FREE TO CHOOSE LIFE

Romans 6:1-23

SIN’S POWER IS BROKEN            6:1-14

Up to this point in his letter, Paul has shown people’s need for salvation, God’s gift of that salvation through the death of his Son, and God’s grace in forgiving the sins of all who accept and receive Him. The focus was on justification. This next section of the letter (6-8) deals with sanctification. The progressive separation of believers from sin and conforming more and more to be like the Lord. Sanctification is a step by step process when the Holy Spirit works in our lives and conforms us into the image of Christ. (8:29). The outline is as follows: Chapter 6explains that believers are free from sin’s control; chapter 7 discusses the continuing struggle believers have with sin; and chapter eight describes how believers can have victory over sin. It is central to understand that when we are saved there is imparted to us a new nature (the spiritual man) and we still have the carnal man (the old nature) to contend with, with its capability to sin. Yet God has promised help and victory in our struggle.

Paul begins this chapter by describing the miraculous power of the gospel; it sets people free from sin’s control. It’s not that Christians don’t or can’t sin anymore, but that they are free to choose between doing wrong and doing right. This freedom brings great responsibility. We must use our God-given opportunity to make right choices, replacing sinful thoughts and actions with righteous ones. Failure to give Him control means remaining enslaved to sin. But the rewards of serving God include great joy and eternal life.

6:1       Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? Perhaps Paul realized that his statement in 5:20, “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more”, would be interpreted by some to suggest that they ought to sin more in order to experience more grace. –Discuss and explain this idea.

6:2       By no means Paul denies this possibility outright. The idea that someone would claim to believe the gospel while planning to continue to sin is preposterous. The point of the gospel was not to find an excuse for sin, but to give freedom from sin.

Died to sin.  It is here that Paul introduces a new concept—we died in relation to sin. Up until this point he has written about the accomplishments of Christ’s death. Here he begins to teach that because Christ died for our sins, those who believe in him actually died to sin. How have we died to sin?

1.      In the legal sense, we died in the sight of God’s judgment.

2.      In the conversion sense, believing in Christ is dying to sin.

3.      In the baptismal sense, that burial implies we have died with Christ.

4.      In the moral sense, sinful desires may be present but they are mortally wounded.

5.      In the resurrection sense, we exchange our sinful life for the resurrected Christ-life.

LIVING IN SIN OR DYING TO SIN

            Discuss this topic: Living in sin describes a life-style of habitual sinful practices. It is a life where sin reigns.

6:3-4    Baptized into Christ Jesus…baptized into his death.

            Discussion of this subject—burial—don’t sprinkle a little dirt on a corpse.

            It is an outward symbol of an inward cleansing.

            Public confession of your faith in Christ. Water speaks of cleansing.

(Eph 4:5 NIV)  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

            HOW TO REVOLT AGAINST THE REIGN OF SIN IN OUR BODIES

Ø  Identify personal weaknesses.

Ø  Recognize temptations

Ø  Confront sinful desires.

Ø  Stay away from known sources of temptation

Ø  Practice self-restraint.

Ø  Consciously invest time in good habits and service.

Ø  Depend on grace.

Ø  Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart!

6:14:    Sin shall not be your master.  Sin cannot and will not ever reign over us and enslave us because we are not under law, but under grace. What does it mean that we are not under the law?

Ø  We are not under the law’s demands, as were the people of the Old Testament.

Ø  We are not under curse implied by the impossible standard of the law

Gal. 3:10  All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."

11  Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."

12  The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them."

13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

14  He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Ø  We are not under its system of requirements, the ceremonial laws that had to be meticulously kept.

Ø  We are not under the fear of failing the just standards of the law.

SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS/ 6:15-23

Paul begins this section in almost the same way as the last one. He wants to make sure there is no misunderstanding of the nature of grace. It is not the chance to do anything we want. (Illus the story of lady who wanted to hire chauffeur. She lived high on a hill and the only road there was along a narrow winding road. The one who was hired said, “I will keep as far as I can away from the cliff.”  Not a daredevil to see how close he could get. )

This is an opportunity to live the way God wants us to live.

6:15     Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? —By no means!

6:16     You are slaves of the one whom you obey.  We are going to serve something or someone. Could we be like Joshua? “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord…”

            He states it another way: “You are a slave to whomever or whatever you commit yourself to obey”.

1)      Friendships

2)      Goals

3)      Employment

4)      Citizenship

5)      Membership

6)      Education

7)      Career

8)      Debt

9)      Marriage

What are the characteristics of obedience?

Ø  Willing loyalty

Ø  Quick responsiveness

Ø  Intuitive understanding

Ø  Readiness to change

Ø  Eagerness to learn

How many of these qualities is part of our relationship to God?

6:17     Used to be slaves to sin.         Can you describe some of the ways you were enslaved to sin? Up close and personal?

6:18     Having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. It is impossible to be neutral. Every person has a master—God or sin.

6:22     The benefit you reap leads to holiness.

6:23     The wages of sin is death. The result of sin is not just physical death—everyone dies physically. This refers to eternal separation from God in hell. R.G. Lee preaches a sermon called "Payday Someday”  “It is appointed unto men to die…” (Heb. 9:26)

The free gift of God is eternal life. But instead of wages, those who believe receive a gracious gift from God—eternal life.