Romans – The Play Part 2

Abraham accepted as real that which he could not see. That was in Romans 5. I’d like to look at that again.

Abraham accepted as real things that he could not see. Abraham accepted as real that which was not real. Abraham accepted as real that which he could not feel. He could not see. He accepted the unseen as though it were seen. And this is what we’re talking about here. You just accept something that happened that’s invisible. That’s unseen. If I can step back and look through the eyes of God, my God sees. Let me put it this way: your God sees. You plunged—baptized, immersed—into Christ.

Can you see Christ as water? Can you see yourself plunged into Him?

Now you’re immersed. Now you’re in Him. You’re in the water. The water is Christ, okay?

Well, fine. Now the water rises from the dead. The metaphor breaks down here, but Christ comes up out of the grave. You’re still immersed in Him. You’re immersed in His death. You’re immersed in His resurrection. You’re plunged into Him. You’re invisibly lost in there. This is what God sees. You come up, and things are totally different—and this is what God sees. And you accept—and accept as real and as true – that which you cannot see.

Now, dear Christian, you’re a new believer. You’re a brand new believer, but this night must forever alter your relationship to sin. I don’t want to hear you talking to me about all your great sins.

“Well, Gene, what am I going to do if I sin?” It’s really simple: Call your attorney.

Call your attorney. He’ll talk to the Father about this. “But Gene, that breaks down. It says I’m dead to sin!” I don’t care what it says. If I do sin, I have an advocate with the Father. Right now, I need to concentrate on the fact that sin and I have had one relationship, and it is broken.

Now, later, if I want to concentrate on the fact that I have sinned—fine. Call a lawyer. Call your lawyer. But right now, concentrate on that which is real, even if it is unseen. And accept as real that which you cannot see, that you have died to sin.

Now I must ask you a question: whose funeral was it?

Yours or sins? Think about it for a moment. This is quite interesting. Whose funeral was it?

Yours.