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The River ChurchSermons

Righteousness

Through One Man

Patrick Turner · Sunday, 29 June 2025 · Romans 5:12-21 · 34:43 · 4,558 words

Romans S10 · 5:12-21

There is no public page for this message yet — the transcript below is the whole of it.

The sermon examines what salvation looks like for a believer, using Romans 6:1‑12 to contrast instant justification we receive through Christ’s sacrifice with the ongoing work of sanctification. It stresses that those who are dead to sin and alive to God must pursue holiness by listening to the Holy Spirit, praying Scripture, fellowshipping with other believers, and giving space for God. Listeners are challenged to examine their hearts, ensure they have truly prayed the sinner's prayer, and commit to living as new creations who honor God in all of life.

What this sermon is about

Ranked by keyness against every other sermon in the corpus. Each one is a word this sermon actually said — nothing here was written by a model.

sanctify 14 pray 32 therefore 14 holy 26 weapon 4 thessalonians 5 able 15 instant 4 edify 3 answer 12 supplication 3 indwelt 3

Topics

Sin 14 Salvation 7 Prayer 5 Grace 4 Death & Resurrection 4 The Holy Spirit 3 Baptism 3 Sanctification 2 Justification 2 Righteousness 2 The Law 2 Freedom 1 Atonement & Sacrifice 1 Faith 1

Scripture referenced 40

Verified against the transcript. A reference the recording does not support is never listed here.

Romans 6:1-12 1:07 Romans 6:1-12 2:30 Romans 6:3-6 4:54 2 Thessalonians 2 9:51 1 Peter 1 9:51 Psalms 4:3 10:40 Ephesians 2:8-9 12:25 Romans 6:1-2 13:01 John 10:29 13:30 Acts 2:42 14:49 1 Thessalonians 5:11 15:24 Galatians 6:1-2 15:32 2 Corinthians 5:17 16:51 Psalms 46:9-11 17:11 Philippians 3:14 18:40 1 Timothy 2:8 19:29 Acts 17:11 19:45 1 Thessalonians 5:11 19:53 Galatians 5:13 19:53 James 2:26 20:18 Matthew 28:19 20:33 Romans 6:6-9 21:03 Romans 6:6-9 21:37 Ephesians 4:27 22:45 Ephesians 6:11-18 23:54 Hebrews 4:16 25:31 John 15:7 25:45 Psalms 119:11 26:05 James 4:3 26:12 Romans 6:10-12 26:56 Romans 8:36-39 27:53 Psalms 44:22 28:04 Philippians 4:6 28:34 Matthew 7:25 29:04 Matthew 6:19-20 29:26 2 Corinthians 5:17 29:46 Leviticus 11:44 30:06 Revelation 3:20 31:16 Psalms 119:11 33:35 1 Timothy 4:12 33:44

Transcript

Every word, as spoken, with the second it was said. Each word links to its own entry in the index.

Pre-service announcement — 9 lines, 0:43. Excluded from every count and search on this site, kept here so nothing is hidden.

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Good morning, everyone. How are you all on this fine holiday weekend?

Good, good, good. Okay.

My name is Patrick Turner. I've been here before.

It's a pleasure to be speaking with you again today.

Today's message continues the series in the Book of Romans.

Specifically today, we're going to be talking about Romans,

Romans 6, 1 through 12. It's titled, Dead to Sin, Alive to God.

I'm a deacon from the Holly location, and I've been a member of the church now since 1999.

So, that's the intro.

Dear Lord Jesus, Lord and Savior, be with us as we open your word today.

Father, open hearts, edify the saints, and bless all who are listening today.

Father, please get me out of the way, and you take over.

Take the wheel, as they say.

Remove my inactivity.

Remove my inadequacies, and let this message advance your will and kingdom.

Have you ever asked yourself, what should my salvation look like?

How do I, every day, have a personal relationship with Jesus, practically speaking?

I would say all of us, at some point in time, have pondered this.

I personally think it rests in Psalm 4610, one of my favorite verses,

Be still and know that I am God.

Let's review our passage.

Romans 6, 1-12

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 in him through resurrection like his.

We would 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,

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 and for all.

But the life he lives, he lives to God.

So you 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.

This is a great passage to start the discussion,

what should my salvation look like?

To say it bluntly, when you are saved,

you're going to heaven.

No doubt, you are assured to be alive with Christ in heaven.

You become an heir to the family of God the Father,

united in heaven,

where his dwelling place includes our Savior Jesus Christ,

and we bring along with us the indwelt Holy Spirit.

In our passage,

notice the Apostle Paul uses the word no three times,

verses 3, 6, and 9,

implying that we should have confidence,

not doubt,

in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Okay, so why do we struggle with this?

The answer is sin.

So to remind us of the context around and about our salvation

and how that shared existence with the Holy Trinity happens,

let's examine Christ's gospel.

As a saved person,

our life is broken,

broken into two parts,

justification and sanctification.

Yes, I'm going there again.

If you remember from the last time I was here.

In the study of God or theology,

justification is the remission of sin,

the cancellation, repeal,

and complete forgiveness

and absolution or release from guilt and punishment.

It is God's act of free grace

or bestowing unmerited favor

by which God pardons the sinner

and accepts him.

He accepts him or her as righteous

on account of Christ's atonement on the cross

who paid the cost of sin for us.

So, this is important.

Justification is an event.

We instantly receive the imputed righteousness of Christ.

He assigns, attributes, and gives credit

for his complete holiness.

Think of it, as you've heard many times,

just as if I had never sinned.

God the Father sees us,

through his purity, not ours.

At this instant is when we receive

the indwelling of the Holy Spirit,

which is God in us.

Again, it happens in an instant,

the twinkling of an eye.

We declare by praying the heartfelt outpouring

of the sinner's prayer.

Lord, I am a sinner in need of a Savior.

Jesus, please be that Savior to me.

I believe you were crucified, you died,

you were buried and rose alive

and victorious over sin on the third day.

Come into my heart.

And live with me forever.

It's not the words that justify or save you.

However, if those words, or words like them,

are meant from the core of your heart,

the reward is the promise of eternal life in heaven.

Remember Jesus' promise.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son

that whoever believes in him should not perish

but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world

to condemn the world,

but in order that the world might be saved through him.

This also implies the Father sent his Son

to fulfill the law.

The law, let's get very specific,

the law was a creation of God

intended to teach the Jews obedience to his will.

Think about Leviticus, over 600 laws.

Some seemingly, the punishment was greater than the,

okay, if you touched the wrong thing,

entered into the Holy of Holies,

sin offerings, grain offerings, all of the things,

the festivals, a lot of rules.

And unfortunately, we see over and over again,

the Jews falling away from God

and then becoming reconciled with him.

But the law under grace comes from the Holy Spirit within us.

It is not a group of laws

that we try to find the loopholes in.

It is the living, breathing existence of God

speaking to our spirit.

You have heard the phrase, the spirit of the law.

Now you know where it comes from.

It is God in us.

So after the instant of justification,

when heaven is a guarantee,

the next phase of a saved life is like the early Jews

practicing obedience to the law or sanctification.

It's the part where effort counts,

where effort is important.

Sanctification is the believer's act

of making oneself holy.

In an evangelical sense,

the results of an act of God's grace

by which the affections of the saved person

are purified and alienated or isolated from sin

and the world and exalted to a supreme love of God.

2 Thessalonians 2 and 1 Peter 1 says,

God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation,

the Alpha and the Mega,

the beginning of time and the end of time,

your name was already written in the book of life.

Now you'll have lots of theologians

have an argument about that because we have that choice.

I was talking to my son.

Just yesterday.

The difference is God lives outside time.

So everything that ever is or ever was

has already happened from that point of view.

A deeper topic for another time.

The act of consecrating,

of setting apart for a sacred purpose.

My life verse, and this is a sermon in and of itself,

is Psalms 4:3.

At a time when I had accepted Christ

and were being rejected by my friends

and the things that I used to enjoy

were abominations to me, I found this verse.

But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself.

The Lord hears when I call to him, changed my life.

I'm not supposed to fit in the world.

I'm not to be comfortable around sin.

That Holy Spirit is in there chasing in me every single day.

So we're to be different and not feel comfortable around sin.

Sanctification is a process

and not an event like justification.

Starting from the instant of salvation,

being justified and continuing until

physical death.

Sanctification is the process of making oneself increasingly holy

through following the guidance of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Process of purification.

It is the pursuit of an aspirational,

unattainable goal of living a Christ-like life.

In the hope that on that day,

at the foot of the great white throne judgment,

we hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

This helps set us, sets the stage

for our understanding of our daily relationship with Christ Jesus.

Salvation is a heart thing.

Believing and having faith takes effort.

That effort leads us to good works and being holy.

Ephesians 2:8-9,

"For by grace you have been saved through faith,

and this is not your own doing.

It is a gift of God, not the result of works,

so that no one may boast.

We are sanctified by striving to constantly following the will

of God for our lives,

to die to self, reject sin,

through dependence on the grace of God through Christ Jesus

and His sacrifice for us."

So let's go back to Romans.

With this new, renewed understanding,

Romans 6:1-2,

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?

What does that grace may abound mean?

I spent some time

thinking about this.

Some would say,

"Go ahead and sin."

It actually is evidence of our faith and grace.

Even John 10:29,

this is quoting Jesus, says,

"My Father who has given them to me is greater than all,

and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand.

Because if you are saved, heaven is locked.

It's a guarantee."

Think about this.

Well, all kinds of questions pop up that make me think.

I don't know how many of you know this, but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to answer

all of them.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to answer all of them, but I'm not sure I'll be able

to answer all of them.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to answer all of them.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to answer all of them.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to answer all of them.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to answer all of them.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to answer all of them.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to answer all of them.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to answer all of them.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to answer all of them.

Corinthians 5, 17? Has the old man passed away and the new spirit of the indwelt man exists?

If I am saved and the Holy Spirit lives in me, why am I thinking it's okay, sin is okay, because of

this guarantee? Do I really want to honor God always or just sometimes? How do we pursue

sanctification? Let's look at God's word. Fellowship with believers, Acts 2, 42. And they devoted

themselves to the apostles' teaching, the gospel, and they devoted themselves to teaching and

fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and with prayers. For me, going to church is what I've

always referred to, and being around believers, filling up my spiritual gas tank. A reminder to

be set apart. 1 Thessalonians 5, 11. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up.

Galatians 6, 1 and 2. Brothers, if anyone is caught in a

you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch, however, lest you

too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Pretty clear. We all

must realize and continually and prayerfully remind ourselves, going back to Romans, do you not know

that all of us who have been baptized into Christ were baptized into his death? We were buried,

therefore, with him.

By baptism into death, in order that 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 witness this reminder continually every time we see the baptism of a new believer.

We do this not only as a celebration, which we should, but also as a reminder to ourselves that

we are this new creature. Again, 2 Corinthians 5, 17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new

creation. The old is passed away. Behold, the new one has come. We need to practice, sometimes it's

not natural, to listening to the Holy Spirit in us. Psalms 46, 9 through 11. He makes wars cease

to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear.

He burns the chariots with fire. Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the

nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our

fortress. Amen. Be still and know that I am God. So, practically making sanctification real every

day. How does it work? You give space to God throughout the day. It starts with small slices

of time where you quiet yourself and listen to his spirit. Listen.

Before his spirit and pray to him and thank him. I often, before praying, go to be still and know

that I am God. So, ask yourself, what can I do today to grow in my personal relationship with

Christ, to become more sanctified? Here's some suggestions. Be a true disciple of God. Seek him

all day, every day. Look at life through that holy lens, WWJD. If that thought goes into your head

before you take any action, you can't help.

But be influenced by the spirit of God. Philippians 3.14. Love this verse.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Start with small phrases like, thank you, Jesus. Praise Jesus. Just talk to him. Be proud of your

faith. Don't hesitate to let it out in public through these small things. When you say praise

Jesus in a mixed company, it affects everybody around you. Be proud and don't hesitate to let

it out in public. Not to boast, but to praise. Pray, pray, pray, pray. Oh my goodness. 1 Thessalonians

5.17. Pray without ceasing. 1 Timothy 2.8. I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up

holy hands without wrath and doubting. Let his word guide you. Ask for discernment and guidance.

Be in the word. Acts 17.11. They were noble. They received the word and they searched the scriptures

1 Thessalonians 5.11. Wherefore, comfort yourselves and edify one another. Ministry. Galatians 5.13.

This one's a good one. For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an

occasion of the flesh. Don't be prideful, but by love serve one another. God prospers us and we

should prosper others. James 2.26. For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, also faith apart

from works is dead.

They do not save you. They do not get you to heaven, but they are certainly evidence of a saved

life. And lastly, the Great Commission, most often quoted from Matthew 28, 19, and 20. Go therefore

and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the

Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you

always to the end of the age. Start with small things, small changes.

Back to Romans.

Romans 6.6-9.

We know that the old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to

nothing, so that we may 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.

Romans 6.6-9.

Hear me. Listen to this. This is really cool. As a saved person, our existence on earth is the closest

to hell that we are ever going to get. So the suffering you have here is the worst. We could

talk a long time why bad things happen to a good person. Another sermon. What does it imply? We've

already won. We have the victory. On the other hand, Satan has lost, and he might pull out all

the stops to bring hell to us here on earth. So frequently pray.

4.7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 4.27. And give no opportunity to the devil. I frequently pray at the start of my day,

Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, I denounce Satan and all his works. Let him have no part

of my day. And then I ask for a significance. Don't let him bother my son, my wife, my relatives,

my church, my country.

I believe that matters. And we rebuke Satan. Here's a cool thing. Satan cannot read your mind.

So if you don't put it out there on the earth, he doesn't know. He's got to watch your actions.

Christ is the only discerner of the thoughts and intents of our heart. Prayer is the most powerful

weapon against Satan. It's the most powerful weapon you have. We learn to do battle with evil

and declaring our righteousness by standing and putting on the full armor of God. It is how to

knowing that we are promised victory by our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is seated at the right

hand of the Father in heaven. Ephesians 6.11-18 says, Put on the whole armor of God that you may

be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you

may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand, therefore,

having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as

the shoes of your feet, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of

having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, take up the shield

of faith with which you can extinguish all of the flaming darts of the evil one, and take up

the helmet of salvation and the word of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying at all times in

the Spirit with all prayer and supplication, which is emphatically expounding the word of God,

to that end, keep on praying.

With all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Notice, all of these things in the

armor of God are to protect us from sin, except for one. The last one, the sword of the Spirit,

the word of God, which is a weapon of offense against evil. This is how we separate ourselves

from sin. The power of the word of God, if we pray scripture, we cannot go wrong. We cannot,

as James says in the King James Version, ask amiss. So we cannot ask God for something that is

outside of his will if we pray scripture. Don't become discouraged. Remember, Hebrews 4.16 says,

let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and

find grace to help in the time of need. Pray, pray, pray. It's the most underrated weapon. John 15.7

says, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.

You cannot pray outside the word of God.

The will of God, if you pray scripture. Psalms 119.11 says, I have stored up your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you. James 4.3, you ask and you don't receive because you ask wrongly

to spend it on your passions. How we pray is not as important than it is if we do and often just

have a conversation with God. Pray without ceasing, Thessalonians. Where do you pray? I love asking this

question. I look at people and many go like this. He is right here. He is in our heart. He hears what

we hear. He sees what we see. He knows what you're thinking before you think it. You are dead to sin

and saved once and for all for eternity. Romans 6.10-12. For the death he died, he died to sin

once and 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. So be used by Christ.

Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit who lives in you. Declare you are not, that you are dead to

sin, which no longer has dominion over you any longer. You are the new creature. In the book of

Romans, Paul uses the word no 19 times as a declarative statements of how we should and can

live not being enslaved to sin, but living a sanctified life.

Be holy for I am holy.

Romans 8, 36 through 39.

As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long.

We are regarded as sheep to the slaughter.

This is Romans quoting Psalms 44, 22.

Then it continues.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present or things to come,

nor powers, nor heights, nor depths, nor anything, any other creation

will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Scripture quoting scripture.

Philippians 4, 6, and 7.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication,

earnestly and humbly, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.

And the God of peace, which passes all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So what do you want out of life?

What are your goals?

You have to choose every day.

Remember Matthew 7, 25.

And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house,

but it did not fall because it was founded on the rock.

Choose the things of heavens or the world.

Desire the things that money can't buy.

Happiness, contentment, love, real love, not lust.

Family, closeness.

Matthew 6, 19 and 20 say,

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on the earth,

where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Therefore, 2 Corinthians 5, 17.

Therefore, if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creature.

The old has passed away.

Behold, the new has come.

The bottom line is we are to be an example of Christ.

In the pursuit of sanctification.

Leviticus 11, 44.

For I am the Lord your God.

Consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy.

So let's go back to the beginning of the message.

What should our salvation look like?

We are made in the image of Christ.

So I ask again, boldly approaching the throne of God.

Am I really saved?

You bet I am.

Did I really mean the sinner's prayer when I prayed it?

You bet I did.

I prayed from my heart and I am that.

The old me has passed away and the new spirit indwelt man exists and professes his love for his Savior every day.

I'm saved and the Holy Spirit lives in me.

So sin is not okay and I have a guaranteed reservation in heaven.

I strive to honor God all the time, not just sometimes.

So today's verses remind us of what our salvation means and it can be summed up by a verse in Revelations 3.20.

3.20.

This is Jesus speaking.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me.

Sanctification doesn't just happen.

As we've seen today, the Bible tells us explicitly how to know we are saved, how we are justified,

and how to know how to grow in holiness, to live a sanctified life,

and know that we know we have assurance of salvation and eternity in heaven.

We have heard that to do and we know what to do and what a sanctified life looks like,

we know how to pray, where to pray, and how to have our hearts right.

Through fellowship and edify, brothers and sisters, be set apart and giving daily space to God

by listening to the Holy Spirit living in us.

How to pray in God's will by praying scripture.

And finally, back to Romans one more time.

So you 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.

Live a holy life as a daily celebration.

If you have not accepted that gift, pray the sinner's prayer.

To close, I'll pray scripture to assure it arrives in heaven in good standing.

Psalm 119.11.

I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

And I pray the following for each of you.

1 Timothy 4.12.

I despise you, but set the believers an example in your speech,

in your conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

Until I come, devote yourselves to the public reading of scriptures,

to exhortation, which is the emphatic proclaiming of God's work, to teaching.

Do not neglect your gifts.

Practice these, immerse yourself in them, so all may see your progress.

Thank you for your attentiveness and grace and be safe.

And remember to give space to God.

And all God's people said, Amen. Thank you.