Building The Kingdom
SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE
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Being Holy in an Unholy World
in life. Everything of value costs something. There is a law of
“The Price of Power”
exchange that rules in every sphere of life and this is that law: To get,
you must give.
Romans 6:5-14
It rules in the business world. If I want to buy a house or a car or a boat
or a hat, I must pay the price that it costs. It rules in the intellectual
On my very first missions trip to South America back in 1987 when I
world. If a young man or a young woman wants a good education, if
had the great privilege of leading a group of 11 men into the little
they want to be properly prepared for some particular profession, they
land-locked country of Paraguay to help build a church…no one on
must pay the price of going to class, staying up late to study, saying no to
our team could speak single sentence in Spanish.
a lot of things that would be a lot of fun so they can complete their
assignments and do their work and get their degree.
I mean we were just a bunch of good ole Southern Indiana boys who
had no experience at all in cross-cultural relationships. And here we
It holds true in the spiritual realm. We like to say that salvation is free.
were traveling to South America to work and minister among a group
No, it’s not! Yes, it comes free to us. It is called “the gift of God”
of people who spoke Spanish.
(Romans 6:23 New International Version). Eternal life! But let me remind you that it
cost God the Father the life of His Son.
How would we be able to communicate? What would we do if we got
lost and needed to ask for directions? How could we quietly ask
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
someone, “Where’s the bathroom?”
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16
New International Version). Everything of value costs something. That’s
So this is what we did. One of the members of our church, a high
what I want to talk about this morning as we begin to wind down this
school teacher, had grown up in Ecuador. His parents were
series of sermons entitled: Swimming Against The Tide: Being Holy
missionaries there and so he spoke Spanish fluently. He gave us a
in and Unholy World.
crash course in Spanish—a one night lesson.
Do you understand that being holy will cost you something? There is a
He gave us a paper that had 20 simple sentences or phrases in Spanish
price to pay if you really want spiritual power in your life. Now I’m
that he encouraged us to memorize. He said, “If you’ll learn these 20
convinced that it is God’s will for every person in this auditorium to be
simple statements then you’ll be able to survive in Paraguay.”
holy. He exhorts us in His Word, “Be holy, because I am holy” (1st Peter
Now one of the sentences on his “Top Twenty” list that he taught us
1:16 New International Version) and one of the blessings we receive when we allow
God make us into holy men and holy women is power.
to say in Spanish was “¿Cuánto cuesta?” Any Spanish speakers here
this morning who would like to translate that for us? It means, “How
much does it cost?”
Jesus said to the disciples of His day, “You will receive power when the
Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:8 New International Version). He was talking
about spiritual power in our lives—power over sin and selfishness in our
That’s a very important phrase to know if you’re a first-time visitor in
lives, power to not be ruled and pushed around by our lusts and passions,
a foreign country as you search for souvenirs. How much does it
cost?
power over our tongues and our tempers, power in prayer, power in
But that’s not just an important question to know how to ask if
you’re a first
winning others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. But, listen, there
-time traveler to South America or to any other foreign
is a price to pay if you want that kind of spiritual power and that’s what I
land; it’s an important question to know how to ask for most ventures
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want to talk about this morning.
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There is an individual who lives inside each one of us whom the Bible
What is that price? What does it cost? I believe the answer to that
refers to as “self.” Paul talks about this “other person” who lives inside
question is found in a passage of Scripture in the book of Romans.
of us in chapter 7 of Romans. He writes in verse 23, “There is another
Please take your Bibles and turn to the book of Romans, the 6th
law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the
chapter, and I’ll begin reading starting with that 5th verse.
fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me” (New Living
Translation).
If we have been united with him in his death, we will certainly
also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that
In other places, he refers to it as the “old man” in us (Colossians 3:9 King James
our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might
be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to
Version) or our “old self” (Colossians 3:9 New International Version) or our “earthly
nature”
sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
(Colossians 3:5 New International Version) or our “carnal” nature (Romans 7:14
King James Version).
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with
him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,
But who he is referring to is this “individual” who lives within us who so
he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
desperately wants to sit alone on the throne of our hearts and our lives,
The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he
this “individual” within us who is always tugging at our heartstrings
lives, he lives to God.
crying out, “I want what I want. I want it my way. I want it how I like
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God
it. I want to do what I want to do.”
in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal
body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of
Have you ever rubbed shoulders with that “individual”? Have you ever
your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer
seen him raise his ugly head in some meeting, in some argument at
yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death
home, in some decision you have to make about your future or how
to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments
you’re going to spend your money or how you’re going to spend your
of righteousness.
time? Of course, you have!
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under
law, but under grace. Romans 6:5-14 New International
This earthly nature, this carnal spirit, this sinful and selfish person lurks
Version
in the hearts and the minds of every man and woman alive and you’re
Let me see if I can simplify this a bit. It seems to me that Paul is
going to have to contend with him. Let me tell you a little bit about his
saying that the Spirit-filled life involves at least three things. (1) You
nature—three things.
Have To Be Dead To Self; (2) Alive To God; and (3) Wholly
Available To Be His Instrument For Righteousness.
He covets praise. He thrives on acclamation. He hungers for recognition
and if doesn’t get it from others he’ll get mad and sulk or conjure up
Now let me sharpen the focus a bit and look at what Paul means in
ways to heap it upon himself.
respect to each of these areas.
He is immensely impressed with his own importance, his own wisdom,
Dead To Self The very first thing Paul mentions in this passage of
his own knowledge, his own shrewdness; but what he wants more than
Scripture as he talks about living the Spirit-filled life is this matter of
anything else is for others to be impressed with him and notice him and
dying to self. He says in verse 6, “For we know that our old self was
praise him.
crucified with him.”
He may put on the garb of humility and use the language of modesty, but
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his ear is nonetheless keenly tuned to listen for and revel in words of
I just want to remind you this morning that every person’s heart is a
praise. In fact, he pretty much does what he does in order to get
battlefield. If self has possession, Jesus is lovingly and persistently
applause and acclamation.
striving to get possession. And if possession has been yielded to Jesus, I
can guarantee you that self will do everything in its power to try to take
Now here’s a second thing about his nature. He shrinks away from
back the possession of your heart.
criticism. He is extremely touchy and sensitive. He is easily slighted,
quickly hurt, chronically defensive. Even the slightest suggestion that
And so in every heart there is a throne and a cross and each one of
he could be wrong or that he might have blundered sends him
them is occupied. If Jesus is on the throne, ruling, then self is on the
immediately into attack mode in which he defends his actions and
cross, dying. But if self is being allowed to live and reign and rule, guess
explains his reasons and buries you with all kinds of “evidence” as to
who it is that is actually sitting on the throne of your heart? It’s not
his being right.
Jesus! Self is sitting on that throne and in the words of the writer of
Hebrews, we are “crucifying the Son of God all over again and
He is always concerned with, “What will people think? What will
subjecting him to public disgrace” (Hebrews 6:6 New International Version).
people say? What will people believe?” He lives in constant fear and
concern over this huge, vague, awful group known as “they.”
I don’t want to do that, do you? And so this is what it’s going to cost
you if you truly want spiritual power in your life. You have to say no
In fact, he doesn’t dare do a lot of things—good things, right things,
to self and allow him to be put to death by the power and
needful things—because he’s afraid someone might think that he’s
presence of God in your life.
odd or peculiar or some kind of religious fanatic.
Alive To Christ That’s the second thing Paul talks about in this passage
There is a third telltale earmark of “self” that is always there in one
of Scripture in Romans 6. He says, “Count yourselves dead to sin but
form or another. He is assertive. He dearly loves to have his own
alive to God in Christ Jesus…Do not offer the parts of your body to
way and will do just about anything to get it. He has his plans and
sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God,
ambitions and pity the person, be it man or God, who gets in his way.
as those who have been brought from death to life” (Romans 6:11,13 New
International Version).
Do you recognize this individual who Paul is talking about who lives
in you? He says there is only one way to deal with him if we truly
Dead to self—but alive to Christ! What does it mean to “be alive to
want God’s blessing and God’s presence and God’s power in our
Christ”? I believe the apostle Paul describes that very clearly in
lives. We have to crucify self.
Galatians 2:20. Listen to what he says. “I have been crucified with
Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the
We can’t coddle him or compromise with him or coexist with him.
body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself
Paul says there is only one thing to do if you want to be Spirit-filled.
for me” (New International Version).
You have to crucify him. You have to lay him on the altar of sacrifice
and allow him to die.
It is to live your life in such a way that whatever God says to you,
whatever He asks you to do, wherever He asks you to go, whatever He
Jesus said it like this: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny
prompts you to do, you do it…because you live in total trust and faith
himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever
and confidence in Him. The default setting of your life is to say “yes” to
wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me
Jesus—always, everywhere, anywhere, regardless of the consequences.
will save it” (Luke 9:23-24 New International Version).
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The famous Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti who passed away not
In Romans 12 Paul says it like this: “I urge you, brothers, in view of
long ago said that his life was forever shaped by some words his
God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and
father spoke to him when he was a very young man.
pleasing to God—which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1 New
International Version).
His father, a very common man, a baker, was the one who first
introduced young Luciano to the wonders of song. He urged his son
Now here’s the part I want to emphasize—“wholly” available to God. If
to work very hard to develop his voice and although they were a very
you’re taking notes this morning, underline that word “wholly”— wholly
poor family his dad scrounged and scrimped enough to find the
available to God to be His instrument for righteousness. No holding
money to pay for his son to receive some vocal training.
back! Not just a part of your heart, not just a part of your life, not just a
part of your self—but wholly available to God to be His instrument for
But when you grow up in a poor family you understand the need to be
righteousness.
able to have a job that will put bread on the table, so Pavarotti
enrolled in a teacher’s college when he became of age and taught
I stumbled across a poem recently that was written by European pastor, a
school for a couple of years but his passion for music just wouldn’t
very eloquent man, who came to the realization that he had not been
let go of him.
fully following Jesus Christ. In much of his life “self” was still very
much in control.
Finally, he said one day to his father, “Shall I be a teacher or a
singer?”
But he came to a fork in the road and he realized that ultimately God will
have all of us or He will have none of us—that no man can serve two
His father replied, “Luciano, if you try to sit on two chairs, you will
masters. And so he describes in this poem his struggle and ultimate
fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.”
victory along the highway of holiness. Listen to his words.
He said, “I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration
Oh, the bitter shame and sorrow,
That a time could ever be
before I made my first professional appearance. It took another
When I let the Saviour’s pity
seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. Commitment! That’s the
Plead in vain, and proudly answered:
key. You have to choose one chair.”
“All of self, and none of Thee.”
Being alive to Christ means that you say to Him, “Jesus, I’m going
Yet He found me: I beheld Him
to sit in Your chair. No matter what it costs me, no matter what I
Bleeding on the accursed tree;
have to do, no matter where I have to go, no matter how big or
Heard Him pray, “forgive them, Father,”
small the sacrifice, I’m going to sit in Your chair and be Your man
And my wistful heart said faintly:
or be Your woman and follow You wherever You lead.”
“Some of self and some of Thee.”
Day by day, His tender mercy,
Dead to self! Alive to Christ!
Healing helping, fully and free,
Sweet and strong, and oh, so patient,
Wholly Available To Be His Instrument For Righteousness.
Brought me lower, while I whispered:
Look at that last part of verse 13. “Offer the parts of your body to
“Less of self and more of Thee.”
him as instruments of righteousness.”
Higher than the highest heaven,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
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Lord, Thy love at last has conquered;
Grant me now my soul’s desire,
“None of self and all of Thee.”
Where are you on this journey? Self dies hard. But here’s the price
of power—spiritual power: You Have To Be Dead To Self; Alive
To God; and Wholly Available To Be His Instrument For
Righteousness.
