ROMANS 6.15-23 BUT NOW HAVING BEEN SET FREE FROM SIN YOU HAVE YOUR FRUIT TO HOLINESS

 

Romans 6:15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?  17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

                In Chapter 6 Paul declares that God, through the death of Jesus, not only died for us, but we also died with him. That is a great truth. When God says he set us free from the life of Adam and linked us to the life of Christ, he really did. Through for quite a long time our feelings will tell us differently, God wants us to understand this. We are to believe it regardless of how we feel, because what he says is true. If we will believe it, despite our feelings, we will soon discover that it is true. More and more we shall enter into the realization of this tremendous thing -- that we can be good in Christ as easily as we were bad in Adam.

Choose Your Master

II. WE SHOULD BE SLAVES TO GOD! (15-23)

Another reason not to continue in sin is explained in terms of servitude.  We become slaves to that which we obey, either sin to death or God for righteousness (15-16).

   A. WE BECOME SLAVES TO WHOM WE OBEY (15-18)

      1. Either of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness

         (15-16)

v15 Look at v1, it is different than 15 Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound.

V15  What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

As Charles Spurgeon put it, "An unchanged life is the mark of an unchanged heart, and an unchanged heart is a sign of an unregenerate life."

If there is no change, if your attitudes are the same, if your outlook is the same -- then there is a very serious doubt as to whether you ever became a Christian at all! That is what is involved in the question of Romans 6:1.

V15 The other question is not, "Shall we continue to abide in sin," but, rather, "Should we sin even once now that we are not under law but under grace?"

See how God so beautifully uses these Old Testament stories to illustrate the tremendous truths of the New Testament. One of the most effective books of the Old Testament in this respect is the book of Joshua, for it gives us the picture of Israel entering the land -- and the land is always a picture of the fullness of the Spirit, the walk in Christ, that we are talking about here in Romans.

As Israel came out of the wilderness of self-effort across the river Jordan and into the land, the first obstacle that lay in their pathway was the tremendous city of Jericho, with its great, high walls -- tremendous walls, we are told. Archeologists, who have now laid bare the foundations of these very walls, tell us that they were very likely over 100 feet high and some 50-60 feet thick. This was an impregnable fortress. "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down." Actually, it wasn't a fight at all: As they surrounded the city in the name of the Lord, and in the strength of the indwelling presence of God in their midst, the walls simply fell down flat -- that is all.

We discover that here is a picture of the life of victory that comes in laying hold of the truths in Romans 6. As we discover and apply this truth, problems that have been insurmountable obstacles to us, problems that have baffled us and mocked us and conquered us for years, simply disappear as we lay hold of the indwelling life of Jesus Christ -- and it is wonderful. We begin to experience victory.

After the battle of Jericho, we see an account of the greed of one man, named Achan, in the camp of Israel who coveted part of what God had set aside for himself. The result was a thorough defeat at the little village of Ai. All this is a picture of what we are talking about here in Romans 6:1-14. We see the principle that brings about victories like the victory of Jericho, but, in Verse 15 to the end of the chapter, we see some of the problems that arise that make possible a defeat like Ai.

We discover the joy of deliverance. Then we also discover that the old life still has power to tempt us and draw us back into its control. We realize that, even though it is true that Jesus Christ lives within us to be all that he is (which is all that we need), nevertheless the temptation is to strike a balance and work out a compromise. We find ourselves wanting to draw on Christ for the power to meet the times of stress that come -- the big problems -- but we rather like to put on the old comfortable slippers of the flesh the rest of the time, and enjoy that.

But part-time victory is also part-time defeat, and this is where the problem lies.

A little root growing into a sidewalk eventually destroys it.

v16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Voluntary slaves trapped in poverty and at least would be housed and fed, gave up all their freedom

John 8: 31-37

v17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

Rom 3:10-12

Mt 7:20-27

 1John 1:6-10

1John 2:4

1Co 15:3

They were formed or shaped by the Word of God… We used to say shape up soldier or go into the service and they will shape you up or make you a better person.

As the Spirit of God makes us aware of wrong things, these areas must be faced and surrendered to the place of death where God puts them.

Then we must make this real by believing that fact -- that all of it is worthless in God's sight -- ambition, everything!

Do you see? When we come to that place, then we begin to realize victory. But, if we compromise a little, we will soon be back in the old cycle of defeat and barrenness that we knew for so long. However, Paul points out that it also works the other way around. You choose Christ in these struggles and you find that he grows on you, and he gets a grip on you. The power, and the glory, and the strength of his life begin to grow stronger and stronger.

v18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

The underlying truth of the passage is that man is made to be mastered by something. We need a cause. Every young person is looking for a cause to live for, and to die for. When we are not aware of any cause in our life worthy of the effort, we flounder and feel depraved and deprived and hopeless. And the amazing thing is that, in all of life, there are only two possible masters: Either Christ or self; either one or the other.

Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters," Matt 6:24

Obedience to any of it puts you under the power of all of it

Sow an Act, reap a habit, sow a habit, reap a character, sow a character, reap a life, destiny, and eternity

V19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

Serving righteousness produces holiness

There is a continual choice, and the choice makes possible further victories. Little choices make little victories grow into larger victories. What Paul is simply saying is: Now choose your master. You can have only one. You can't have both.

   B. THE MOTIVATION FOR SERVING GOD (20-23)

How important it is that they continue to do so is to be seen in the outcome of serving sin contrasted to serving God.  Serving sin earns death, but in serving God one receives the gift of eternal life in

Christ Jesus (20- 23)!

Heb 11:25  choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

Sin is pleasureable for a season    

Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

1.      Serving sin produces death (20-21)

2.      Serving God produces the fruit of holiness, and in the end,  eternal life (22)

3.      The wages of sin is death, but God gives the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (23)

Wage meant pocket money given to slaves, a wage is something that impacts your life now and in the future.

You will have an empty Christian life if you are not holy and under God’s control.  (living death)

Unhappiest person alive is a Christian out of fellowship with God.

Gift means grace gift, and undeserved, unearned, free gift.

Psalm 73

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Do you know who you are? Rev 1:6, 1 Peter 2:9-10

Josh 24:15 Choose you this day whom you will serve"