The Gift of Salvation

Title: The Gift of Salvation

Text: Romans 6:15-23

Introduction: What is the greatest gift you have ever received?

Everyone I known loves receiving gifts, especially ones we do not deserve.

Illustration

The greatest gift I can think of in the world is the one that God offers mankind.

Even though mankind does not deserve the gift He offers because of the nature of all men.

For all have sinned, but through Gods love He sent His only begotten Son so that one day we might have eternal life in Heaven with Him.

In Romans 6:23 the gift of God is eternal life. This gift had a huge cost to the one offering the gift and to the one receiving the gift.

But it is a gift that no human being would ever think of giving someone else, it is another reason we known the Scriptures are truly from God. Because who in the world would offer their only son so that a sinner may live.

Because Like Paul says in Romans 5:9-10 the need for the gift of God because before we became Christians, we were enemies of God.

In Romans 6 we will look at three points.

First, we will see the Gift of Grace (Romans 6:15-18).

Second, we will see the Gift of Man (Romans 6:19-21).

Finally, we will see the Gift of God (Romans 6:22-23).

Thesis: God offers us the gift of Grace which covers a multitude of Sins but requires obedient righteousness to Him to receive the Gift of God which is eternal life.

I. The Gift of Grace (Romans 6:15-18).

a. Vs. 15 The Great question: What Than shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under Grace? God forbid.

i. The Law

1. The Law of Moses.

2. It’s not that they are not under law, its they and us today are not under the law of Moses. But we under the law of Christ.

a. We don’t have to offer physical sacrifices- Rom 12:1.

b. We don’t have to keep the sabbath day- Rom 12:1 Holy

c. We no longer have to be physically circumcised.

d. See the law had a purpose to point Gods people to sin.

e. Chapter 7:7 Paul would not have known lust, except the law had said, thou shalt not covet.

f. Today God’s gift is offered to all and He wants our hearts, not just the works of the law which made Gods people set apart from the rest of the world.

ii. Grace

1. Grace is: Unmerited or unearned favor.

2. It is free, but not cheap.

3. It is a gift from God!!!

4. Rom 5:15B The gift by grace, by Jesus Christ Abounded to many.

5. Rom 5:16B The free gift of righteousness unto justification. Just-if-i-never-sinned. It’s a legal term. Not that our sins go away but that they may be covered up, justified.

6. Rom 5:17B The gift of righteousness shall reign in life by Jesus.

7. Rom 5:18B The righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

8. Rom 5:20B-21 Grace covers a multitude of sins… Rom 6:1 Does not give us the license to sin but gives us motivation to serve God, to be His service by being obedient to His Gospel message, and be servants of righteousness.

b. Vs. 16 Ye Yield Yourselves Servants of Obedience

i. Either- Slave to sin which =’s Death. Vs 23

ii. Or- Slaves to obedience unto Righteousness which +’s Life vs 22.

iii. In other words, are you of sin- The world? Sin is lawlessness’s, being against God’s law.

iv. Or are you in Gods army and for God. Are you on the winning team.

v. You need to make a choice (Joshua 24:15).

c. Vs. 17 Ye were Servants of Sin

i. But God be thanked (Rom 1:8 Paul thanked God for their faith spoken of in the whole world).

ii. They were servants of sin (Rom 1:7) Now saints in Rome.

iii. Because they had obeyed the Form of doctrine which was delivered unto them (Rom 1:16 The Gospel of Christ).

d. Vs. 18 Ye Became Servants of Righteousness

i. Ye were servants of sin.

ii. Ye became servants of righteousness.

Application: Brethren we to were once servants of sin (Rom 3:23).

But the important thing is what we have become through the Gospel being delivered unto us: the Gospel of Christ.

Not only does the Gospel give us Hope and something to live for it has also change and transformed our lives to becoming Servants of God, Servants of Righteousness, which in the end brings the hope of eternal life.

II. The Gift of Man (Romans 6:19-21).

a. Vs. 19 I Speak after the manner of men because of your infirmity.

i. For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness.

ii. And iniquity unto iniquity.

1. Chapter 1:24-32 List of uncleanness sins people were committing:

a. Homosexuality

b. Murder

c. Wickedness

d. Fornication

e. Covetousness

f. Envy

g. Back biters

h. Boasters

i. Vs. 32 Knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do them, but have pleasure in them that do them.

j. Ask someone of this world what the greatest gift is: they may say a car, house, money, a child..

k. How does that change the moment they are told they only have months to live??????

l. We have the solution!!

iii. Vs. 19B Even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

b. Vs. 20A Ye were the servants of sin

i. Vs. 17 They were servants of Sin but God be thanked that had obeyed the Gospel

ii. 20B Ye were free from righteousness.

iii. This is they were free from justification, being justified.

iv. Their sins were held to their account.

c. Vs. 21 What fruits had ye than in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?

i. In other words where was so past sins, uncleanness, and infirmities leading you.

ii. What was the end goal in life committing them because the end is ultimate destruction, and torment.

iii. Paul says by them, now you are now ashamed!

iv. Think about what Paul was ashamed about- he persecuted the Church of God and lets it be known in some of his letters because he is ashamed of his past.

v. But what was Paul not ashamed of?? Rom 1:16

d. 21B For the end of those things is death!

i. He not talking about the physical death here but the spiritual one.

ii. A eternal death that would last forever in torments.

e. In vs 19-21 Paul has told them

i. They were servants of uncleanness.

ii. They were the servants of sin.

iii. But now they are ashamed.

f. Paul uses this servant language as being slaves.

g. At this time in Rome there were more slaves than free people. Some people wanted to be slaves because it offered them housing, food, and clothing.

h. Some were slaves by force and others voluntarily.

i. But They knew what slavery involved and it was serving their master.

j. He is using it to show how they are serving sin as their master. But most slaves would never be free. They would remain servants for life.

k. Now to be a servant God is a choice, that has many blessing in this life now, but also eternal reward.

Application: As Christians today we were also servants of sin because were like man and walking after the flesh.

But after obeying from the heart that form of doctrine, being the Gospel, we have crucified that old man leaving him in the water and now walking in newness of life.

We are now ashamed of our past and should be knowing that we were living lives against God which would end in eternal death.

But sometimes our past makes us apricate who we are today.

It also shows us what we need to do to lost men and woman by taking them the Gospel, taking them the gift that they may obey the doctrine and walk after the Spirit.

III. The Gift of God (Romans 6:22-23).

a. Vs. 22A BUT NOW being made free from SIN and become SERVANTS to God.

i. That old life they are ashamed about is over. They are now servants of God and by choice.

ii. They have chosen the way of righteousness.

b. Vs. 22B Ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

i. The Gospel had made them fruitful in living holy lives.

ii. Rom 12:1

iii. They were now offering themselves to holiness and not just giving a sacrifice.

c. Vs. 23A For the Wages of Sin is Death.

i. That slave language-

1. What wages would a slave get? Absolutely nothing.

2. If sin was there master the wages are death. Eternal death.

3. Paul saying serve sin and get the wages of sin.

4. But serve God and get the wages of God seen next.

d. Vs. 23B But the GIFT of GOD is ETERNAL LIFE through (IN) Jesus Christ our Lord.

i. The wages of living a righteous and holy life is the gift of God.

ii. What is the greatest gift you could ever receive it is the one God offers all.

iii. It is a gift and in chapter 5 we seen it is free, BUT It had a huge cost. It cost God His Sons body, His sons blood, and it will cost us our lives Rom 12:1.

iv. This ties back to 5:21 Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

v. Grace is unmeritable favor- which is something we can never truly earn. It is something all mankind needs but does not deserve.

vi. Now nowhere will you see that man is saved by grace alone, notice it is only offered to those who are servants of God, those fruitful to holiness, those who live as servants of righteousness.

vii. While we cannot ever earn Gods grace meaning there is no way we could ever repay God for what he has given us, there is no way we could buy what He offers us.

viii. but we will have to work as His servants, we will have to work till the day we die for there is no retirement with God until we pass away from this life

ix. Being a servant of God consist of us having consistent service to Him.

Application: Paul shows us how we can receive the Gift of God is by being a servant to Him. Later in Romans 10 Paul tells us the first steps to accessing this Gift of God.

How we confess Jesus, which is only after we believe in Him, which only happens after we hear His Word.

But Rom 6:3-5 Paints us the beautiful Picture of how we have access to the Gift of salvation.

Read 6:3-5- by being baptized into Christ, so that we can rise up and walk in newness of life, but also so we can rise from the dead and live with God for eternity in Heaven.

Conclusion: We see Paul tells the church at Rome that through the Gift of God, through His Grace, through His eternal Son Jesus Christ, through the Gospel we have been offered the greatest gift.

Think about the orphan girl? What if no one took her the show box??

The greatest gift we can ever offer our family, friends, and neighbors is the Gospel which can save their souls.

And we have all been given marching orders to deliver that very gift.

First, we saw the Gift of Grace.

Second, we saw the Gift of Man.

Finally, we saw the Gift of God.

Have you accepted God Gift????

You can access this very gift this Evening through Baptism???