April 13, 2014 – Pastor Tim – “I Can Rule and Reign”
Romans 5:15-21, But the free gift is not like the offense (there not the same, one is much better). For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Where do we reign? We reign in life! This life! Instead of Satan, spiritual death, disease, addictions, and poverty reigning over us, we reign over them! Definition of reign; the period of time during which someone is in charge… to say that a quality exists to such a degree in a place or situation that it affects everything about that place or situation.
The Amplified Bible says verse 17 this way,
For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God’s] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
Notice the phrase, “reign as kings in life.” Every child of God should rule and reign. There is more power to reign in righteousness than to reign in sin (and we all know how easy it is to sin). “much more” verse 17 says. 1 John 4:4, You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. If this verse is true and it is. Then there is more power to reign in righteousness than to reign in sin. Who is your master?
In Bible times, the king was the ruler of a country. He ruled and reigned. He dominated a country; it was his domain.
So what is Romans 5:17 saying to us? Instead of Satan and spiritual death dominating us, we reign in life by Christ Jesus. We rule as kings. Instead of circumstances dominating us, we dominate circumstances. Instead of sin, addiction, and sickness domination us, we get into the Bible and find out what already belongs to us. We should rule over all that God has given us. We cannot rule what we do not know or understand is ours! Redemption!!!
If man’s redemption is to be a complete redemption, it must be a redemption from all that plagues man, sin, addiction, sickness, hate, etc. All of it!
That’s what these verses in Romans chapter 5 are talking about. God has clearly shown us in His Word that He has made provision for every area of our life—spiritual, mental and physical.
In Isaiah 53:4-5, God lifts the curtain, so to speak, and lets us see Him dealing with sin and sickness.
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
The words griefs and sorrows are better translated “sickness” and “disease.” God’s great plan of redemption not only took care of man’s sin; it also took care of man’s every need.
Jesus consummated God’s great plan of redemption so that we could be free—spirit, soul, and body.
Romans 6:1-14, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 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.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 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. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
We rule and reign as a king in this life. We rule over Satan. We rule over circumstances. We rule over sin, addiction and sickness. Over all the principality and powers of this world. We rule in Christ!!!
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