Rom 6-Slaves to What

| Slaves to What?! Romans 6:15-23

August 20, 2006 (New Living Translation) 15So since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval. 17Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the new teaching God has given you. 18Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.19I speak this way, using the illustration of slaves and masters, because it is easy to understand. Before, you let yourselves be slaves of impurity and lawlessness. Now you must choose to be slaves of righteousness so that you will become holy.20In those days, when you were slaves of sin, you weren’t concerned with doing what was right. 21And what was the result? It was not good, since now you are ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. PRAY Memory Verse:We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? –Romans 6:2 (NIV)  Intro: Pinocchio Last couple of weeks: Verse 1: “Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness?” The answer: Absolutely not! Why? Because we have died to sin. Therefore we can no longer live in it. Therefore we must intentionally and daily offer ourselves to God for HIS use to replace our propensity to offer ourselves to sin.This morning, once again, Paul raises the question: “Since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning?” The answer, once again: “NOT!”This time, however, he gives a slightly different reason for that conclusion. This time, because of the issue of slavery. Two errors with respect to obedience to God’s commands: Legalism and Licentiousness, or antinomianism.Legalism is any form of defining what a person MUST do in order to be right with God. (expand)Licentiousness is living as though we had a license to sin (explain)Antinomianism is a denial of any standard which God expect us to live up to.One extreme: It doesn’t matter what I do. I am saved by grace alone.The other extreme: Do this and don’t do that or you will not be acceptable to God. We struggle with these two extremes every day. What do we do when we realize that we have sinned… AGAIN!Perhaps we make a resolution to do better next time. We doubt that Christ really loves us because we are so prone to sin. So we determine to be more worthy of His love.OR, we acknowledge our inability to ever live up to His standards in this life so we just give up and “trust Christ” to understand and to forgive us… Somewhere in between these two is where we NEED to be. This is what we call understanding and living by grace. 6 Reasons to choose & to follow Christ as our Master:For all of us:1. Because God’s grace sets us free from guilt and sin.2. Because our alternatives are deceptively destructive (self, etc.)3. Because that leads to righteousness.4. Because the wages of sin is death. Sin kills. For those who have embraced Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior:5. Because to do otherwise would be to allow sin to be our master… again.6. God purchased us from sin, how can we go back? For all of us:1. Because God’s grace sets us free from guilt and sin.(NLT)  15 So since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!The bottom line: It feels MUCH better to do what is right, to have a clear conscience.No regrets…Mental institutions…Goals vs. desiresEven our goals can result in frustration and guilt.The only answer: GRACE – the freedom to be accepted and acceptable even when we do not deserve it 2nd Reason to choose & to follow Christ as our Master:2. Because our alternatives are deceptively destructive v. 16 (NLT) Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.So what are our alternatives to following Christ as Lord?F   OurselvesF   OthersGod purchased us to be “slaves of God” which is true freedom.This raises the question: “Why would I want to leave one enslavement only to enter another?What is true freedom: The freedom to do what is right and good. It is not autonomy, a license to do absolutely anything at all.John 8:31-3631 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone on earth. What do you mean, ‘set free’?”34 Jesus replied, “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.  The reality of life is that we all choose a master.If we choose to be our own master, we will spend eternity with that master and no one else; and even in this life we will begin to experience that isolation and loneliness. To be a slave of Jesus Christ is true freedomIf we choose to be our own master, we will find ourselves enslaved to various other people and pleasures…Drugs and alcoholSexual pleasureWhat others think of usFinancial securityNew thrills, etc. |        | (vv 16-17 The Message)  You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it’s your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you’ve let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you’ve started listening to a new master.

3rd Reason to choose & to follow Christ as our Master:3. Because that leads to righteousness.v. 19 (NLT) Before, you let yourselves be slaves of impurity and lawlessness. Now you must choose to be slaves of righteousness so that you will become holy (righteous).Righteousness is doing that which is right. It is being right – and we all want to be right JDo you want to live a life which is free from regret, free from guilt? Then strive to live life according the God’s standards. And when you fall short, Remember that the battle has already been won. Don’t give up. Press on.Colossians 3:1-3Since you were raised from the dead with Christ, aim at what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Think only about the things in heaven, not the things on earth. 3 Your old sinful self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God. 4th Reason to choose & to follow Christ as our Master:4. Because the wages of sin is death. Sin kills. (vv. 16, 21 & 23)16You are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness.21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!23 The wages of sin is death.Instead of sin being seen as slavery, many of us see it as freedom.This is how Satan markets itGenesis 3:4-5 (NIV) 4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” – You surely shall NOT die!There is no such thing as absolute freedom for anyone.Absolute freedom, at least among sinful people, is anarchy. The only way absolute freedom would work would be if everyone was sinless, in other words were slaves to righteousness, or doing what is right.Giving in to our desires when we know they are wrong, gives those sinful desires power over us.“How can it be wrong when it feels so right?”We worship and serve what we live for.That which we obey becomes our masterThe only real question is “Who or what are you serving?”Our choice – the same as Eve’s…Sin leads to death… here and now, and eternallySpiritual death and physical death (explain) For those who have embraced Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior:5th Reason to choose & to follow Christ as our Master:5. Because to do otherwise would be to allow sin to be our master… again.Like being going through the painful process of detox, and then going back and using again…Like being brutally abused, being freed, and then going back again…Like telling Satan, “PLEASE. Abuse me. Destroy me.” 5th Reason to choose & to follow Christ as our Master:6. God purchased us from sin at great cost to Himself.Christ redeemed us.1 Peter 3:18-19 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. Explain redemption…–– Will we spit upon this awesome price He paid to redeem us? Summary/Review:Two errors with respect to obedience to God’s commands: Legalism and Licentiousness, or antinomianism. Striving to be good enough to be acceptable or casually giving in to whatever we feel like…Somewhere in between these two is where we NEED to be. This is what we call understanding and living by grace.6 Reasons to choose & to follow Christ as our Master:1. Because God’s grace sets us free from guilt and sin.The bottom line: It feels MUCH better to do what is right, to have a clear conscience.2. Because our alternatives are deceptively destructive What are our alternatives to following Christ as Lord?Ourselves or OthersGod purchased us to be “slaves of God” which is true freedom: The freedom to do what is right and good. It is not autonomy, a license to do absolutely anything at all.The reality of life is that we all choose a master.If we choose to be our own master, we will spend eternity with that master and no one else; and even in this life we will begin to experience that isolation and loneliness. To be a slave of Jesus Christ is true freedom3. Because being a slave of Jesus leads to righteousness.Doing that which is right… Being right Once we embrace Jesus Christ, the Bible says we are seated with Christ in heaven. We ARE righteous. It is just a matter of working out what is already a reality in heaven.4. Because the wages of sin is death. Sin kills. And yet, instead of seeing as slavery, many of us believe Satan’s lie and see it as freedom.The only real question is “Who or what are you serving?” Our choice – the same as Eve’s…5. Because to do otherwise would be to allow sin to be our master… again.–– Will we spit upon this awesome price He paid to redeem us? A Truth to Remember: We are already seated with Christ in heaven if we know Him as Savior and Lord. The victory has already been won. We just need to work out what is already there. A Challenge to Consider:Are you willing to consciously and intentionally acknowledge Jesus as Lord, even though that means you are His slave? |