17 October 1999

CAPTAIN ALISTAIR VENTER

Reading: Romans 6:1-14 (Message) ; Romans 8:5-11

INTRODUCTION:

Can you tell me who your boss is? I don’t want to know who you work for. But what I am interested in knowing is who tells you what to do any and every hour of the day? Apart from your wife, guys! What or who controls you, your time, your emotions, your resources, your energy, your thought life? Is sin your boss, or grace your boss? Is Satan your boss or God? Who is your boss?

When we were in Durban a little while ago, we went along to the beachfront and Lauren and her cousin went on the little car ride that they have there. I watched these two children as they were on their ride. As they came to the corners, they turned their steering wheel as if they really believed that they were in control of their little car. But in actual fact, the car was on a track, and they had no control really as to where they were going. They were at the mercy of that little car. Sometimes we think that we are in control of our own lives, but in actual fact, without even knowing it, our lives control us, sin controls us.

We read in Romans 6:12a these words: "Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies". To put it another way: "Do not let sin be your boss!"

You might say to me:

1. THIS INSTRUCTION IS IMPOSSIBLE:

Notice the repetition of the word "takes" The king takes sons and daughters and servants and donkeys for himself, and the result is that "you will be his servants". The king kind of becomes the boss, he calls the shots, and we have to obey.

Let us come back to that verse again: "Do not let sin be boss in your life" – do not let sin reign in your mortal body". When that happens, you and I becomes slaves to sin. And it happens so easily. Who would have thought that they first temptation that came to Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit would result in the struggle that you and I have today against good and evil? You see, that first temptation that was given in to was Eve saying to God; "God, you are no longer my boss – satan is." Every time you and I continue to allow ourselves to sin, we are saying to God: "You are not my boss – satan is".

I said it happens so easily. Each and every time we get away with sin, it becomes easier to do wrong the next time. Devlin was saying that he has come into contact with a former raver who has become converted, and has had a complete change in his life. He was saying how young people from the age of 12 are going along to the raves and are getting involved with Ecstasy pills, there is rape taking place, smoking etc. It starts off so innocently, but eventually the sin starts to control the person – and they get to the point where they no longer have a power or ability to say no to sin. Sin becomes the boss. We don’t have to go to the extremes of drugs or something like that – sin takes many forms, and when it start to control us, we have a problem. Some people battle with gossip or slander, and that sin can control them. Some people allow money to become their god, and the love of money becomes the root of all evil. Some even allow wrong friendships to become their boss, and God no longer features in their lives.

You might say to me: The instruction not to let sin be boss in your life is impossible. You see, by nature we are good servants of this evil boss, satan. By nature we find it easier to do what the evil boss satan tells us to do. Listen to what Eugene Peterson’s translation of Romans 3. He says that we are all in the same sinking boat:

Listening to a verse like that, all of us would be inclined to say that we don’t stand a chance. Sin is our boss, and we can’t do anything about it!

II. IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE:

Paul says very clearly: "You are dead to sin and alive to God." It might be a difficult thing to understand, but when we ask Jesus to come into our lives – to become our boss – we kind of die to self, die to sin, and we are crucified with Christ. We say it is no longer I that liveth, but Christ that liveth in me.

I am very much alive. My heart is ticking, I am still breathing, all the vital signs of life are there. But spiritually, I am dead to satan’s rule, and open and alive to God’s rule. To try to simplify what Paul says in Romans 6: When Christ suffered on the cross of Calvary for sin and died, God in heaven did not see only one man hanging on the cross. God included with Christ ALL those for whom God has sent His Son into the world. He saw me there, he saw you there, he saw every person that has ever committed sin in this world. He says that we were part and parcel of Christ at that point in time.

Let me try and explain that differently. In the Old Testament the High priest would go into the Holy of Holies and represent the people before God. Not all the people went into the Holy of Holies. Only the priest. But on his breastplate was engraved the names of the 12 tribes, and in a sense, they were all brought before God. They were part and parcel of the priest.

Another way to explain… A ship which is sailing on the sea sinks, and becomes part of the sea. It lies on the bottom of the ocean, and it is no longer a separate thing.

We have been made one with Christ, and God considers that we were with Jesus when he died, was buried and rose again. When Christ died on the cross, he defeated sin and satan. Sin and satan were no longer the boss. Because we have died to sin and satan, we are actually in a position to refuse the instructions of the boss called satan or sin.

But you might say – it is so hard to say no to satan. That is where we are so fortunate. We have a new boss, God Himself, who has made us his children. We read in John 1:12 that "Those who received Him and believed in Him, he gave the right to become God’s children". This new boss tells us that when we open that door to him, He comes into our hearts and lives and takes up residence there. He also tells us that he will never leave us or forsake us. He assures us that he will never allow any temptation to come our way which we are not strong enough to handle, but that he will always provide us with a way of escape. In other words, he has promised us the strength not to allow satan and sin to be our boss!

God has done so many good things for you and me. He sent his son who died in our place so that we, on believing on Him, can resist allowing sin to be our boss. But:

3. HE REQUIRES A RESPONSE FROM US:

CONCLUSION:

What God requires of you and me today if we are to be obedient to that verse "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies", is to come the Lord, repent of the things that you have done wrong, die with Christ, be buried with him, and rise to a new life with Him as your boss. Nobody but you can do that for you.

The advantages to changing your allegiance from satan to God are amazing. Sin and satan will give you a great life, but in the end you get dropped, and you will not have a very happy future. Submit to God, follow His ways, and although the road might be tough, you will know freedom in a very real sense, you will know life with a capital L, and apart from His presence with you providing you with the daily strength that you need, you will end up with the free gift of eternal life.