What does it mean to be a Christian?

Acts 17:31 -- For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.“ Warns and encourages us concerning the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. We have been ushered into a bold era of grace and of judgment.

It means that Jesus is our eternal Lord. It means we must be obedient to Him in all things. How are we doing? Do we really understand our relationship to Christ and to the world? Let’s examine together Romans 6:16-23

People believe today they can pick and choose their religious preference like they pick and choose menu items in a restaurant. What type of religious experience suits you best? Is this “cafeteria” style religious freedom defended by the Bible?

Psalm 1 The BLESSED man does NOT participate in wicked deeds. Does not walk in counsel of the wicked Does not stand in the road with sinners Does not sit in the seat of mockers Live righteous or die wicked – luxurious tree? Or wind-blown chaff?

13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Two ways: Narrow and righteous or broad and wicked.

Romans 6:16 -- Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you 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? Only two ways to live – slave to sin or slave to righteousness.

Romans 6: But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness….Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

Slaves to sin are dead slaves. Sin always kills. Slaves to righteousness are alive – leading to increasing holiness. Slaves to obedience are “wholehearted” in response to the doctrine they have received. They were freed from death to be enslaved to life and they offer themselves in slavery.

Romans 6: 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 to 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[b] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Sure – sin offers freedom from righteousness. But, at what cost? Christians ought to be completely ashamed of sin. It stinks of death! Righteousness demands that we be slaves to God. God does not share His slaves with Satan. Slavery to God results in holiness and eternal life. The wages of sin is death. The gift of God is eternal life. What do you want? Wages? Or gift?

Do we fully understand Christian commitment? Does it resemble slavery? Or more like “loose affiliation”? If someone accused you of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?