According to the Bible, Satan cannot force a person to do anything and God will not force a person to do anything. The title of the message is “To Whom Are You Yielding?” I am going to paint a image of “yielding” that we know and understand, but it is not the yielding that’s described in the Bible.
Most of the time when we hear the word “yielding,” we know it means that a person has stopped in order to give the other person the right of way. The person yielding is willingly giving up his right to proceed.
We’re going to see from scripture, ladies and gentlemen, that when the Bible talks about yielding, it’s talking about something completely different.
So turn with me to Romans 5. We’re going to read a lot of scripture this morning, but it’s necessary to get the context. I’m not going to dwell on the verses but I may make a comment here and there. Romans 6 is really our focus. But we’re going to begin in Romans 5, verse 12.
(12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, [Who was that one man? Adam.] and death by sin; [What does this tell us? Before Adam sinned, death did not exist. So, how can dinosaurs die before Adam? If you believe the Bible, the reality of death did not exist before Adam.] and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: [How did all men sin? All men sinned simply by being born. All men are born with a fallen sin nature.]
(13) (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
(14) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. [Who is the figure to come? Jesus.That’s why He is called the last Adam.]
(15) But not as the offence, [What was the offence? Adam’s transgression.] so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be made dead, [Dead in terms of having a sin nature and not going to heaven.] much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
(16) And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
(17) For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; [What death? The spiritual death of the sin nature as a result of Adam’s transgression.] much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) [Why? They are born again and now have a life that was birthed from heaven.]
(18) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
(19) For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
(20) Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
(21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Verse 1, chapter 6.
(1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Are we not hearing this today? The question Paul is asking: Does more sin open the door to more grace? Are we not hearing from the pulpits a person doesn’t have to repent of their sins? Are we not hearing that grace covers our sins, past, present and future?
Can you say “lie from the pit of hell?” That is exactly what that is because if you don’t have to repent, 1 John 1:9 means nothing. It means absolutely nothing.
Paul asks the question as if to say “Are you serious?” Is that what you believe? The first two words of verse 2: GOD FORBID.
(2) God forbid. [You are nuts! To me, that’s what Paul is saying.] How shall we [those who are born again with a sinless spirit], that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
If we are dead to sin, how can we commit sin? Do you see this? How many of you have family members who have died? How many of you have talked to them recently? Called them on the telephone? Sent them an Instant Message on Facebook? Sent them an email or a text?
You haven’t. Why? They are dead. They cease to exist. When a person dies, he no longer lives in the place where he used to live. When we were born again and the sin nature was removed, the sin nature ceased to exist in us. Spiritually, we no longer live in sin. That’s why we are dead to sin.
We need to understand this because the question I’m ultimately going to answer is “Bro. Barry, if I am dead to sin, then why do I still commit sin?” I will tell you the answer now and show you from scripture in a few moments. You sin because you choose to sin.
Before you were born again, you didn’t have a choice. Listen to me: you followed your nature. That sin nature wanted to sin. That sin nature enjoyed sinning. But once you were born again, you were given a choice. You have a choice and that is what God wanted for us. When we have a choice not to sin and we don’t sin, we are demonstrating our love for God.
When a person dies, he ceases to function. He no longer exists except in our minds. And that is very important to remember ladies and gentlemen. If the dead no longer exist, except in our minds, and we are dead to sin and we have a new nature, why do we sin? Our minds are not born again. Our minds are not changed by the new birth. That’s why the Bible says we have to renew it, Are you following me?
When we receive our new nature, our old nature dies. However, until we begin renewing our minds to the things of our new nature, our minds will think like it did when we had the old dead nature. Our minds will continue to think the way it has always thought, We have to purposefully make our minds agree with the Bible and with our new nature – with who we have become as a result of our new birth.
(3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Paul says “Know ye not.” This is what he’s saying: “You should know this! When we got baptized into Jesus we were baptized into his death and you should know this. This should not be new revelation to you.”
(4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
What is this newness of life? It’s that born again nature that we receive from Jesus. It’s a life that is new to us and we must learn how to walk in it. Do you see the word “should?” What does it communicate? We have a choice. We can choose to walk in the our new life or we can choose not to walk in our new life.
(5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, [and we have] we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
You see those words that look different, “in the likeness” and “his?” If you are not reading from the King James, then I’m sure what you are seeing. The reason these words look different is because the translators added them thinking they were making the passage clearer. But here, they made the verse say something it didn’t say.
If you remove those words, the verse says we were not raised in the likeness of Jesus’ resurrection. The verse says we were actually raised with Jesus. We are not a “likeness” of Jesus. We are “exactly like” the Jesus that lived here on earth.
Ephesians 2:6 says we were raised together with Jesus. From God’s perspective, when Jesus was raised from the dead, He saw each one of us was raised with Him – 2000 years ago!
(6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
The “body of sin” that was destroyed is that old sin nature that we were born with. It no longer exists. The sin nature is no longer or master.
Do you see the word “destroyed?” It’s the word “annulled.” What happens when you annual something? You treat it as if it never happened. An example would be the annulling of a marriage. When a marriage is annulled, there is no record of it having took place. When we receive our new nature, it’s as if the old sin nature never existed.
The verse says because we have a new nature, we “should not serve sin.” That word “serve” in the Greek is doulos and it means slave. It’s not talking about the type of slavery that existed in our country. No. This person is a slave by choice because she loves her master.
The Bible is saying that before we were born again, we were slaves to the sin nature. The sin nature called the shots. The sin nature dictated our lives. We loved our master. That’s what the Bible is saying.
But now that we’re born again, now that we have the life and nature of God, we are now supposed to be His slaves. Now understand me: we are God’s sons and daughters, but we still have to choose to serve Him.
(7) For he that is dead is freed from sin.
You are free from that old sin nature and the things it loved to do. The old sin nature loved to steal. The old sin nature loved adultery. That old sin nature loved to lie. That is no longer you, ladies and gentlemen.
(8) Now if we be dead with Christ, [Don’t read this as if it’s possible that we are not dead with Christ. We are!] we believe that we shall also live with him:
(9) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Death at one point had dominion over Jesus. How? He allowed Himself to become sin for us. How many of you know that Jesus could have said no to God? He could have changed his mind and said “I am not doing this. I am not going to hang on the cross and die for these people. Have you seen how these Jews treat me Father? And you want me to die for these people?” But Jesus said “not my will but your will be done Father.” Jesus was His Father’s slave, by choice.
(10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
That word “reckon” means “to accept as fact.” I prefer to say “to accept as truth” because that is exactly what it is. Ladies and gentlemen, when the Bible talks about who we have become as a result of being born again, it’s talking about truth not fact. Facts can be disputed. Truth cannot. Oh, can I get a witness up in here!
We need to accept as truth that we have been reckoned dead. We must accept as truth that when it comes to sin and our old way of life, we are corpses. We don’t respond to sin and all of its temptations.
(12) Let not sin [I’m going to stop here for a moment. The Bible is telling us ladies and gentlemen, we can choose to let sin into or lives or we can choose not to let sin into our lives. A person who has a sin nature can’t make this decision. The choice was made for him. The Bible says “Let not sin…”] therefore reign in your mortal body, [Do you see what Paul is saying? He doesn’t say “Don’t let sin reign in your spirit.” He says “Don’t let it reign in your body.” Why would he say that? The body did not get born again. Paul says in another place we have to mortify the deeds of the flesh (body). In other words, we have to put to death the desires of our bodies.]
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
(13) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
(Visual) Bro. Lee is going to be the sin of stealing. I am standing at a distance from him and I’m saying to myself, “I know that I don’t have to sin. I know that there is nothing in me that wants to sin.” But I see stealing over there waving at me to come closer. I really could use the money that I know is in that person’s desk”.
Stealing continues wave at me, so I begin to walk toward it. And I look at the sin of stealing and say “Okay, I am going to steal the money in the person’s desk.”
When the Bible says we are not to yield, it’s saying we are not to, now listen to me, we are not to PRESENT ourselves as BEING AVAILABLE to commit sin. We don’t present ourselves available to commit sin! That’s what yielding means. In this example, I have presented myself to the sin of stealing and said with open arms, “Here I am. What do you want me to do?” (End of Visual)
How do we not present ourselves as being available to sin? We shut it down in the thought stage. And, and, we don’t put ourselves in a situation or environment where there is a temptation to sin.
Let me give you an example. You see a beautiful woman and she sees you. Adultery is written all over the situation so you go introduce yourself to her. You present yourself to her as being available to commit the sin of adultery. The whole time you are walking toward her you could turn back. But you choose to make yourself available. Are you following me?
God says “You don’t make yourself available to sin!” It’s almost like saying “I’m going to go to this bar and just listen to the music and eat the free popcorn. I’m not going to drink at all.” You are presenting yourself – making yourself – available to sin and all of its influences. And some of you may not drink. You may only eat the free popcorn. But if you keep going back to that bar, if you keep presenting yourself as being available to drink, eventually you are going to drink. Write it down. Take it to the bank.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Bible says that when we yield, we are purposefully making ourselves available to sin. We are doing it with our eyes wide open.
The same is true when we yield, when we present ourselves as being available to God. We are doing it on purpose with our eyes wide open!
Satan cannot force your will and God will not force your will. We have to yield to God because we can choose to override our new nature and act like we still have that old sin nature.
(14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
When will sin not have dominion in our lives? When we are yielded to God through our new nature.
(15) What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Grace is not a “get out of sin free” card. No! Grace is what empowers you not to sin. Grace is what gives you the ability not to sin. Grace is what strengthens you not to sin.
(16) Know ye not, [You should know this!] that to whom ye yield [present as available] yourselves servants [slaves] to obey, his servants [slaves] you are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
The word “servants” is doulos. Paul is saying “To whom you present yourself available as a willing slave is the one you will obey.” If you willingly choose to present yourself to sin in the form of disobedience, you are going to spend an eternity in the lake of fire. But, if you willingly choose to present yourself to your Heavenly Father in the form of obedience, you are going to spend an eternity with Him.
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s now answer the question. Why are there Christians who continue to commit sin? They have made a purposeful decision to yield themselves to the temptation sin offers. They have made a purposeful decision to constantly present themselves as available to sin.
There are some in the sound of my voice who are presenting themselves as available to television programs that God is telling them to “not present themselves to.” But you enjoy them so much that you are not turning them off. You are making yourself available to sin.
There are some of you, ladies and gentlemen, you have people in your lives who bring sin with them and you spend time with them. And the Lord says you need to let them go. You need to stop making yourself, presenting yourself, available to them. They don’t need to be a part of your life.
Bro. Barry, what kind of sin are they bringing with them? Well, I’ll give you one. You have friends who are living with a person of the opposite sex and are intimate just like couples who are married. They are living in sin and because they are, some of you are making yourself available to sin. And by doing this, you are telling them that living together in sin is okay with you.
Listen, all of us have friends who live this way and, from time to time, we spend time with them like everything’s okay. It is not. As of today, we need to draw a line in the sand and no longer fellowship with them. Yes, it will be hard. They will think you are being nasty and critical by telling them the truth. But here’s my question: How much do you truly love them? Do you love them enough to tell them what will happen if they don’t repent and get married? I pray to God that you do.
If I’m stepping on your toes, you need for me to hurry up and finish this message so you can go home and fall on your knees and repent. You don’t need for me to drag this out. If this is you and you keep making yourself available to sin, you could lose your eternal life. I’m telling you the truth. That’s how much I love you.
(17) But God be thanked that ye were the servants [slaves] of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered unto you.
(18) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants [slaves] of righteousness.
(19) I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded [presented as available] your members servants [slaves] to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; [You go to the bar over and over again. You watch these movies over and over again. Iniquity unto iniquity.] even so now yield [present as available] your members servants [slaves] to righteousness unto holiness.
(20) For when ye were the servants [slaves] of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
When we were the slaves of sin, we were headed for the lake of fire for all eternity. That’s what “free from righteousness” means.
(21) What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
Why is the person ashamed? He looks at the thing he did while living in sin and is now ashamed that he lived that way.
(22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants [slaves] to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
(23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We determine to whom we present, or make, ourselves available to obey. Before receiving the new nature, God’s life, we could not make such a decision. A doulos, a slave by choice, is in a permanent relationship of servitude to another. His will, her will, being altogether consumed in the will of his or her master. Unless a person gets born again and receives a new nature, he is forever a slave to the sin nature. When the person dies, he will spend an eternity in the lake of fire.
To whom are you yielding ladies and gentlemen? To whom are you presenting yourself as being available? Are you presenting yourself as available to a life that no longer exists because your un-renewed mind refuses to let go of its old way of thinking? Or are you presenting yourself as being available to that born again spirit that’s on the inside of you – that spirit where life reigns? I believe you know the answer.
