Romans 6:15-23

Introduction

Alright y'all we are back in Romans.

We are slowly making our way through what many consider as the greatest letter ever written.

After taking last week off to pray for DNOW. We now get to finish of chapter 6.

In Romans so far we have seen that God has been at work since the beginning of time.

That he was at work in Creation and that creation declares who he is.

That God was gracious and kind to save us. And because he saved us we should be unashamed of the Good news we have.

Paul then hammers into us the fact that we are sinners.

We said that Paul is treating us like we are in a court room standing on the witness stand. Trying to get us to plead guilty and admit our sinfulness.

When we admit our problem of sin, Paul then in Romans 4 starts to show us that we have hope in the midst of our guilt

Then Arie walked us through Romans 5:1–11.

showing us That we have peace with God because of what Christ has done for us. That Christ died for us at our ungodliest.

Then Nolan, showed us how Jesus is the greater Adam. That sin came from Adam but that Salvation comes from Christ alone.

and then finally Macy got us through the first part of Romans 6:1-14 sharing with us the significance of Jesus death, how that relates to baptism, our job to fight against the sin.

and that were we will pick up in Romans 6:15.

So we are going to work verse by verse through the rest of the chapter then Ill have some application for you.

Romans 6:15: What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

Paul like he has done already in Romans asks a question of the readers.

The question is simple. Should we continue to live in sin since we aren't Jewish people and the law doesn’t apply to us?

We have said this before. But all of us. We are gentiles.

We arent Jewish. We didnt grow up Jewish.

The Old Testament laws. They were for the Jewish people. There are 613 laws outlined for the people of God in Leviticus.

So, do all of those laws hold no meaning to us now that we are Christians? Can we just break the ten commandments whenever we want? They werent orignally meant for us…

We can just sin as much as we want. Because we have grace.

and Jesus died for our sins so his blood can pay for all of my sins right?

Paul says By No Means.

If you can remember when this phrase first came up in Romans.

This is the harshest way to say no in the Bible. Paul is really saying HECK NO.

Like Paul wants you to know how dumb that logic is.

Cheap Grace: BonHoeffer

DB was a German Pastor during WWII. Who was eventually arrested for standing against the Nazis in Germany. He loved Jesus and lived everyday as such.

He calls this mindset Paul is addressing Cheap Grace.

“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

and Bonhoffer contrasts cheap grace by telling us about costly grace.

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him. Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

Romans 6:16 “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 here in v16 is telling us that we are slaves of one of two things.

We are either slaves to sin.

or we are slaves to obedience.

The thing which we are a slave to determines our eternity.

You can be a slave to sin. But this just leads to death.

or you can be a slave to obedience.

and Paul tells us that obedience leads to righteousness.

What is obedience? Its doing the things God has commanded. Obeying the commands of God.

Paul builds on this in v 17

Romans 6:17 “17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,”

We cant just chose to obey God on our own.

Paul attributes our abillity to obey to God. It was his act.

Through faith in Jesus, this is the only way that we can become slaves to obedience rather than sin.

God has to change our heart. He has to make us desire obedience.

We dont just change for our own good.

God has to create the desire in us.

This comes at what we would call our moment of salvation.

When we recognize what Jesus has done for us. That we are sinners and that he is the savior. And we give our life to him.

This is when God begins to change us.

God had to change our heart for us to desire Obedience.

Paul says that We were once slaves to sin.

Past tense language.

We are slaves no more!

your free. You have the power to be free of whatever sin has beaten you down over and over again.

In life with Jesus you have freedom from sin.

Does that mean you will never sin again? no. But it means that you can fight against your sin and that your sin wont win.

Romans 6:18 “18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

Paul tells us again that for the believer we have been set free from our sin.

God has set you free.

But now because he has set you free you have a new belonging.

You no longer belong to your sin. But you belong to righteousness.

And the righteousness you belong to is not yours. The righteousness you belong to is Jesus’ righteousness.

I think one of the best scriptural illustrations of this in Zechariah 3:3-5

Zechariah 3:3–5 ESV

3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” 5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.

Joshua is having this vision from God and he is standing before the Lord.

He is wearing these filthy clothes. and the Lord tells Joshua to remove his filthy garments and hes says this “ “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.”

The Lord gives Joshua new clothes.

The picture is Christ taken the unrightousness and filth of Joshua and providing him with his holiness and rightousness.

This is what Jesus does for us.

Romans 6:19 “19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.”

Paul really wants believers to get this.

He’s saying present yourself to righteousness.

Clothe yourself in Jesus righteousness

because in righteousness comes sanctification.

Sanctification is the process of being made holy.

By submitting to Jesus. We are made like Jesus.

Every day we choose to be live how Jesus tells us to live. The more we become like Jesus.

Day 1 of… Tik Toks

every day we live following Jesus and his commands the more we should be like him.

Now in v20-21 Paul is going to take this in a different way to really make the point for us.

Romans 6:20–21 “20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.”

Paul goes to the argument of the world.

20-21 Paul goes to the argument of the world. “HEY LOOK AT ALL MY FREEDOM”

The world says you boring Christians you cant have fun. You cant drink until your blackout drunk like we can. What a sad life.

you cant sleep with whoever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want.

you cant try these pills that make you feel dizzy for a few hours.

But Paul knows. These things arent good. For all the “good” the world thinks they are. the result is just death.

You cant get blackout drunk. and accidently get behind the wheel of a car, crash the car and in the process take innocent lives.

You cant sleep with whoever you want and catch disease after disease. OR make a new life and then in the midst of your emotional trama decide that this life doesnt matter more than your party life culture and kill it for your convienance. Look at my freedom.

Or just the emotional trama of the freedom to give your heart over and over to multiple partners only to have them use you and move on after momentary pleasure.

These things arent good. Any one with any mind focused on the right things can see this. The end of these things is truly death as Paul Says.

Romans 6:22 “22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.”

Paul then tells us what we get for living according to Gods ways.

That being a slave to God, does not bring us to death. Instead it gives us life eternal.

The fruit we receive makes us more like Jesus.

Fruits of the Spirit.

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This is the Gospel

All that we work for on own without God leads to death.

Thats the payment we receive because we are sinners.

But God in his kindness and grace gives us a free gift.

We did not earn this gift. We did not pay for this gift.

He freely gives this gift to us.

this gift is eternal life.

We receive eternal life from Christ Jesus.

the one who paid our wages. The one who took the punishment that God had set forth for our sin.

We get this gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus.

If we make him Lord.

You can ask Jesus to save you from your sins. He is a good savior. But he cannot be your savior unless you also make him your Lord.

to make him your Lord you do as he commands. You obey his words. You submit to his authority in your life.

Application: 1. Be killing sin or sin will be killing you.

2. Live as one who has been set free!

3. Make Jesus the Lord of your life. He will save you. He will free you. He will be with you.