Who Is Your Master
Notes
Transcript
As Americans, we make much to do about the idea of Freedom. But, do we ever actually have freedom or do we always serve someone? As taxpayers, are we not slaves to the government? If we have debt, doesn’t the Bible teach that we are slaves to our lenders? What about our bosses at work, the Bible refers to them as our masters? Many men and women feel like they are slaves to their families. They work nonstop to provide and care for children, or others that are under their roof. So, are we actually free?
We have illusions of freedom because of the Declaration of Freedom, The Constitution, and our Rights. However, when we stop and think about it, we still serve others. If we are not careful, this realization can drag us down into despair. Why? Because there is something within us that longs for freedom. There is a longing for liberty that never seems to be quenched. This longing is why we rebel, because we do not want to serve others.
What would you think if I told you that true liberty was not found in the absence of service but rather in servitude to the correct master? This seems counter intuitive to our American way of thinking. It certainly goes against our rebellious nature. Yet, as we will see, Christians are called to servitude and in that we find liberty.
Turn in your Bibles to Romans 6
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We will always serve someone or something. We make ourselves servants, or slaves, to whatever we dedicate ourselves to. Paul wrote in verse 16, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey…?” In this verse, Paul says that we will be servants to something and that we have a choice in who our master is.
I am going to shift from the word servant because that is not actually what the word means. When we read the word servant in this text it is the Greek word “doulos”. This word means slave. So, what Paul was literally saying is “know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves slave to obey, his slaves ye are to whom ye obey…?” This is not just a “boss-employee” relationship, a slave is owned by his master.
This image in this text is this, all humanity was for sale in the slave market of sin. Our owner was Satan. He had no intentions of selling us. The price was too high. He had purchased us with sin and death. The only price that could meet that was righteousness and death. Just as humanity thought that there was no hope, Jesus came and paid the price. He did not just buy one slave, or a few slaves, he paid the price for every slave. All they had to do was follow him. Some do, but others stay behind with their old master. Of those that go with Jesus, he cleans them up, gives them new clothes, and gives them a new purpose and new work. They are also given something they have never experienced before, freedom. However, some use this freedom to run away and return to their old master. They do not belong to him, but they return to his fields doing his work.
With this idea of slaves in mind, let us consider what Paul is telling us.
I. No longer slaves to Sin
(Romans 6:7)
Sin purchases us for cheap and costs us everything
1. Sin cost us our relationship with God
2. Sin cost us our relationship with peace
3. Sin cost us our relationship with each other
4. Sin cost us our dominion over the earth
5. Sin cost us our rest
Since we are no longer slaves to sin, we should not serve sin!
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
II. No longer slaves to Death
(Romans 6:9)
1. Death was the consequence of of sin
2. Death takes our family
3. Death takes our pets
4. Death takes our crops
5. Death takes our lives
6. Death takes us away from God
Since we are no longer slaves to death, we should not live in fear of death
III. No longer slaves to the Law
(Romans 6:14)
This does not mean that the law is evil! (Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.)
1. The law does not make us righteous.
2. The law does not get us to Heaven.
3. The law does not bring us closer to God.
4. The law does reveal to us that we are sinners guilty and deserving of death
5. The law does reveal God’s perfect standard and how far we have fallen short.
If we are not slaves to the law, then we should not serve the law.
So, if we are not to be slaves to these, who or what are we to be slaves to?
IV. We are slaves to righteousness
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
Whereas when we were slaves to sin, we were incapable of doing works of righteousness, in Christ we are able.
Since we are able to do work that honors God, we should, since he is our creator, savior, and Father
V. We are slaves to Christ
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Corinthians 7:23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
As we said before, the word translated servant actually means slave. This is why Paul, James, Peter, John, and Jude, all called themselves the slaves of Jesus.
True freedom is found in servitude to Jesus Christ.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1. Through service to Jesus we are free to live life as God intended
2. Through service to Jesus we are free to have a relationship with God
3. Through service to Jesus we are free from sin’s curse
4. Through service to Jesus we are free from being identified by our sins
5. Through service to Jesus we are free from death’s grip
6. Through service to Jesus we are free to reconciliation
7. Through service to Jesus we are free to experience Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification.
I am not saying that serving Jesus does not come at a cost. There are things that we have to leave behind, but they are things that held us in bondage before.
Conclusion:
This is not a salvation message. Yes, there are those who might be saved by hearing what Christ is offering, but Paul was not writing to lost people here. Paul was telling Christians to live like they are saved. He is telling them to stop serving sin and serve the Lord. He is reminding us that when we sin, we are making sin our master again. However, if we are saved, we do not belong to sin. We belong to Jesus and should therefore serve him. Who are we serving today?
