Eternal Life
Romans.6:15-23 ESV
Focus: Eternal Life
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, [c] you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Prayer: Father God thank you for this day that we get to experience your grace. Please allow this moment to transform our hearts, minds and souls that will yield spiritual fruit in our lives for your glory. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever Amen!
Slaves to Righteousness
The scripture calls my attention straight to this fact that God loved us so much he sacrificed his only son for the remissions of our sins that we are provided an opportunity to believe in Jesus enabling us to live eternally with God our Father.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Are you living a righteous life? What is a righteous life?
• Week after week I have been stating A person is righteous coram deo, that is, he is in a right relationship with God, when he simply receives the imputed obedience of Christ and the forgiveness of sins through faith. ...
We cannot define righteousness it is only defined by our faith in Jesus
• A human person is not righteous in God's eyes because of his choice or commitment, his good works or his piety, his emotions or intellect. He is righteous because of the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus.
Today our attention should rest on the definition of obedience. That is obedience to God.
“Obedience to God is the most infallible evidence of sincere and supreme love to him.”-Nathanael Emmons
Paul in the text calls the church to live a life of obedience. Obedience to God is the chains that bind us to his righteousness or a lifestyle of right living. Paul asked the same question in verse 1 that he is now asking with a different view in verse 15.
Point 1- We are not free to live sinful lives
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Paul rejects the idea that freedom from the old covenant era of being under the law implies freedom to sin.
God gives us the freedom to choose under grace but as I stated before do not misunderstand or abuse the grace of God
God gives us a license to be free from sin, not free to sin
Shall we continue in sin? Constantly missing the mark of God, allowing a life full of detours, allowing the people, places, and the things in our lives to have and be in control, constantly living outside of God’s will and perfect plan for our lives. So, should I continue? so should you continue? Is it worth being dominated by pride, lust, envy, strife, jealousy, illicit sex, drugs, alcohol, and whatever else that exalts itself against grace and provokes grace to work for you.
Point 2- Obedience is your compass
16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, [c] you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Obedience is your compass. What do you choose to obey? Are you chained to sin or chained to Godly obedience?
Our moral decisions still matter as Christians. Giving in to sin results in you increasingly becoming obedient slaves to sin. A lifestyle of sin and sinful activity eventually leads to death, not implying that genuine believers can lose their salvation but that sinning leads them in that direction, away from full enjoyment of life with Christ.
The Catechist asked this question: What is man's chief end? To glorify God and to enjoy him forever.
It is your obedience that will guide your soul to live eternally with God the Father.
To the individual who is lost today let obedience to God be your compass to live... If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When God free’s you I want you to
Point 3- Celebrate your freedom
Transformation reflects Obedience reflects Freedom reflects Righteousness
17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
True Christians however will never live as slaves to sin for god has transformed their hearts at that moment of salvation so that they will now grow in their love of righteousness and living according to Gods word.
Transformation reflects Obedience reflects Freedom reflects Righteousness
Make a gospel proclamation: I've been transformed, I will live obedient, I will live free, I will live righteous according to Gods word!
19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading
to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
Paul acknowledges that the illustration from slavery is imperfect But it stresses the importance of giving yourself fully to God rather than sin.
It is time to go hard for God. Go hard for right living
Point 4- Obedience to God yields the fruit that leads you to live eternally
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
When readers were unbelievers, they were totally captivated by sin and the result of such sin is death (physical and spiritual death are probably both in view here) Sin always brings destructive results in people's lives.
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
Christians have a new status and a new destiny
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
Those who give themselves to sin will die both physically and eternally and Christians are assured of eternal life.
Wages implies that the punishment for sin is what one has earned and what one deserves, which fits Paul's earlier emphasis on justification by grace alone (Gods unmerited favor, 4:16) through faith alone (trusting in Christ for justification)