True Freedom - Romans 6:15-7:6

Review

Paul goes into great detail addressing an argument some Jews might raise: If grace abounds where sin increases, isn’t it okay to keep on sinning? Paul responds emphatically—By no means! That kind of thinking is completely misguided. First, it reveals a hardness of heart, and second, it completely misses the purpose of Christ’s death. Yes, no matter how much someone has sinned in the past, they should never think God can’t save them—that’s simply not true. Paul repeatedly emphasizes that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. God’s grace and righteousness lead to justification and life.

As believers, we are called to die to sin when we immerse ourselves in Christ. Baptism is a symbolic act representing this transformation. Being immersed in water symbolizes dying with Christ to our old life, and rising from the water signifies being raised to new life in Him. Baptism is an outward, physical expression of the inward spiritual reality that takes place when we put our faith in Christ. As Paul puts it, when we immerse ourselves into Christ Jesus, we die to sin and no longer live under its power. Our old self is crucified with Him, and we are no longer slaves to sin.

Paul assures us that just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too will share in His resurrection life. This doesn’t mean we won’t physically die, but spiritually, we will live forever with Christ. Sin and death no longer have dominion over us—Jesus Christ is our King. His grace reigns in the lives of believers, and through Him, we have real power to resist sin and pursue holiness. This process isn’t instantaneous, but it happens gradually over time. We must present ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness. This is obedience and we must do this weekly, daily, hourly, by the minute. All the time. In every situation, we have an opportunity to glorify God and to present ourselves as instruments of righteousness. Through this, we become more and more holy. This process isn’t instantaneous, but it happens gradually over time. This is what Scripture calls sanctification—the ongoing work of becoming more like Christ.

Write this word down:

Sanctification - The ongoing process by which believers, having been freed from sin’s reign through Christ, grow in holiness and obedience to God.

Paul then basically repeats the question he asked in verse 1, in Romans 6:15

Romans 6:15 ESV

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

Let’s pray.

You Become What You Practice (Verse 16)

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Practice makes perfect.” While I understand the intent behind it, there’s an important word missing. Practice doesn’t guarantee perfection. The key question we need to ask is, What exactly are we practicing?The phrase isn’t meant to suggest we’ll achieve perfection—after all, perfection is an unrealistic standard. The point behind it is to emphasize the importance of hard work and skill development. But here's the thing: practice doesn’t even guarantee improvement unless we’re practicing the right things.

In fact, the phrase should really be “Perfect practice makes perfect.” Without practicing the right things, perfection can’t happen. The same applies to good or great practice—good practice makes good, and great practice makes great. This is why guidance and knowledge are essential in our practices, ensuring we are moving in the right direction. Ultimately, you become what you practice.

One of my favorite books from last year was Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer. Although I don’t agree with all of his theology, he shares some crucial, practical truths that modern Christianity has lost touch with—truths rooted in the very words of Jesus. Comer talks about the importance of intentional spiritual formation, asking the vital question: Who are you becoming? He writes:

“If we’re not being intentionally formed by Jesus himself, then it’s highly likely we’re being unintentionally formed by someone or something else.”

This is the essence of discipleship—doing what your Master does so you can become like Him. Hopefully, our Master is Jesus. The way to tell is by reflecting on what we are practicing. What you are doing reveals who your true Master is.

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?

Yes, there are many people and things that we can imitate but Paul makes this clear. There are only two options. Your master is either sin, which leads to death, or righteousness, which leads to life. Who is your master? Who are you becoming?

Become Obedient from the Heart (Verse 17-18)

In the first fourteen verses, Paul emphasizes that we have been immersed in Christ. Our baptism symbolizes the death of our old self and our resurrection to walk in newness of life. The word walk is relatable even today. We may stray, stumble, or fall, but the goal remains the same—to keep walking in this new life. Paul echoes this in another letter:

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Yet we all know the reality—we live in a broken world and still struggle with sin. We will not walk perfectly in this newness of life. However, our true master should be evident, because that is what real faith is. There is a sobering reality that some believe they are saved simply because they prayed a prayer, yet Scripture never presents salvation that way. Paul clarifies this beautifully in Romans 6:17:

Romans 6:17–18 ESV

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, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

This is essential. Their freedom did not come from keeping the law, which the Jews took pride in, but through faith in Jesus Christ. Yet notice the connection—obedience from the heart. Paul introduced this idea in the very beginning of the letter in Romans 1:5 where he introduces his role and job is to bring about the obedience of faith.

The beginning of Romans 6:17 tells us give thanks to God, because He alone gets the glory in salvation. But true conversion is inseparable from repentance. Over and over in Scripture, especially in Acts, the call is to repent and believe in the gospel. Repentance is not merely stopping sin but turning toward God in pursuit of Him.

Paul says in Romans 6:17 that we were slaves to sin, but now we are obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching we have committed to. Paul did not start the church in Rome, but they knew his teachings. Whoever first instructed them in The Way (one of the earliest names for Christianity) passed down the apostolic teaching—the very foundation of following Jesus. The early church did not yet have the complete New Testament, but they had the inspired teaching of the apostles, which they learned, lived by, and passed on. One clear example of this is found in Acts:

Acts 2:42 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

This still applies to us today. We have the Word of God, and while pastors expound on Scripture, we are each responsible for knowing what to believe, obey, and become. We have a new master—Jesus.

Romans 6:18 ESV

18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Paul makes this clear on what this looks like and we have our word that I wanted you to note at the very beginning of the message.

The Doctrine of Sanctification (Verses 19)

Romans 6:19 ESV

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 uses the imagery of slavery because it was something they could relate to—many of them were either slaves themselves or lived in a culture where slavery was a common reality. He says he needs to speak in human terms because this spiritual truth is difficult to grasp. I love that Paul does this! He breaks it down in a way that makes sense, not just for his original audience, but for us today.

The idea is simple: you are no longer a slave. So stop obeying your old master. But let’s be real—that’s easier said than done. Even though we’ve been freed from the power of sin, our sinful nature still craves the comfort of the familiar. This was exactly what happened with the Israelites when they were freed from Pharaoh. Instead of rejoicing, they grumbled to Moses and even wished they could go back to Egypt! They were physically free but still had a slave mindset.

Paul doesn’t directly quote Exodus, but he definitely calls them out on the same kind of thinking. They had been really good at sinning before Christ—presenting themselves as slaves to lawlessness, which only led to more lawlessness. So now, the call is clear: present yourself to righteousness, which leads to sanctification. In other words, real faith should lead to real obedience, and real obedience should make you look more like Jesus.

Paul will fully land the plane in Romans 8:29, where he shows how all of this is part of God’s bigger plan:

Romans 8:29 ESV

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Sanctification isn’t just about behavior change—it’s about transformation. God is actively shaping us into the image of Christ, fulfilling His purpose in our lives. This is through obedience but it is tied to faith, it is tied to the heart. You can’t separate them.

True Freedom is Enslavement to Christ (6:20 - 7:6)

So far, we've gone into great detail on the first five verses, breaking down the deep theological truths Paul lays out. But the rest of Romans 6 and the beginning of Romans 7 are much simpler. Paul shifts to analogies and rhetorical questions to drive home his point: True freedom isn’t doing whatever you want—it’s being bound to Christ.

Romans 6:20–23 ESV

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

Let’s put this in human terms, just like Paul does: Look back at what sin has actually done for you. It’s weird how he words it but it is true. You were slaves to sin but free from righteousness. And it’s not saying that you are free in righteouesness but free from it. This means that God is not your owner and you are not a slave of him. Paul then asks them to rflect on this question:

What has sin done for you? What was the result?

Paul’s question is simple but powerful: What fruit were you getting from your sin? The answer? Nothing good.

Think about a season in your life when you were overwhelmed with anxiety, and God wasn’t even on your mind. Did that lead to good fruit?

Think about a time when you were watching or looking at things you knew weren’t right. Did that bring peace, joy, or fulfillment? Or did it leave you empty?

Think about when you were desperate to fit in, doing whatever it took to be accepted. Did that satisfy your soul?

Play Video of Prodigal Son

The prodigal son thought that he would “find himself” by pursuing a life for himself and doing what he wanted to do and it left him empty and almost killed him. It wasn’t til he finally surrendered himself back to his father that he found true freedom.

The fruit of sin is just death. It’s just empty promises and never delivers what you are truly seeking.

Romans 6:23 ESV

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 good news though. The fruit though of sin is death. The fruit of faith in Christ is eternal life.

We then move forward to Chapter 7 and Paul is using an analogy to help the Jews understand what this means.

For time’s sake, I won’t go into much detail, but there is this Old Testament understanding and it mu

Romans 7:1–6 ESV

1 Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. 4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.