No longer slaves to sin

What do you think of when you think of the word “FREEDOM”?

Maybe think of film brave heart, where as Scotland resist tyranny of English rule, at battle of stirling, William Wallace declares “They may take our lives - but they will never take our freedom!”

Freedom is cry of our cultute. Good and bad. Freedom from injustice, inequality, freedom from rules, freedom of speech and expression. Free to live as I please.

In Romams seeing beauty of gospel - and it’s all about freedom!

We have been freed from penalty and pwoer of sin. Free from death.

Free from bondage to Adam

through faith in Jesus.

What does this freedom look like? How are we to live?

TRUE FREEDOM IS THIS:

WHOLEHEARTEDLY SERVE YOUR SAVIOUR JESUS

Reading: How does Paul talk about freedom?

Romans 6:15–7:5 NIV

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.

How does Paul talk about freedom? By talking about slavery. Word Doulos - idea of service. Paul says freedom as we might think of it doesn’t exist - Autonomy not real. We all serve something

Read v16

A nation cripped under rule of tyranical dictator, under whom poverty, war, death, suffering - but new ruler comes to power, topples old regime, rules with justice, peace, brings wealth and equality. And love. Under new leaders, people flourish. Picture of humanity.

Seen earlier in Romans. Two way to live, either we are bound to Adam or bound to Jesus. By nature born into Adam - inherit his sin. But through faith we are trasnfered into new family. Jesus.

Here, therefore, all serve one of two masters. Sin or Jesus. We are all subject to our hearts allegiance.

“Free will I have often heard of, but I have n ever seen it. I have met with will, and plenty of it, but it has either been led captive by sin or held in the blessed bonds of grace. C.H. Spurgeon

This is the gospel: We were all in bonadage to sin under Adam, but have been set free only through faith in perfect represenative Jesus.

What are we to do with our freedom? Really it’s question of who are we to serve?

Read v17-18

As we place our trust in Jesus, the chains of sin and death are broken and now we are to live under a new Master - but not like tyranny of old - Jesus is one who made us, knows us, loves us and wants what is best for us. True freedom is found in serving our true Master.

Urged to do two things.

SAY NO TO SIN

v15-16

Sin does not sit idle. Question Paul raises exposes faulty theology - that sin is harmless. That because we law is fulfilled in Jesus, it doesn’t matter how we live. How often are we tempted to think that sin in our lives isn’t that bad. Not harming anyone. Doesn’t happen to much.

Maybe see it like hamster in cage in corner of a room, that we feed occassionally i go to for quick bit of entertainment, but makes no difference in our lives.

Paul says no. v16

Slaves to one we obey.

All sin is like a drug in that its addictive.

More we feed it more control it has over us. v19. Used to offer yourselves to impurity - ever increasing wickedness. Sin Spirals. Whether it be habit, anger, lust, greed, or character, self centredness, discontent, bitterness. It won’t just go away, or sit idly.

Read v20.

What does sin do? It ruins everything. Might bring short term buzz, but often leaves us ashamed. It migiht makes us feel better in the moment but breaks our relatiosnship, careers, integrity, trust, marriages, spiritual life, soul. Lose assurance, our passion, our purity and our love.

v21

If we don’t kill sin, it will kill us.

Where do you need to see seriousness of your sin. It’s utter insult before Holy God. It’s deadliness in your life. Where has sin been sitting to comfortably?

SAY NO TO SIN

But see what Paul says. You have been set free from this old master. Sin no longer has power over you, but rather through faith in Jesus, you by power of Spirit indwelling can say no. Because you now serve a infinately greater Master. Sin sucks the life out of us, but this Master gives life.

Read v22-23

Say no to sin - how? Paul give one command in this passage. Did you spot it. v19.

Read v19b

SAY YES TO JESUS

What has shappened in this Roman church. Those who were slaves to sin and death - either through reliance on the law - Jews, or lawlessness like Gentiles, have turned to New Master. v17 come to obey from heart pattern of teaching that has claimed their allegience - what is this - the gospel. Jesus has claimed their allegience, His grace has claimed their allegience. Righteousness has claimed their allegience - Right relationship with God through unity to him.

Maybe not Christian - maybe listening and recognising the cycle of sin in own life. Emptiness. Want to experience rich fulfilling life, joy and peace and change. Turn to Jesus. Only he by his power can give you life you need.

What does Paul urge them to do. Give themselves completely to righteousness. To give ourselves completely over to Jesus, that we might become what we already are in him. Unlike old Master who ruled in tyranny, and gave us no choice, Jesus calls us to willingly serve him, as a response to his goodness and grace. As we realise that only him is life to be found, only under his rule can we experience true freedom. So we are to offer ourselves as slaves to rigtheousness - to submit ourselves completely to the transformign power of the Spirit who is at work to make us Holy - set apart - that is that our lives will be pleasing to him.

Picture two marriages. In first marriage, husband is a brute. He dishonours his wife, shames her, beats her, she lives in fear, and hates her life. She cleans and cooks onyl because she fears consequences if she doesn’t. But then one day her husband dies. and a few years later she meets another, who couldn’t be more different. He loves he, showers her with affection, cares for her, and never asks anything of her. But she now cooks and cleans still - but because she loves to do what pleases him. It delights her to see smile on his face when he eats that meal.

Picture of marriage Paul gives in 7v1

Bound to law were only condemned in our sin. Lived in fear and under tyranny. But as Jesus dies, and we place our faith in him, we died with him, so the bonds to old marriage to Adam are broken, and now we are bound to another, Jesus. Who lives forever, and loves us perfectly, wants what is best for us, having freed us from penalty and power of sin, and by His Spirit longs for us to be free form it’s presnece. Who produces fruit in our lives for God.

This is where true freedom is found. As we say yes to Jesus.

“Man is most free when he is controlled by God alone.” Augustine

How to we experience freedom in the gospel. Practically what does it look like? No to Sin and Yes to Jesus. heart of repentance.

Two dogs illustration

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

True freedom is in serving Christ. We are to starve sin, say no. But don’t stop there.

“Devil makes work of idle hands” danger of thinking Christian life only amounts to say no. But only half picture. Won’t last. Joy is experienced as we serve Jesus. v19. Offer ourselves completely to righteousness. Long to live as Jesus calls us to live as our response to his grace, his loving kindess to us.

Christian life is not self sufficent - im saved, now I must try harder. Nor is it passive, im saved by grace, so I need not do anything.

It’s about saying yes to Jesus.

He is rightful King of all our lives, and a good master, who wants only what is best, and provide all we need. We are called to grace fueled obedience. Let grace reign, we are called to continually look to the beauty of Jesus, his gospel of grace, his loving kindess, his power and majesty and promises, so that we are captivated by him, that we find all that we need in him, and our greatest joy is serving him. That is true freedom.

What is God saying to us today

NO TURNING BACK. You belong to Jesus now.

NO TURNING BACK. SIn has no power over you now

NO TURNING BACK Sin only brings death

NO TURNING BACK Jesus is all we need.

No TURNING BACK: Enjoy ture freedom in serving your Saviour Jesus.