Slaves of Righteousness

Romans 6:12–18 NASB95

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Romans 6:12 NASB95

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

This is a battle for the mind:

We cannot be complacent, sins rule must be crushed daily.

Romans 6:13 NASB95

13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Our battle with sin is physical as well as intellectual and spiritual

We use our bodies as a means of relating to God, to the world, and to other people.

Our bodies can either be “weapons for unrighteousness” or a means of serving and pleasing God.

To consciously place ourselves at the disposal of sin would be “to participate willingly in the war against God and to deny the redemption experienced in Christ.

Romans 6:14–15 NASB95

14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!

Daily we must choose who we will serve.

Jesus tells us in Matt 6:24 that one cannot serve to masters.

(Strep Throat-Stopped Rx-Rheumatic Fever-Attacking Heart)

If we stop fighting sin and allow it to have reign we become enslaved worse than before we got saved.

Romans 6:16 NASB95

16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

Habitually, “If you offer yourselves to someone as an obedient slave, you are a slave of that one you obey

When God’s righteousness takes us captive, we are freed from the power of sin and it’s cures of death

Sanctification is the outcome of total obedience to God.

Romans 6:17–18 NASB95

17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Commentary) In the Gk. “form” is a word for a mold such as a craftsman would use to cast molten metal.

Paul’s point is that God pours His new children into the mold of divine truth.

New believers have an innate and compelling desire to know and obey God’s Word

In the early church, new followers of Christ were committed to certain defined standards of teaching and conduct, based on the principles and instructions given by Jesus and his apostles.

Scriptural Sanctification requires obedience to godly standards, yet it is not forced upon the believer.

It is a willing expression of love and gratitude to Christ

Take Home?

Are you trying to serve to masters?