Christians are no longer SLAVES OF SIN, but rather SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Imagine you are walking a narrow path between two pitfalls. One the one side is steep ravine with a raging river at the bottom, and on the other side a steep drop filled with jagged rocks. Your task is to safely navigate between the two dangers.
There are two dangerous paths that God wants believers to avoid. Paul helps us carefully steer a safe course between the errors of legalism on the one side and licentiousness on the other.
Legalism- earn or maintain God’s favor by means of my ability to keep his law (vv. 14-15). These kinds of people like to use the necessity of God’s law as a means of force, as a club. To their eyes the law is mandatory in order to restrain sin in the life of a Christian.
License- presuming on the grace of God in order to live in sin. Paul’s message is that we have received “freedom from sin, is not freedom to sin.” —Moo (vv. 16-23). These kinds of people pervert our new freedom in Christ into an excuse for sinning.
How do we steer clear of these two potential dangers?
Several weeks ago we looked at how to avoid the danger of legalism from vv. 14-15. This morning I want to look at how we avoid the danger of license from vv. 16-23.
In this passage Paul wanted his opponents in Rome to understand that it is impossible for those who are under grace to continue in habitual sin.
Friend, if you are positionally under grace it will be impossible for you continue in habitual sin.
Why is it impossible for those who are under grace to continue in habitual sin?
Paul gives us several reasons why believers, who are now under grace, cannot continue in habitual sin.
Reason #1: Whatever power you habitually offer yourself to reveals your true master
Reason #1: Whatever power you habitually offer yourself to reveals your true master
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Paul’s opponents throw this charge against him. OK Paul, if like you say, that the Christian is no longer under the law, is free from all aspects of the law, but now instead the believer is under grace, doesn’t that throw the door wide open for people to live in sin?
This accusation goes all the way back to the great statement that the apostle made in chapter 5.
Romans 5:20 (ESV)
20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
Romans 5:21 (ESV)
21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through our union with Christ we have entered into an entirely new position. Because we are united to Christ we have been taken out of the realm or the rule of sin and out from under the dominion of death. And instead we have been place into a new realm. As Christians we have entered into the realm of grace and we are under the dominion of righteousness. And do you know what your position means? Wherever sin increased, grace super abounds more and more! You are now in a position, united with Christ, whereby God can super abound His grace into your life.
The first argument that Paul’s opponents through at him was in first verse of Romans 6.
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
And we spend quite a bit of time working out Paul’s argument for why believers ought not to continue in sin. And it mainly dealt with our identification with Jesus Christ. The fact that we share in all of the benefits of His death, burial, and resurrection make it utterly ridiculous and monstrous to suggest that a Christian should live a life of sin.
Now the opponents arguments shift slightly.
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Now the argument is not, “well if were sin abounds grace super abounds, and if grace is a good thing, then shouldn’t we sin to cause grace to abound?” That was the accusation Paul addressed in vv. 1-14.
Now the opponents shift the argument based off of what the apostle said in v. 14
14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Well, if we are not under law, but under grace what then is left to restrain the Christian from living in sin? Because we are no longer under law is there anything left to hold a person back from a life of sin? Wouldn’t that person be free to sin and sin? And Paul’s answer? By NO MEANS!
Now in v. 16 Paul begins to dismantle this foolish question.
16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Don’t you know!
Same way he started his argument back in v. 3
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Look at v. 6
6 We know 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.
and v. 9
9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
Paul is using logic and reason to argue his point.
16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Don’t you know? You ought to know this! What is it that we ought to know?
That if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the on whom you obey.
Present- Place beside, put at someone’s disposal. To make something available to someone without necessarily involving actual change of ownership.
E.g. of horses
24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”
As in the believer’s bodies as an act of spiritual worship
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
I like the way Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones translated this term best, “to hand yourself over.”
Don’t you know that if you hand yourself over (if you put yourself at someone’s disposal) as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey.
Notice two categories of masters that Paul presents us with. We have two choices available to us.
Romans 6:16 (ESV)
16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Paul divides ever man, woman, and child into one of two categories. Notice whatever category you are in you are a slave!
You are either a slave of sin or you are a slave of obedience. Those are your two options. No middle ground, no grey area. Every single person falls into one of these two categories.
Some of you might have a translation that uses “servants” instead of “slaves.” But the Greek term here, doulos, is the term for slave.
Now NT slaves were different from the slaves we typically think about in the early history of our country. NT slaves were more like bond-servants. Most of the time people would willingly enter into slavery in order to pay off a debt. They could work their way out of slavery and better their position. It was not the act of body snatching and forced unpaid servitude that we normally think of. None the less, you didn’t want to be someone’s slave. Once you entered into the relationship you had to obey the will of your master.
The bigger point Paul is making here is that you are either a slave of sin, or you are under grace, you are a slave in the realm of grace, you are a slave of obedience.
Ironically many people say that they would never trust Jesus Christ as their Lord. They don’t want anyone or anything to be their lord. They want to remain free. Do you see the irony? Do you see the lie of Satan in that idea? People who are not under grace, who are still under sin are NOT FREE!
They are slaves! But instead of being slaves of obedience that leads to righteousness they are slaves of sin that leads to death. They believe the lie of Satan that they can be free, all the while, they are slaves of sin. And in the end they end up with death. Not merely physical death, but eternal death- eternal separation for God in the lake of fire judgement. They are already enslaved by the most dreaded taskmaster imaginable! True freedom is from from sin.
But, when a person trusts Christ, when they call upon Him as Lord, they enter into a new position. They are now under grace and grace makes demands upon them. They have a new master- obedience! Being under grace means we are enslaved to not sin that leads to death, but obedience that leads to righteousness.
It is utterly ridiculous and monstrous to suggest even for a moment that there is anything about he Christian faith and the Christian message which should ever lead a man to live a life of sin!
It is true, as Christians we are no longer under law. But that does not mean we are lawless! That does not mean we are free sin as we choose. We are under grace, and to be under grace means you are under obedience.
So Paul contrasts sin and obedience in v. 16, but notice the other two words that he contrasts:
Romans 6:16 (ESV)
16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Now isn’t it interesting that Paul contrasts death with righteousness? What word might be a better opposite to death? LIFE! Why didn’t Paul use the word life in v. 16?
Because then the teaching would have been you are either a slave of sin which leads to death, or a slave of obedience that leads to LIFE. Why is it heretical to state that obedience leads to life?
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Because eternal life is a FREE GIFT of God. To claim that obedience leads to life is to claim a works based justification. But, we are justified by faith alone. It is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.
We are justified by the free gift of God through faith, and the result of that new life, that new birth, that new position is obedience that leads to righteousness.
Now let me summarize the arguments of Paul in this verse for you. These come from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and they were very helpful to me as I was thinking through this argument:
1. If we present ourselves as slaves to any power, then we become the slaves of that power.
1. If we present ourselves as slaves to any power, then we become the slaves of that power.
If I sell myself to a power I then become the slave of that power; and the power that it has over me is the power of a slave-owner over his slave.
2. There are only two ultimate totalitarian powers: sin and obedience
2. There are only two ultimate totalitarian powers: sin and obedience
21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We are either in the position of the old man, in a connection with Adam, because sin and death has spread to all. In that position we are in the dominion of death and under the reign of sin. Sin is our master!
OR:
We are in the position of the new man, in a connection with Christ. The grace of God and free gift by the grace of Christ has abounded to us. We were made righteous by Christ’s obedience. We are under the reign of grace and in the dominion of righteousness. Grace and obedience are our masters!
3. These two powers, sin and obedience, are entirely different and are utterly opposed to each other.
3. These two powers, sin and obedience, are entirely different and are utterly opposed to each other.
Sin and obedience are both slave-masters that is true, but they are violently, bitterly, and eternally opposed to each other.
They are eternal opposites in their very nature!
One is of God, is of heaven, is of righteousness and holiness. The other is of Satan, is of hell, is of lawlessness and rebellion.
They are also eternal opposites in the results they produce!
The one produces death- physical and eternal. This is always the result of sin. The other produces righteousness- the very righteousness of God Himself!
4. It is obviously impossible to be slaves to both of these masters at the same time.
4. It is obviously impossible to be slaves to both of these masters at the same time.
Because we are slaves to one or the other, sin or obedience and because they are eternal opposites in nature and results in stands to reason that we cannot be a slave to both at the same time.
A person cannot be a slave to grace and yet live in sin; it is utterly impossible!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
5. We reveal who our true master is by what we do, not by what we say.
5. We reveal who our true master is by what we do, not by what we say.
This is the charge thrown into the face of the Apostle Paul, “If we are no longer under law, if we are now under grace, then we therefore can sin.”
Paul’s response! That is absolute nonsense! He proved to use in this verse that it is an impossibility.
Paul would say this, “If you show me a person who is living in sin, I say that man is not under grace. He cannot be; he could not go on living in sin if he were under grace. His manner of life shows that he is under sin and under the power of sin.”
Or in other words, we reveal we are not by what we say, but by what we do.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Outwardly it is possible for people to wear the clothing of a sheep, but inwardly still be a ravenous wolf. They might look like a sheep, and even sound like a sheep, but they are not! How can we tell the difference?
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
This is exactly what Paul is saying in Romans 6:16. If a person is under grace they are a slave of obedience that leads to righteousness. Obedience and righteousness will characterize their life.
So for one to be under grace, means that they will not be characterized by a life of habitual sin. So to even ask the question, that if one is under grace are they free to sin, is utter nonsense. That is not the way being under grace works.
In fact, if someone’s life is characterized by habitual sin they demonstrate that they really are not under grace at all! They are still under sin! They are still slaves to sin. Sin is their master and they demonstrate that by being sin’s obedient slaves.
John 8:31–47 (ESV)
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.
38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did,
40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.
41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.
43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.
44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.
46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
Do not misunderstand Paul’s argument. He is not saying that if anyone commits any sin at all they are not under grace. Paul is not arguing that you must be sinless. He is arguing that if you are under grace you will not make a practice of sinning. You will not continually become an obedient slave to sin. You may struggle with sin if you are a Christian but you will not relish it!
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Paul’s point is this: you are either a slave to sin or you are a slave to obedience. And whatever your profession may be, whatever your understanding of Scripture may be, if you are not producing the fruit of righteousness (to varying degrees), your profession of faith is a lie, it is a mockery of God’s grace, it is of no value at all.
Why is it impossible for those who are under grace to continue in habitual sin?
Whatever power you habitually offer yourself to reveals your true master.
What then, are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? God forbid! Don’t you know that a man proclaims whose slave he is by the way in which he lives and behaves?
“The slave owner, Sin, commands and insists upon a certain type of life; and the other slave owner, Obedience, Grace—call it what you will—also insists upon a very different kind of conduct and behavior.”
“‘By their fruits you shall know them.’ This is not justification by works. It is the announcement that the man who has been born again by the grace of God has a principle in him that produces good fruit, not evil fruit.”
“It is not the ‘sheep’s clothing’ on the man that matters, it is what is inside, what comes out of him; it is in the man himself. If we are truly slaves of grace, and of obedience, and of God, it will show itself, it must show itself, in obedient conduct and holy behavior.”
“‘Sin shall not have dominion over you,’ because grace now has dominion over you and it will bring its own set purposes to pass, and above all, the fruit of obedience and righteousness.” —Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
My friend, this morning, I want to ask you a very important question.
Are you slaves of sin or are you slaves of obedience?
Are you under sin or are you under grace? Does the conduct of your life demonstrate that you have been united to Christ? Do your actions and attitudes show that you have been set free from the slavery of sin and have been shown a new master- grace? When you evaluate your life, yes you will have times and seasons of sin struggles, but you will not be dominated by it! Can you see the power of your new master at work in your life? Can you see the power of grace changing you? Can you see evidence of natural, willing, and joyful obedience to the commands of Christ that never existed in your heart before? It may not be a lot! Your growth may be slow. Sometimes we tend to doubt a person’s salvation because we think growth is not happening fast enough. And we do that to our harm. But, if the Spirit of God is within you, if you have been united to Christ, then you have a new master and it will make all the difference.
What master do you serve? The good news is you can make a change today! You can call upon Jesus as Lord and receive Him and take upon yourself a new master. A master that will produce joyful obedience, righteousness and holiness, and will result in eternal life. Will you choose to do that today?
If you are a Christ, but you have been resisting the demands of grace in your life, if you have been struggling with sin, I invite you to repent and turn back to Christ. Let the work of grace produce the fruit of righteousness in your life. Realize the power of grace that is yours through Christ and follow Him anew in obedience.