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15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6.15-23).[1] Memory Verse: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6.23). Romans 6 is a fascinating chapter; Paul has just moved us through chapter five discussing God’s righteousness and justification. Explaining why He sent His Son to die, so He could demonstrate His amazing love to the entire world *Romans 5.5-8; John 3.16; I John 4.9-11), and that we might have eternal life (Romans 5.8, 6.23; John 3.36, 6.40-47, 10.28, 17.1-3; Titus 1.2, 3.7; I John 11-13, 20). Paul now shifts from the “universal depravity and guilt of man, and the free salvation through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,”[2] to showing how believers should walk in holiness before God. This in not something we can do on our own, but is given to us by the righteousness of God, therefore, demands a life of obedience to His Word as we live in the power of His Holy Spirit (emphasis added).[3] We have all been bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. God’s amazing gift to the world given to us in a manger so many years ago (Luke 2). As Christ walked this earth He taught, healed the sick, and performed many miracles; but the greatest act of compassion Christ had for the world was His sacrifice at Golgotha. When He cried, “It is finished” (John 19.30), He was not giving up, but was saying, I have paid the final sacrifice for all humanity, this is the last time anyone will ever have to come before God with blood to say, “Please forgive my sins.” He was crucified, shed His blood, split the veil in two so, we could enter into the very presence of God Almighty. But He did not stop there, He was buried, and rose again, defeating death and the grave, becoming the first born of the dead giving us victory over death and eternal life in Christ (I Corinthians 15.54-57; Hebrews 2.9, 14-15; I Peter 3.18; Revelation 1.17-18, 2.10-11). So, everyone of us must ask ourselves an important question, “Can we continue to live in sin so, God’s grace can be applied to our lives even more?” Let’s think about this, if God’s grace allowed Him to send His One and Only Son to die for us, what else would He be willing to do to draw us closer to Himself? This is the way some people think, not just today, but even during Paul’s day. This is why he writes, “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6.1-2, CSB).[4] Paul wants us to consider our position now in Christ, how can we ever go back and live in our filth when we have been washed clean by the blood of the Master? John MacArthur writes in his commentary on Romans; “In his letter to the Galatian churches Paul gives a brief and beautiful summary of the divine principle that makes transformed life and transformed living possible:”[5] “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians. 2:20, ESV).[6] What Pastor MacArthur and Paul are both illustrating is how we have died with Christ on the cross, not physically but symbolically, this is what baptism represents to the world. It shows them how we have died to self, allowing our old life to be crucified with Christ and buried with Him and when we come out of the water, we are representing our resurrection into a new life found in Jesus Christ our Savior. Jesus being the First Born of the resurrection, He has made it possible for us to have eternal life and as Paul says, “the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and died for me.” In the coming days we will see why it is important for us to recognize God’s grace given to us, why we should not waste it, and why we can no longer live in our former sinful life style. People will always try to bring us back there, Satan will try and drag us back there, but we must remember why Christ died on the cross and what it means to have a new life in Christ Jesus, FREEDOM! Application
Prayer “GREAT God! how infinite art Thou! What worthless worms are we! Let the whole race of creatures bow, And pay their praise to Thee. Thy throne eternal ages stood, Ere seas or stars were made; Thou art the Ever-living God, Were all the nations dead.”[7] Lord, You are the Only One Who should be in-control of my life, Lord I need You to reign Supreme in me. Help me to die to self and allow You to be the One Who lives in me. All me to live by faith and let Your light shine through me so others can see You in all I do and say. Thank You Lord for Your Salvation, give me wisdom as I share Your gospel today, all this I pray in Your Son Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen. [1] The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 6:15–23). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. [2] Haldane, R. (1858). Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans; With Remarks on the Commentaries of Dr. MacKnight, Professor Moses Stuart, and Professor Tholuck (pp. 240–241). New York: Robert Carter & Brothers. [3] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1991). Romans (Vol. 1, pp. 312–313). Chicago: Moody Press. [4] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 6:1–2). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers. [5] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1991). Romans (Vol. 1, pp. 312–313). Chicago: Moody Press. [6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ga 2:20). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [7] Spurgeon, C. H. (1883). Our Own Hymn Book: A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Public, Social and Private Worship. London: Passmore & Alabaster. You Can Download This Blog Here - November 1 - Rom. 6.15-23
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