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38th Street Church of Christ 3904 38th Street NW Canton, Ohio 44718 330-492-5523 Fax: 330-493-7119 |
“Hatched, Matched and Dispatched” |
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I. Introduction.
A. In the midst of constant change among people, from
generation to generation, one thing is always the same.
I’ve been making announcements for many years, and there
are always those regarding births, marriages, and deaths.
The cycle of life, and these milestones of life, are always
going to occur – no matter what else does, or doesn’t
happen. Charles Hodge once used these events – birth,
marriage, and death – to define the need for preachers in
some peoples’ minds. He said they call on preachers when
someone is “hatched, matched, or dispatched.”B. Would like to use these three events for purposes of
comparison. In scriptures, they represent not only what
they normally mean, but also the concept of spiritual
conversion.1. Jesus, and others, made use of these common
experiences in their teaching.2. May seem somewhat unusual that all three of these
events, so different in themselves, could be used to
illustrate one principle. But, they do. Each one is
used to teach people the process by which they may
become a child of God – the process called
conversion.C. By definition, “conversion” means, “a change in which one
comes to adopt and uphold new . . . beliefs . . . a spiritual
turning to righteousness and faith.”1. Key concepts here are “change” and, also, the
turning from unrighteousness to righteousness.2. This is what Paul addresses in Romans 6:16-18.
3. We could re-word what Paul says here this way:
“Once you gave yourselves to sin, as the slave of
sin; when you did that, righteousness had no claim
over you. But now you have given yourselves to
God, as the slave of righteousness; when you did
that, sin has no claim over you.”a. To really understand this, must understand
the status of a slave. When we think of one
who is a servant, way we use word now,
think of a person who gives an agreed part
of his time to his master, and receives an
agreed wage for doing so.b. When the time of service ends, he’s free to
do as he wishes. Only during working hours
does he belong entirely to the master; his
free time is his own.c. But, what Paul describes is quite different.
The slave, here, had no time to call his own.
He had no freedom of choice at all. His
time, his life, was wholly in the hands of the
master. (In fact, that’s what Jesus meant
when He said, “No man can serve two
masters; . . . (Matthew 6:24). The slave was
the exclusive possession of one master at
a time.)d. Paul tells the Roman Christians, “At one
time you were the slave of sin; sin had
exclusive possession of you. Now, you’ve
taken God as your Master; He, now,
possesses you. Now, your life is one of
holiness, not sin.”D. Spiritual conversion is that change from obedience to Satan
to obedience to Christ. That change, that turning, comes
“. . . from the heart. . .;” it is voluntary, it is based on
conviction, it is total surrender.E. Spiritual conversion comes as result of responding to
“. . . that form of doctrine. . .,” that is the truth of God’s
word. As Christians have since the beginning day of the
church, the Romans heard the word of God, believed it,
turned from sin (repented), turned to God through Christ,
and were baptized into Christ. That’s how they were:
“. . . set free from sin . . .” and became “. . . slaves of
righteousness.”
F. That conversion is illustrated by comparing it with birth,
marriage, and death.II. The Three Analogies.
A. Look at way each of these common events is used to
illustrate conversion.B. Probably you can think of a time Jesus used birth process
to signify spiritual change.1. John 3:3-7 (READ). Of course, Jesus was
addressing Pharisee, Nicodemus, who “. . . came
to [Jesus] by night. . .” (John 3:2).2. What, exactly, was Jesus describing here, when He
said a person must be “born again?” Is much
confusion among people regarding what this term
means.3. But, let’s put it in the context in which Jesus used it.
This new birth is a second birth, absolutely essential
for one to have any prospect, any hope, of seeing
“. . . the kingdom of God.” Then, in verse 5, Jesus
says that being born of “. . . water and the Spirit, .”
are necessary to “. . . enter the kingdom of God.”a. Unless a person obeys the gospel of Jesus Christ – believing in Him, repenting of sin, confessing His name, being immersed in water, and, as a consequence, receiving the “. . . gift of the Holy Spirit,” (Acts 2:38), he or she cannot live with God forever, or be a part of His kingdom.
b. This birth process requires a seed that is
received by a prepared receptacle. That seed, when planted, develops new life.4. For the second birth, the “seed” is the word of God
(Luke 8:11). It is planted, and develops, in the
receptive mind, and it results in baptism, making a
person a new creation, a new life (Romans 6:4).C. Then, what about the comparison with marriage? How
does this portray spiritual conversion?1. In Romans 7:4, Paul uses the idea of being
“married” to Christ as the way of showing his
hearers that they are no longer subject to the Law
of Moses: “Therefore, my brethren, you also have
become dead to the law through the body of Christ,
that you may be married to another – to Him who
was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit
to God.” Whether former Jew or Gentile, they now
were part of the “bride of Christ”, His Church
(John 3:29).2. Spiritual conversion is not just the re-birth of the
individual; it’s also reflected in the changed life,
and lifestyle, of the Christian.3. The idea of conversion as marriage is also seen in
II Corinthians 11:2: “For I am jealous for you with
godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to
Christ.”a. The “betrothal” took place when a person
obeyed the gospel and became a member of
the Lord’s church. The “presentation” will
occur when the Lord comes again to claim
His people, His church.b. Paul’s concern (his “godly jealousy”) was
for the purity of the church – as a father
might be concerned for the purity of a
daughter at the time of her marriage.D. That brings us to “death” and a return to Romans 6. Like
“birth”, the passage deals with our initial conversion, our
baptism, the beginning of our life in Christ. Like
“marriage”, it also deals with the manner of life we are to
pursue as one saved by the grace of God.1. READ Romans 6:1-9.
a. Paul begins by raising the question of grace
and sin. If God’s grace abounds where sin
is great, why not keep sinning so that God
can shower more grace upon us? The
answer lies in verse 2: because of one who
is “born again”, one who is “married” to
Christ, has also “died to sin.”b. Notice other references that are connected
with death: “buried” (verse 4); “united
[King James Version says “planted”]
together in the likeness of His [Christ’s]
death” (verse 5); “crucified” (verse 6);
“died” and “died with Christ” (verses 7
and 8).2. Paul gives us not only a vivid picture of salvation,
but of its similarity to the death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ, our Savior.3. Focus, especially, on verses 4 and 5. (RE-READ).
(Discuss the idea that we “bury” that which has
died, not that which is alive – therefore, when does
salvation occur?).a. We “rise” from a watery “grave” to lead a
new life – one in which we are, “no
longer . . . slaves of sin.”b. We are separated from the world of sin and
joined with Christ in His righteous kingdom
(Colossians 1:13: “He [God] has delivered
us from the power of darkness and conveyed
us into the kingdom of the Son of His
love.”)III. Conclusion.
A. We’ve been bought from the bondage of sin by the blood of
Christ. But, still, God doesn’t force us to accept this
freedom. Just as it’s our choice to be servants of sin, so it’s
our choice to be servants of righteousness.1. In the ancient ceremony of granting freedom to a
slave, the slave’s chains were cut from hands and
feet. In that final act of freeing the slave, their
status changed.2. When the chains of sin are “cut away”, when we
receive our freedom in Christ, our status changes
as well.a. Ephesians 2:13: “But now in Christ Jesus
you who once were far off have been
brought near by the blood of Christ.”b. Romans 6:18: (READ AGAIN).
B. Have you been “born again?” Have you been “married to
Christ?” Have you “died” to sin so as to live in Christ
forever? There is no better time to all three.