Freed to Serve

Romans (Slaves to Righteousness / 6:15)

THE MASTERIf we’re no longer under the law but under grace, are we now free to sin and disregard the Ten Commandments? Paul says, “By no means!” When we were under the law, sin was our master, for the law could not help us overcome sin. But now that we are bound to Christ, he is our Master, and he gives us power to do good rather than evil.

Romans (Slaves to Righteousness / 6:15-23)

Romans (Slaves to Righteousness / 6:16)

“You are a slave to whomever or whatever you commit yourself to obey.” This means that friendships, goals, employment, citizenship, membership, education, career, debt, and marriage all include aspects of slavery. We should choose our slavery wisely

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF OBEDIENCE?• Willing loyalty• Quick responsiveness• Intuitive understanding• Readiness to change• Eagerness to learnHow many of these qualities are part of our relationship with God

Romans (Slaves to Righteousness / 6:17)

CHANGE OF HEART

We were wholehearted sinners, even if only in our desires. Now we are to be wholehearted servers, but doing so requires grace, repentance, forgiveness, the Lordship of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, restraint of our desires, and disciplined effort.

Free From Sin

The New Pilgrim Bible (Romans 6:18)

Free from SinThe Christian is not free from the presence of sin, for as long as we live on earth the old sinful nature is still within each of us, showing itself whenever the believer ceases for one moment to yield his will to Christ. The believer is free, however, from the bondage to sin, free to do God’s will.The Christian can know what it is to walk in habitual victory over sin by:1. realizing and counting on the fact that what God says is true (Romans 6:11); and2. yielding to Him constantly by giving his or her hands, feet, eyes, ears, mind, voice, and everything else as tools for His use.

Romans (Slaves to Righteousness / 6:19)

Holiness (hagiasmos), frequently translated “sanctification,” refers to the progressive goal of salvation, our growth into persons who exhibit more and more of the character of Christ in the way we live.

Romans (Slaves to Righteousness / 6:20)

We must love God, before we can be holy at all; this being the root of all holiness. Now we cannot love God, till we know he loves us.—John Wesley

Romans (Slaves to Righteousness / 6:21)

What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? It is possible to read this verse in Greek more than one way. It depends on how the phrases are punctuated. The question is, When Paul referred to his readers’ present shame, did he have in mind (1) shame over their past slavery to sin, (2) shame over the consequences (benefit or “fruit”) of their past slavery to sin, or (3) both?The choices appear in different translations. For example:1. NIV reads, “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?”2. NEB reads, “And what was the gain? Nothing but what now makes you ashamed.”3. TJB reads, “And what did you get from this? Nothing but experiences that now make you blush.”4. NRSV reads, “So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed?”

Romans Slaves to Righteousness / 6:15-23

Conditions

Evidences

Results

Slaves to sin/Free from righteousness

Fruit toward shame

Death

Free from sin/Slaves to God

Romans (Slaves to Righteousness / 6:23)

Romans Slaves to Righteousness / 6:15-23

The free gift of God is eternal life. But instead of wages, those who believe receive a gracious gift from God—eternal life. Eternal life does not mean endless life on earth, but resurrection from death to eternal glory with God. Because eternal life is a gift, we cannot earn or purchase it. It would be foolish for someone to offer to pay for a gift given out of love. To be a gift, it must be given and received freely. A more appropriate response to a loved one who offers a gift is grateful acceptance. Our salvation is a gift of God, not something of our own doing (Ephesians 2:8–9). He saved us because of his mercy, not because of any righteous acts on our part (Titus 3:5). How much more we should accept with thanksgiving the gift that God has freely given to us

THE CHOICEYou are free to choose between two masters, but you are not free to adjust the consequences of your choice. Each of the two masters pays with his own kind of currency. The currency of sin is death. That is all you can expect or hope for in life without God. Christ’s currency is eternal life—new life with God that begins on earth and continues forever with God. What choice have you made?