Romans 6-8: God Working in Us

“Chapters 1 to 5 explain what God has accomplished for us in the Gospel; chapters 6 to 8 tell us what God will accomplish in us through the Gospel.” (Timothy Keller)

In Romans 1 – 5 we learned that we are sinners by nature and by action but that God, through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ justifies us; he makes us right and restores our relationship with Him. This is not the end of the story! God continues to work in us and that is the focus of chapters 6 to 8.

Series Sermons

Romans 6:1-14 - Set Free - Christiaan Hofstra (Video)
Morning Service, Sunday, February 27, 2022
By the end of Romans 1-5, Paul has made it clear we are justified by God's abounding grace of Christ's obedience as the ground of our justification. The question Paul now deals with is how we are to respond to this gift of grace. Free grace is not an excuse for rampant sinning. 'By no means!', says Paul. A christian's new reality is that he is dead to sin but alive to God. Consciously reckoning the old self dead, declaring radical allegiance to God is the kind of life that comes from being united by faith to Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:15 - 7:6 - Still slaves? - Christiaan Hofstra (Video) (Audio Only)
Morning Service, Sunday, March 13, 2022
If the first half of Romans 6 focuses on the great truth that through the work of God's grace through His Son Jesus we are now dead to sin, the second half focuses on the truth that we are at the same time alive to God. Both are reasons we should no longer live in sin. To be alive to God actualy means we become slaves to God. This is not an easy concept in our culture today with much emotional baggage. However as Christ-followers we serve a great master, participate in a greater service and join the greatest servant of all: Jesus Christ.
Romans 7: 7-25 - Fighting Sin (1) - Andy Bathgate (Video) (Audio Only)
Morning Service, Sunday, March 20, 2022
Paul tells us some of his own story in relation to sin: his realisation that the law (which he followed) disclosed how sinful he was. He goes on to tell us about his ongoing struggle with sin. How are Christians to think about their ongoing struggle with sin?
Romans 8:1-13 - Fighting Sin (2) - Bob Akroyd (Video)
Morning Service, Sunday, March 27, 2022
These verses highlight that our salvation and redemption were accomplished not by us, but by Jesus on the cross. They remind us that Christianity is not about what we have done, but about what God has done. They remind us the battle against sin has already been won, and the life we live for Christ we live, not in the flesh, but in the Spirit because of the change in identity, status and relationship that was accomplished for us, not by us.
Romans 8:14-25 - Children of God - Christiaan Hofstra (Video)
Morning Service, Sunday, April 3, 2022
In Romans 8:14-25, the apostle Paul continues to explain how the Gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything. From changing our attitude to sin (Rom.6), he now deals with our understanding of the now and not yet. How can we be free in Christ yet struggle with sin and how can we be saved yet face serious suffering including sufferings with Christ? Paul provides a perspective that answers the problem of suffering while also enabling us to handle it by explaining the hope the children of God have, why we have it, and how we live in it.
Romans 8:26-39 - Living Life with Jesus - David Knowles (Video)
Morning Service, Sunday, April 10, 2022
As Paul considers all that he has been writing about he wants people to know and experience the sense of complete security that is theirs in Christ. Despite what life throws at us, the gospel triumphs, God is For us, we are more than conquerors and our eternal good is God's work for us.