Slaves of Righteousness

July 13, 2003                                                                                                                                     Northwest Bible Church

Worship Service                                                                                                                               Alan Conner

Romans 6:15-23

Slaves of Righteousness

 

INTRO

Paul has been dealing with the objection that IF salvation is by faith alone apart from works, which is also a salvation by grace which is able to superabound over all our sins, then it opens the door for us to live in sin and still be saved.  Chapter 6 gives the answer to this objection in two sections: we cannot live in sin because of:

1) our union with Christ (1-14) –

a) KNOWLEDGE

b) FAITH

c) PRESENTATION

2) because of our enslavement to God (15-23).

 

 

I.  OBJECTION #2 (15) -

 

A.  Based on an inference from v. 14.

 

B.  This objection differs slightly from v. 1.

v. 1 -  Question arises from grace vs. sin (cf. 5:20).

v. 15 -  Question arises from grace vs. law.

 

C.  Paul’s answer:  “May it never be!”

 

 

 

II.  PRINCIPLE: SLAVES OBEY THEIR MASTER (16).

 

A.  Change of metaphors from military (Rom. 6:13) to slavery.

 

B.  Principle: We are a slave to what we obey,   Jn. 8:34.

 

 

 

III.  THE BELIEVER’S BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE (17-23).

 

A. TWO MASTERS (17-22).

 

1)  BEFORE: Formerly we were slaves of sin (17, 19, 20).

2)  NOW: but now we have been freed from sin and enslaved to righteousness (17-8), and enslaved to God (22).

 

a) Freed from sin – the controlling and dominating power of sin but not its lingering influence.  Jn. 8:32, 36.

 

b) Heart obedience to “that form of teaching to which we were committed.

 

c) “Thanks be to God” – Why thank God for the obedience of our heart to the gospel?  Because God had to first open our heart (Lydia, Acts 16:14), change our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh (Ezek, 36), before our stubborn and dead stony heart would ever obey the gospel.  Truly God should be praise for His sovereign grace.

 

B.  TWO LIFESTYLES (19-20).

 

1) BEFORE:  When slaves of sin, we used to present our members as slaves to impurity (inward) and to lawlessness (outward).

 

2) NOW:   As slaves of righteousness, we are to present our members as slaves to righteousness.

 

 

 

C.  TWO CONSEQUENCES (19-23).

 

1) BEFORE:  When slaves to unrighteousness, the fruit was,

a) more lawlessness (19).

b) ultimately death (16, 21, 23).   Eternal death is in view.

 

 

2) NOW:  As slaves to God and righteousness, the fruit is,

a) sanctification now (19b, 22).

b) ultimately eternal life (22, 23).

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

1) Because we are under grace, we cannot continue to live under sin as our master.

 

 

2) Thus, our only response in light of this is to present ourselves as slaves to God and righteousness, resulting in sanctification and the outcome, eternal life (19, 22).

 

 

3) Be a willing slave.

 

 

4) The high-calling of a slave.

 

 

5) Summary of chapter 6.  SO, DOES A CHRISTIAN WHO IS SAVED BY GRACE AND NO LONGER CONDEMNED BY THE LAW HAVE A LICENSE TO SIN?  MAY IT NEVER BE, FOR BELIEVERS ARE UNITED TO CHRIST IN HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION AND HAVE THUS DIED TO SIN AND ARE ALIVE TO GOD, AND THEY ARE ALSO NO LONGER SLAVES TO SIN BUT SLAVES TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.