January 7 2024
We Are The Lord's
Romans 14:7-9
For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both dead and of the living.
I want to focus this morning on “Being” rather than on “Doing”. Our actions will follow our identity! What do you think about the lyrics of the song we just sang? “Yet Not I But Though Christ In Me”
What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer
There is no more for heaven now to give
He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace
The night is dark but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Savior He will stay
I labor on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed
No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future sure, the price it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave
With every breath I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
This hymn talks about our identity – “Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me”. We are the Lord’s!
“For if we live, we live to the Lord. And if we die, we die to the Lord. So then whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
– Romans 14:8
I love that everything in 14:8 revolves around Jesus. Verse eight explains verse seven. Our decisions determine the course of our lives. Whether we live or die completely depends on the highest direction of our lives. This is the bond that unites believers in Christ.
“If we live, we live to Him.
If we die, we die to Him.”
Everything we do is about Him and with Him in mind. Whether we live or whether we die, our focus is to be on how we can glorify Christ. These verses reveal that a follower of Jesus is not someone for whom Jesus is part of their life. A follower of Jesus is someone for whom Jesus IS their life. Everything in our life revolves around Him. Everything we think, everything we desire, everything we say is all focused on Him. Our overwhelming orientation is to the Lord.
Paul’s statement in Romans 14:8 explains why it is true that there is not a single Jesus follower who lives or dies for the benefit of himself or herself, and in life we accept the sovereignty of God in our death.
The application of this:
• The center of our lives should not be on ourselves.
• We are not at liberty to do what we please.
• The idea of having a “Lord” in our lives means that we have someone who is sovereign over all things.
• We belong to Him in time and eternity.
• We are His entirely.
• The solidity of our bond in the Lord rests on applying the principle of the lordship of Christ in our life or death.
We belong to God, belong to Jesus. We live for Him and we die for Him. It’s all about Him.
OK, let me ask a question. What’s on your mind right now? Just think about how these verses change your perspective on everything. I think about my life.
• How can I love my wife in a way that honors the Lord?
• How can I love my children, grandchildren and lead my family in a way that honors the Lord?
• How can I serve as a pastor in a way that honors the Lord?
This verse reminds us that God has our authority.
• If I go to school, I go to school to the Lord.
• If I work, I work to the Lord.
• If I _____________ (you fill in the blank), I do it unto the Lord.
Colossians 3:23 and 24 talks about whatever work you do, you are serving the Lord Christ… your ultimate boss.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
So whatever you do, whether you live or whether you die, in everything your focus is on how you can exalt Jesus.
How can you honor Jesus? How can you most glorify Jesus? Reflect Jesus? Proclaim Jesus?
Remember Christ redeemed us, meaning He paid for us.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
Everything is for the glory of God. Even "the heavens declare the glory of God," and God will not give His glory to anyone else. What a privilege we have been given to live to the glory of God. In this chapter, Paul is not giving us a list of regulations to keep in order to glorify God. Paul is not telling us what to do, but he is telling us the correct posture of our hearts before the Lord in our decisions and activities. What is the posture of your heart this morning?
One of my favorite authors is Jerry Bridges. Prior to his passing in 2016, he served on the staff of the Navigators for more than sixty years. In his book “The Pursuit of Holiness” he shares one way that we express our dependence on God is to Pray for Holiness. (Focusing on Being)
He states that the Apostle Paul prayed continually for the working of God’s Spirit in the lives of those to whom he was writing. He told the Ephesians that he prayed God would “strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being” (Eph. 3:16) He prayed that God would fill the Colossians “with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” so they might “live a life worthy of the Lord and might please Him in every way” (Col 1:9-10). He wrote to the Thessalonians, “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through” (1 Thess. 5:23); and, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else… May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God” (1 Thess. 3:12-13). Bridges mentions that as a young Christian he felt like he just needed to find out what he needed to do and go do it.
Then later he recognized that as we look to the Father, we will see Him working in us –revealing our sin, creating a desire for holiness, and giving us the strength to respond to Him in obedience.
Here’s a thought–we give attention to “To Do” lists. How about the “To Be” lists. Christians, don’t let the world define you! Find your identity in Christ. Be encouraged today by who you are in Him.
You are the Lord’s. You are:
A new creation in Christ - “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17).
A child of God - “But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name” (John 1:12).
A friend of Jesus - “I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father” (John 15:15).
Justified and redeemed - “They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).
An heir - “We are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him” (Rom. 8:17).
A temple of the Holy Spirit - “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own” (1 Cor. 6:19).
A member of Christ’s body - “Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it” (1 Cor. 12:27).
An ambassador for Christ - “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf: ‘Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).
The righteousness of God – “He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).
Chosen – “For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him” (Eph. 1:4).
Adopted - “He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Eph. 1:5).
Redeemed and forgiven - “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7).
Sealed with the Holy Spirit - “In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed” (Eph. 1:13).
Made alive in Christ – “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” (Eph. 2:4-5).
Raised and seated with Him in the heavenly places - “He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6).
God’s workmanship - “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do” (Eph. 2:10).
A citizen of heaven - “But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20).
No longer a slave, but free - “For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1).
Praise God we are not who we used to be! In Christ, We are a new creation. We are the Lord’s.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, please help us to live this way.
I pray for my own life today in everything I do may I see it as unto you, as for you, as in you, by your power in me.
And I pray for this for my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Jesus, help us to think according to Your thoughts.
Help us to desire according to Your desires in us by Your spirit.
God, help us to speak in ways that bring honor to You.
Help us to share the gospel today in order to lead people to You.
And help us to make decisions today for Your glory.
Oh Jesus, we belong to you, we are yours. You are our Lord, our Savior, our King, our God.
So it’s in Your name, Jesus, we pray. We pray these things to You. Amen.
