T is for Transformed by the Spirit?

Romans 6.1-14

Today we’re continuing in our series entitled FAITH. And to get our minds fixed on the topic let’s talk about walls.

Over the centuries people have built some pretty impressive walls.

There is the wall of China and Hadrian’s wall. Massive construction projects separating whole nations from another. Built for protection and security. China’s wall built starting at 700 BC is 8800 KM long and Hadrian’s built in 122 AD is 120 KM long. Then there are some more modern walls. The Berlin wall 155 KM long only lasted a few years by comparison. It was also built for security reasons. And the newest famous wall is the iron wall of Israel. Built to keep Palestine separate from Israel.

These walls have one thing in common: they keep people separate. Physically, and it’s hoped by the wall’s builders separate also in terms of ideas, goals and beliefs.  Walls in our homes can do the same thing. Large homes with separate rooms let family members drift apart into their own pursuits. Arguments often ended with the slamming of doors.

No doubt building some walls is wise. China and Rome benefitted from their construction projects. Many people were kept safe and war reduced. The Berlin wall was a disaster and was torn down. The jury is still out on Israel’s walls.

But what has this to do with Romans 6. A few things, I think.

As we read the passage we saw a few words repeated many times. Die, died and death appear 15 times all together. And words like live, life, raised appear at least a dozen times. That’s a clue to what Paul wants us to hear. The passage is about separation; a big wall. What wall could be bigger than the one separating death and live?

What else is going on? The word sin shows up 10 times but grace only twice. Once at the beginning and once at the end of the passage. Could it be that sin is a common problem, but grace is more powerful? That grace covers a multitude of sin? That too seems likely.

In fact those two points stick out in the passage for a reason. Paul by the Spirit explains once again that humanity is Fallen, trapped by sin which is spiritual death and Christ died to acquit people from their sin guilt. More, Christ died so that in him there is life, the life of grace. It’s the great separation: believers in Jesus are carried across the wall from the land of spiritual death and obedience to sin into the land of life and obedience to the Spirit. And how does this happen? It’s God’s gift! And the response? Baptism and profession of faith. Two things: the symbol of spiritual washing found here in Romans 6 and belief in Jesus as in Romans 10.8-11

But what does [the righteousness by faith] say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: ⁹ That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ¹¹ As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Profession of faith isn’t first about membership in a particular denomination. It’s about becoming a living breathing member of Christ’s community expressed as a local congregation. Just like ours.

So the wall has a purpose, this great divide between spiritual death and spiritual life. Its purpose is to provide a place where the disciple of Jesus can live freely from the domination of sin.

And what does that look like? Well in the land of spiritual life there should be less sin than before. Sin should begin to look less and less attractive, less fun. Sin should begin to look more and more stupid, ugly, harmful. Bent sexuality, spoiled stewardship, distorted goals are shown to be the darkness they really are.

You see the problem for those trapped on the Spiritual death side of the wall is that the loudest voice, in fact the only one that can be heard clearly is Satan’s voice. The words of a liar, deceiver and destroyer. He’s the one who sows mistrust between people, greed, lust, pride, envy, anger, drunkenness corrupt sexuality and fear in hearts so that people become isolated, lonely and confused. People on the dead side of the wall are unable to do any better on their own.

On the Spiritually alive side of the wall God’s Spirit sows love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Good news and true, but here’s an important fact: even on the alive side of the wall believers must train their listening skills. As one author says so well, “We can still hear Satan’s from across the wall from the old field we used to play in. And out of long habit we sometimes still obey his voice even though we don’t have to.  Do we wonder why believers wander and do incredible things? Given the right conditions, it’s possible for anyone to give in and do what Satan suggests – even though those who believe in Jesus do not have to do it.

In the land of Spiritual life we are urged to “not let sin reign.’ That’s a choice any believer can make and there are two ways to make that decision more likely and more often.

The first is to recognize the journey. Profession of faith is the beginning, not the end. It is a walking away from sin, death and the devil with The Spirit into life, grace and gratitude. It begins by accepting and celebrating what Jesus did on the cross. It is fueled by new-found freedom; that by the Spirit there is no longer a reason to give in anymore to sin.  

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Rom 6.22)

Holiness is life as God intended. Negatively, has sin ever made your life better? Isn’t it true that less sin produces a better life? To accept this, the spirit helps believers understand spiritual things and begin to live in harmony with God. No Spirit in life no understanding, no harmony with God.

This is the T of FAITH: Transformation by the Spirit. From day one God has been calling each of us. Like a lover wooing and inviting. Relentless God doesn’t give up on His beloved. The voice of the Good Shepherd goes out and his people hear his voice, they respond. God has spared nothing to draw his people into the land of Spiritual life, over the wall and into his peace.

Second point: The Spirit is the life-long companion on the journey. And as such no believer can do without the Spirit. Every believer naturally wants more of the Spirit. To pray for a greater measure of wisdom, faith and trust in God that only comes as a gift of the spirit through the experiences of life. Spiritual strength comes through the Spirit helping believers choose life over death more and more often. Such that God’s Spirit is each believer’s personal trainer. 

Got the Spirit? Want more? Ask and it will be given to you as you move along the journey of faith. Those who profess Christ live on the life side of the wall. They have spiritual strength to share their joy in Christ with others who are still in the land of death. They have spiritual strength to help those who are on the life side to be strong themselves, to help and correct those who wander and to help restore those who have stumbled. That’s what church membership is about and why we share the good news ever Sunday. If we didn’t, when people aren’t reminded on their newfound freedom weekly the slide into sin is more frequent the voice of Satan more compelling.

And what about when a brother or sister falls or the community makes a mistake. The Spirit facilitates healing for relationships and reconciliation. In fact such healing happens best in community – no surprise really that’s where most of hurts come from. What other place brings broken people together and in the power of the Spirit learn to live, truly live as God intends?

The Spirit is waiting for your cooperation to bring deep and lasting transformation into your life. God is gentle and kind, patience but relentless. God loves us too much to leave us separated from himself or others. The wall of hostility has been removed.

By the Spirit embrace life.