Set Free from Sin

Introduction

Personal introduction

Theme for the weekend—“Set Free”

One of the biggest ministries at our church is our prison ministry. A sad statistic—29% recidivism (re-arrested within 3 years of their release).

Now, look. I’ve visited several prisons and you couldn’t pay me any amount of money to spend EVEN JUST ONE NIGHT!

Romans 6:15–23 ESV

What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 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? 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, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 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. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 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. 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. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

MAIN POINT: In Christ, we are set free from the penalty of sin. In Christ, we are forgiven.

This passage opens with a rhetorical question—What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace?

There’s a struggle in the Christian life—I know I’m saved but I’m still tempted to sin. If I’m saved…does sin really matter in my life?

The answer is, “YES.” It matters. In fact, Paul says, “By no means!” This is a strong, “Heck NO! Absolutely NOT!” If we continue to choose sin over obedience we aren’t making “mistakes.” Sin is not a “mistake.” A mistake is when you mess up unintentionally. Sin is a choice. And, Paul says, it’s a choice to make yourself obedient to sin.

Categories that we put people in—athlete/nerd; There are only two categories of people—those who belong to Christ and those who are separated from Christ. Those who are spiritually dead and those who have been raised to life…WHICH CATEGORY ARE YOU IN?

Apart from Christ…

1. Dead in our sin.

Paul doesn’t say that we are spiritually “sick” or that we’re spiritually “broken” or “messed up” people.

No. He says that you/me—put your name in the blank—apart from Christ are spiritually DEAD. Y’all, DEAD IS DEAD. There is no such that as partially dead or kinda dead.

Romans 6:23 (ESV) For the wages of sin is death…

We aren’t bad behaving people who need to become better behaving people. The bible is clear—we are DEAD people who need to be raised to life. Our behavior isn’t the problem—that’s the symptom. Paul diagnoses the condition, here, and says that your heart is wicked and you are spiritually dead.

“Spiritual death is a total separation or alienation from God, and the spiritually dead are the enemies of God.” We have no life. We have no capacity for righteousness—what God requires.

Ephesians 2:1–2 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—”

Paul makes it clear that sin isn’t just a bad habit—it’s a master that enslaves us. In verse 16, he says, "you are slaves of the one whom you obey." Apart from Christ, we are controlled by sin, and its result is spiritual death.

Illustration: Imagine a prisoner on death row. He isn’t physically dead yet, but his fate is sealed. Apart from Christ, we are spiritually dead, living under the sentence of sin.

2. Doomed by our sin.

Romans 6:21 “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.”

Sin may seem appealing for a moment, but its final outcome is separation from God. In this life, there are consequences for our sin. Sin isn’t harmless. I can remember, as a kid, watching cartoons, and they depicted the devil as this little funny looking figure in a red suit with a pitchfork. It destroys relationships, leads to regret, and ultimately results in eternal death.

Sin always takes you further than you wanted to go, keeps you longer than you wanted to stay, and makes you pay more than you wanted to pay.

There’s been a lot of BAD NEWS so far, hasn’t there? “Gospel” means “good news.” But in order for there to be “good news” there has to, first, be “bad news.” The bad news is that, apart from Christ, we are dead in our sin and doomed by our sin. Surely it can’t get worse can it?

3. Defeated by our sin.

Sin is a cruel master. No matter how hard we try to be “good enough,” we always fall short. We cannot overcome sin by our own effort.

Application: Have you ever felt trapped by sin—whether it’s anger, addiction, pride, or lust? That’s what it means to be enslaved. The good news is that Jesus doesn’t just offer a better way—He offers freedom.

No such thing as a “pet sin.” You’re sin’s pet. You don’t have sin on a leash. It has YOU on a leash.

But, because of our union with Christ, we have…

1. Freedom from the power of sin.

Verse 17 says, "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."

When we come to Christ, we are no longer under sin’s control. Its power over us is broken.

What is “sin’s power?” Sin’s power is is its allurement. Sin’s power is its hold that it has over us.

Illustration: I saw a documentary once on NatGeo about eskimos living in Alaska…WOLVES DRINKING THEIR OWN BLOOD.

Application: Are you living like someone who is free, or are you still acting like a slave? You don’t have to give in to sin anymore!

2. Freedom from the penalty of sin.

Verse 23 gives us the core of the gospel: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God told Adam that “in the day you eat from the tree you will surely die.” Death is the penalty of sin. It isn’t just

Sin earns us death, but Jesus paid the penalty in our place. Because of Him, we are completely forgiven.

Illustration: Imagine being in a courtroom, guilty of a crime, and the judge sentences you to life in prison. But just before they take you away, the son of the judge—who has never committed a crime—steps forward and takes your punishment so you can walk free. That’s what Jesus did on the cross!

3. Freedom to pursue a new purpose.

In Roman society, a person could be enslaved for various different reasons. One reason was if a person owed a debt, they could voluntarily “present themselves” as a slave to the person they owed money to.

In Christ, we are not just saved from sin—we are saved for a purpose. We are now “slaves of righteousness,” meaning our lives belong to God.

Illustration: Imagine an athlete who was once out of shape and unhealthy but then starts training under a world-class coach. Over time, their body, habits, and mindset are transformed. That’s what happens when we follow Christ—He reshapes us to live for His glory.

This is a choice. In Christ, you are free from the power and the penalty of sin.

Story about little girl bought from slavery // JUNETEENTH