Christ that is decisive and definitive.
Commit Yourself to Christ
So, will you commit yourself to Christ? I’m talking about surrender. I want to get more real here. I want to get concrete. I think it’s good to give God all of your heart. But let’s give him every single part of your body. Think about what it would mean if you committed your eyes to Christ. Think about what it would mean if you gave your ears to God. Think about what it would mean if your hands belonged to him. Think about what it would mean if your brain belonged to him.
Let me give you an example from my own life. When I was a kid, someone wrote in my yearbook to never stop being funny. I really took this to heart, and I realized that the way I used words could make people laugh. Somewhere along the line, my words started becoming unkind. They started becoming crude. Now that I have kids, I am much more aware of the weight from my words. And somewhere along the line, I committed my words, my mouth, my tongue – to Christ. I’m ashamed of the way I was before. I’m not proud that it had to come to this. But God simultaneously humbles me and helps me, and he allows me to preach with words that hopefully honor him! What a merciful and gracious God!
We all have different sin struggles. If you have pride in your athletic abilities, commit your hands and feet to God and use them to help others. If you have pride in your academic abilities, commit your brain to God and use it to cause others to believe. If you struggle with gossip or slander or cursing, give your tongue, your mouth, your lips to God and use them to encourage others. If you have lust, jealousy, or envy, commit your eyes to God and gaze upon his word. If you struggle with laziness, bring your body to church and start serving anywhere and everywhere. And of course, committing your body to God also entails the practical things you have to do. In the same way that God says to cut off your hand or gauge out your eyes – you might need to cut out certain people from your life who are causing you to sin, or you might need to eliminate some apps from your phone so you don’t see them. The point is that you need to take extreme measures when it comes to your sin. If you don’t take your sin seriously, you risk proving that you were never truly saved. This is really what it means to commit yourself to Christ.
“Oh Father, use my ransomed life in any way you choose. And let my soul forever be: ‘My only boast is you.’” The second key to overcoming sin is the process: Don’t let sin reign. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
3. The Promise: Law to Grace
The third and final key to overcoming sin is the promise. We saw the premise, the process, and now we have the promise. This is the promise:
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:14)
If you give yourself to God, you give yourself to grace. The rules and regulations of the Mosaic Law do not have a binding authority over you. Instead, you are free to follow them in Christ as you rest under his new covenant. Think of how it feels to live under the Law – it’s just rules upon rules and a crushing weight that cannot be lifted. But when you live under grace, God’s unmerited kindness, you know that God loves you, you know that he accepts you, and you are actually free to please him.
Titus 2:12 says that the grace of God is an instructor and a teacher, who trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives. Grace encourages our godliness. It’s a liberation for our lives. It’s a promise that you can change. It’s a promise that you don’t have to be stuck in your sin. The grace of God is training us for godliness. Sanctification is the process of being made holy, and the Spirit promises that we will see God in glory. Because we have this promise, you can consecrate yourself for Christ – you can give yourself fully over to God – trusting that he will take care of you.
Consecrate Yourself for Christ
So, will you consecrate yourself for Christ? To consecrate something means to set it apart. To call it sacred. I’m talking about having the freedom to dedicate your life to holiness. Because of grace, you are not controlled by sin – and you are free to live for Jesus. Not because you have to, due to the Law, but because you want to – out of love. You will not let sin dominate your life because your life has been set apart for the Lord. And you do not fear sin – you are free.
Let me give you some practical examples from my own life. Sin having no dominion over me means that I can say sorry. It means that I don’t need to hide my flaws. It means that I can live a life of faith and that God can use my failures for good. Don’t let your sins control you. I want to encourage you now to confess your sins to God and confess your sins to one another. You will find grace, and you will fight with grace, and you will finish with grace. Train yourself to talk about your sin so you can tell about your Savior. And not only do we have the freedom to confess our sins, but we have the freedom to forgive others when they have sinned against us.
There’s a future-oriented sense that I don’t want us to miss. If you are a Christian remember that it is worth it. Keep going. Don’t give up. I think this can help make this very practical. What if you dedicated every day of the remaining school year for Christ? What if you dedicated every day of the summer for Christ? What if you dedicated every day for the rest of 2025 for Christ? What if you dedicated your entire high school or college career for Christ? What if you dedicated your life for Christ? And the beauty of this promise is that even when you mess up, and you will mess up, there is still grace. You can get back up and keep going.
“And I beheld God's love displayed – you suffered in my place. You bore the wrath reserved for me. Now all I know is grace.” The third and final key to overcoming sin is the promise: For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
The Gospel
I want you to see that our applications are in Christ, to Christ, and for Christ. I made distinctions, but they are similar in the sense of giving your life over to God. Our example of giving our lives over to God is modeled by Jesus. And he did not do it begrudgingly. He did it for joy:
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
If you are already a believer, I want to remind you that it is worth it. We share in Christ’s sufferings, but there is an eternal weight of glory coming far beyond comparison. And if you are not yet a believer, I preach Christ crucified to you.
Conclusion
Let’s go back to the beginning again for our conclusion. I asked you: Does the cross of Christ have any practical effects on our lives today? The answer is yes. Being a Christian is not just theoretical, but it has an actual physical impact on your life. When you are united with Jesus in his death and resurrection, you are a new creation – completely transformed by the Gospel:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
The more I think about it, and after seeing and studying this passage, the cross does not just forgive us from sin – it frees us from sin. We don’t have to be stuck in our sin. Those who are saved have been set free. To be clear – we’re not totally out of the woods. We still live with broken bodies in a broken world. We’re still waiting for Jesus to come back. The Bible says we’ll see him soon. And when he does return, all will fully be restored.
Big Idea
Jesus forgives us and frees us from sin so that we can live in him, to him, and for him.
“Hallelujah! All I have is Christ Hallelujah! Jesus is my life.”
For Sin Will Have No Dominion Over You
The song my heart is hearing,
Truth my tongue can sing:
Saved from sin, forgiven –
Saved to be set free!
United with my Savior,
Following the King.
Saved from sin, forgiven –
Saved to be set free!
I’m crucified with Jesus.
Raised, the grave empty.
Saved from sin, forgiven –
Saved to be set free!
To God be all the glory!
Christ now lives in me.
Saved from sin, forgiven —
Saved to be set free!
And hell has no more power!
Death, where is your sting?
Saved from sin, forgiven –
Saved to be set free!
For sin has no dominion!
God gives grace and peace.
Saved from sin, forgiven –
Saved to be set free!
References
All I Have is Christ by Sovereign Grace Music
Romans: Reformed Expository Commentary by Daniel M. Doriani
The ESV Study Bible by Crossway
The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary on Romans by Donny Ray Mathis II
Reflection Questions
What are some practical ways you can remain in Christ (follow, unite, identify) on a daily basis? How do you think your relationship with Jesus can be deeper than just believing in Him?
What are some areas of your life where you feel sin has had control or influence? How can you actively resist giving yourself to sin?
How does understanding God's grace give you the freedom to overcome sin? How can you exercise freedom from sin in your life?