Two Masters, Two Paychecks
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
If you have ever bought a used are then you know what it is like to go through the paper work. You and the other party agree to a deal. You exchange the money, the title is signed and you drive off in the car that you now own. That owner no longer has any say what you do with that car because he no longer owns the car you do.
In life, when a you place your trust in Christ. Christ has bought you and is your new master. Satan and sin no longer is your master because you are no longer a slave to sin but a slave to Christ.
This morning I would like to spend a few minutes talking to you about “Two Masters, and Two Paychecks from Romans 6:15-23.
If you have your Bibles please make your way to Romans 6.
I want to spend just a few moments reminding us where we have come and where we are in the book of Romans.
In Romans chapter 1—Paul informs us that he has not been to this church but longs to go so that they both can be encouraged together in faithfulness. We witness how all of humanity rebels against God only to find out
In Chapter 2 that the rebellion also holds true for the Jewish people because the Law cannot save them.
Then in Chapter 3 Paul defends God’s righteousness while also telling the Roman church that Romans 3:10-12
10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Also he tells them that the works of men and women will never amount to righteousness before God.
In chapter 4 Paul showed us how Abraham’s belief and trust in God justified him not his works.
Then in Chapter 5 we witnessed how all humanity is able to have peace with God through saving faith and trust in Jesus because he is the greater Adam. While Adam sinned and brought death, Jesus died and brought life through his resurrection!
Then in the first part of chapter 6 we saw how we are not to continue to sin because we have died to our sin and been given a new life through Jesus.
This morning, we are going to continue in this line of thought. Paul is going to dive into how even though we are not under the law but under grace we should no longer obey sin because Jesus is our new master.
If you have found your place in Romans 6:15-23 would you say Word as you stand for the honor of the reading of God’s word.
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
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?
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.
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.
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.
PRAY
1. Grace gives you a new master. (6:15-19)
1. Grace gives you a new master. (6:15-19)
Explanation:
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Commentary
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?
Commentary
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,
Commentary
18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
Commentary
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.
Commentary
Illustration
One of my favorite times of the year is the trade deadline in baseball. Those last few hours before the deadline comes is a flurry of news. No matter how long that player has been on the team. When they get the news that they have been traded. They pack up and head to a new city, with a new team, and a new jersey. They are no longer a member of the team they called home the just hours before their trade. They are now a representative and teammate for a whole new team. Their paychecks come in from the new team, the crowd cheering them on is a new group of people. Their orders come from a new coaching staff. Everything about their professional life changes instantly.
Application
When you and I place our faith in Jesus as our savior our whole lives change instantly. Much like that ball player. Our master goes from being our flesh to the Lord. We go from wearing team satan’s jersey to wearing team Jesus’ jersey. We go from serving impurity and lawlessness to serving the Lord through righteous living that leads to sanctification.
Transition
When grace changes your master, it also changes your outcome which brings us to our second truth from our text.
2. Grace gives you a new outcome. (6:20-23)
2. Grace gives you a new outcome. (6:20-23)
Explanation
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
Commentary
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.
Commentary
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.
Commentary
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Commentary
Illustration
In today's world, your identity is everything—your credit score, your digital footprint, your social security number. Imagine being a victim of such catastrophic identity theft that you are "canceled." Your bank accounts are gone, you're on a no-fly list, your credit is destroyed, and you're flagged as a felon in the system. You are functionally erased. You can't get a job, rent an apartment, or even prove who you are. The outcome of this "cancellation" is a kind of social death.
You're at rock bottom when a representative from a powerful, unassailable agency—like a new version of the Witness Protection Program—approaches you. They say, "We know what happened. Your old identity is dead. We are offering you a completely new one. A new name, a clean slate, a new digital footprint, and the full rights of a citizen in good standing. It’s a free gift. All you have to do is accept it and live under it."
In an instant, you go from being a doomed to a new person. Your terrible past is no longer attached to you. Your outcome has been radically changed. Our old identity in sin is canceled, and its outcome is death. But God’s free gift is a new identity "in Christ Jesus our Lord," which comes with a clean record and a brand-new future called eternal life.
Application
Don’t miss this, your life is transformed the moment you trust in Christ. the old consequences of sin are erased and you are given life! But it requires you to trust in Christ completely!
Have you trusted in Christ completely?
If you have, then are you presenting yourself to others as your old self who has no hope, no future other than death? Or are you presenting and living your life under your new identity in Christ?
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
God’s grace gives us a new master and gives us a new destination.
Closing illustration
Train tracks and trains are incredibly interesting to me. A small shift in the rail system allows for the train to smoothly and safely change directions. Those switchers are incredibly important to keep trains safe. When you place your faith in Jesus, God’s grace shifts your life direction from a track that leads to a blown out bridge to the safety of God’s salvation.
Have you placed your faith in Christ alone for salvation?
