Every Christian: A Slave to Righteousness Romans 6:15-23 Romans Series #19 5/18/2014 AM

Remember what we have in Christ! R. 6:1-14 Why is it difficult to comprehend that we are free from sin’s bondage? We may not have heard that there is such a change Satan – the enemy of our soul – doesn’t want us to believe it Our new birth is not experiential – (physically observable) Our daily battles with sin seem to contradict this truth. A New Life (6:1-4) A Noble Liberation (6:5-7) A Never-ending Link (6:8-11) A Natural Lesson (6:12-14) This Truth is Very Practical We can have confidence in the midst of temptation - I Cor. 10:13* We can have confidence that we cannot sin our way out of God’s grace John 10:27-29 We can have confidence in the face of death – alive unto Christ John11:25-26 We can have confidence in times of trouble and disaster – Romans 8:28 It is obvious that sin can reign, but it does not HAVE TO reign. For sin to have power over the child of God it must first pass through the doorway of his will. God’s will can be active in our lives only as our wills are submissive to His. Phil 2:12,13. The natural lesson – bodies are tools!*

As we continue discussing sanctification today… We are reminded of our past enslavement to sin and our new enslavement to righteousness through our trust in Jesus Christ. Live in total subjection to Christ and His righteousness, and do not fall back into our former sins that have no more claim over us. We died to sin in Christ and are risen to a life of righteousness. We have a new relationship to God and to sin. We are able now to not live sinfully - - - and able now to live righteously.

Romans 6:15-23 UNIQUENESS19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 20 ¶ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. WILLINGNESS15 ¶ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, SINGLENESS18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Willingness And Slavery (6:13-17) Shall we… You yield… You obey… You have obeyed… The Fact of Our Willingness But God be thanked… Unto which you were delivered (passive) The Father of Our Willingness Doctrine or teaching That imprint, mark, or form of teaching God’s Word The Foundation of Our Willingness

Singleness And Slavery (6:18) Being then made… You became… Look back to v. 17 God be thanked! The Enablement Made free! From sin! That’s where I used to live! The Emancipation I serve a new master. Matt. 6:24 I have a new title No longer sin, but righteousness! The Exchange

Uniqueness And Slavery (Fruit) (6:19-23) Verses 19-21 The Blight The Blighted Fruit The Catastrophe Verse 22 The Blessing The Blessed Fruit The Capability Verse 23 The Blow The Contrasted Fruit The Clarity

When it comes to our salvation, there are several things that God will not do! He cannot forgive sin without the penalty being paid. The penalty is death. Christ paid that fearsome penalty. He cannot and will not force His gift upon anyone. We must choose to accept or reject His gift. He cannot and will not force us to love Him or accept His love. His love is genuine, and our love in return is genuine – not fake. This makes a real transaction. I John 4:19

Our desire and goal Every Christian: A Slave to Righteousness Once we were “not able not to sin.” Then we trusted Christ and we are “able not to sin.” That is we can say “no” to sin. Someday when we are raptured and have our new bodies we will be “not able to sin.”