Sermon Tone Analysis

“The free gift is not like the trespass.

For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin.

For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

“What shall we say then?

Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

By no means!

How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

“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.

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

[1]

This particular day has been designated “Freedom Sunday” in a many churches and denominations throughout North America.

It is a tragic truth that slavery has never been abolished in our world.

Throughout the world, multiplied millions of people live in slavery—people actually chained and held as chattel or condemned to serfdom through impoverishment.

Again, people—especially women—are condemned to sexual slavery to serve the degraded desires of wicked men.

Though slavery is a terrible sin, this summation cannot begin to address the slavery to sin that binds many in this world.

It is impossible, given the constraints of time imposed on our worship this day, to address the spectrum of servitude.

Undoubtedly, some of the churches participating in this Freedom Sunday will prove incapable of rising above a focus on the sociological issues.

Let’s acknowledge that to the individual who is held in thraldom—whatever the form the individual’s slavery assumes—slavery ensures a horrible existence.

Christians should be focused on seeking liberty for any who are so enslaved.

It is surprising to learn that slavery in Mauritania was criminalised only in August 2007.

Moreover, estimates indicate that up to 600,000 men, women and children—twenty percent of the population—are enslaved in that nation to this date.

The enslavement especially of Dinka tribesmen continues in Sudan to this day with as many as 200,000 black south Sudanese children and women living in slavery.

It is instructive to note that it was only in 1962 that President John F. Kennedy stood firm in demanding that Saudi Arabia cease the practise of slavery.

Unfortunately, there are multiple recent news reports exposing forced servitude perpetuated by Saudi royalty living in the United States and in Great Britain.

All these indicators suggest that the practise of slavery has never actually ceased in Muslim lands.

Christian Solidarity and Christian Freedom International are two groups that have focused world attention on the issue, exposing the enslavement of Christian and animist tribesmen in Sudan in particular.

Undoubtedly, Christians should inveigh against sexual slavery that ensnares so many of our youth; we should expose the wickedness of those who would take advantage of their naiveté.

I recall the horror I felt as I witnessed children prostituting themselves in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco, just as I remember the deep emotional pain of a young girl of sixteen who was undergoing drug rehabilitation in New Westminster as she told of being lured into the sex trade.

Then, to ease the pain of a life spiralling out of control, she began to use drugs.

At sixteen, she looked like an old woman.

No Christian should ever be guilty of ignoring such slavery; and certainly, no Christian should ever be guilty of participating in such sexual slavery whether by using prostitutes or through purchasing or viewing pornography.

And while I might speak of slavery to alcohol or drugs, ultimately I will be compelled to turn my attention to the source of all such slavery.

Ultimately, sin lies at the root of those who enslave others and at the slavery itself.

Tragically, even Christians can permit themselves to be enslaved, and the degrading slide can be surprisingly rapid.

We who stand before the congregations of Christ the Lord, declaring the mind of the True and Living God are responsible to expose sin, naming it by name, and we are charged to call the people of God to holy lives.

All of us are responsible to encourage one another to stand firm in this most holy Faith.

THE FREE GIFT — God offers to any individual willing to receive it, a gift.

The gift is priceless, yet it is free to anyone willing to receive it.

We speak of this gift as the gift of eternal life, which it is; however, it is so much more than merely life as we might imagine it.

The life that God offers may be best described as an unending living relationship with God Himself.

The relationship is one that ensures peace and joy—peace with God and peace with oneself, and joy that is so incredibly intense that it cannot be described other than saying that it is inexpressible [see 1 PETER 1:8].

The peace and joy conferred when one receives God’s incredible gift flows out of freedom—freedom from guilt, freedom from fear, freedom from the power of sin.

The gift, eternal life, costs the one receiving it nothing.

Were it to cost us anything, it could not be a gift.

However, throughout the Word of God we are told that this is a gift.

Paul testifies, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift through redemption that is in Christ Jesus” [ROMANS 3:23, 24].

Again, looking back to Abraham and his faith in God, the Apostle has written, “What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,

and whose sins are covered;

blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin’” [ROMANS 4:1-8].

Were this not somehow sufficient to convince any of us that God is offering a gift which is given without cost or condition, the Apostle finally states, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” [ROMANS 6:23].

When I hear this powerful testimony from the Apostle, my mind turns again to the words Isaiah wrote so many centuries before Paul was moved by the Spirit to state these truths.

Isaiah wrote:

“Come, everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters;

and he who has no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

and your labour for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in rich food.

Incline your ear, and come to me;

hear, that your soul may live;

and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

my steadfast, sure love for David.”

[ISAIAH 55:1-3]

The Word of God teaches, “You were bought with a price.”

Based upon this truth, each of us is urged to “glorify God in your body” [1 CORINTHIANS 6:20], and we are enjoined to avoid becoming “slaves of men” [1 CORINTHIANS 7:23].

We are to stay focused on the Master who redeemed us, living without fear of what others may think of us.

The price with which we were purchased is precious.

In fact, we have been “ransomed from the futile ways inherited from []our forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” [1 PETER 1:18, 19].

I doubt that any of us can truly understand the significance of this truth, but each of us has experienced what it means when we received Him as Master over our lives.

An unknown author has written of the Master’s sacrifice, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” [HEBREWS 2:14, 15].

He became like us that we might become like Him.

That is such a powerful description that is provided in the Letter to Philippian Christians.

There, we read, “You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,

who though he existed in the form of God

did not regard equality with God

as something to be grasped,

but emptied himself