Again…Shall we continue in Sin…No (P 3)
Learn something: sin shall not dominate true believers (v.14-15).
Know something: you can serve only one master, sin or God (v.16).
Remember something: your decision—you chose righteousness (v.17-18).
Do something: serve God with the same fervor you served sin (v.19-20).
Question something: what fruit is there in sin (v.21-22)?
Consider something: wages of sin vs. the gift of God (v.23).
NCBC, 2/29/04, 6:14-23
What good is my driver’s license? Can someone else take it and drive around using it?
Why not? It’s a perfectly good driver’s license complete with the original 12 points issued to it.
Unlike my license which applies and is useful to me only, sin is something we all deal with to some extent…in this manner apart from God’s presence in our lives we have no difference…only in degrees.
Our walk comes with questions? Individual, personal questions…Amen.
Let’s Learn, Know, Remember, Do, Question and Consider a few more thoughts on our new life in Christ and how sin should be dealt with in a believers life.
Learn something: sin shall not dominate the true believer (v.14-15).
Romans 6:14-15 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. [15] What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
We need to learn that sin will not dominate true believers. Why?
The believer is under grace and not under the law.
People under law always struggle to keep the law, yet constantly fail.
The person under law never lives a victorious life, they constantly come short of God’s glory and perfection.
“Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile” (Romans 2:9).
“If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse” (Job 9:20).
“The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor” (Job 15:20).
“For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me” (Psalm 38:4).
“For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3).
“Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted” (Psalm 107:17).
“The way of transgressors is hard” (Proverbs 13:15).
We are under grace, not under law. So what does this mean?
It means that when I accept the grace of God demonstrated in Jesus Christ, I accept the righteousness, the sinless perfection of Christ as my own righteousness. God takes our acceptance of Christ and counts it as righteousness.
Simply, God credits me because of Christ. Such is the great love of God.
This is the position of grace, that is, the believer is counted righteous and placed in the position of righteousness when we believe in Christ. We are placed into Christ and positioned in Christ once-for-all when we truly believe.
How does the believer keep from serving sin…living under grace day by day…live under God’s favor all of the time…pleasing God and receiving His approval and acceptance?
We must constantly keep before us the glorious truth: We are under God’s grace.
God is our Father, and we have become true children of God’s. God is a gracious and loving Father. He cares and suffers long with growing children. When His child falls into sin, God is long-suffering, ever willing to forgive His erring child—if the child will only come and ask forgiveness and turn from his sin (Luke 17:3-4; 1 John 1:9). Just how long-suffering is God? “His mercy endureth forever”; His mercy covers every sin and all sin (Psalm 106:1; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1-4).
“It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him” (Luke 17:2-3).
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephes. 1:7).
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 136:1).
“The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands” (Psalm 138:8).
So can the child of God sin and sin expecting God to forgive and forgive
him? The Scripture shouts: God forbid!
Continuing that a true child of God must not continue in sin.
Why should we keep away from sin?
Because God loves me and I love God.
“If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:6).
“For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God” (Deut. 25:16).
“For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee” (Psalm 5:4).
Because he turned to God in order to get away from sin and its shame and
destruction. He did not turn to God in order to have the freedom to sin, but to
be set free from the enslavement and habits of sin, to break the bondage and
consequences of sin.
“What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death” (Romans 6:21).
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
In summary;
1.God is not a legal judge hovering over the child to punish him every time he sins…
we are not under such frightening dominion.
2.God is a gracious and loving Father. He cares and suffers long with growing
children. When His child falls into sin, God is long-suffering, ever willing to forgive His
erring child—if the child will only come and ask forgiveness and turn from his sin (Luke
17:3-4; 1 John 1:9).
3.God is a teaching Father who disciplines. He exhorts His child not to fall into the
dominating trap of sin (cp. Hebrews 12:5-11; 1 John 2:1-2).
A believer who is genuine—who really belongs to Christ—shows his genuineness by obeying Christ as Master. Is this you today?
Know something: you can serve only one master, sin or God (v.16).
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Do you know—you can serve only one master, sin or God.
The word “servant” ( PWS: 3465) means slave. We are A person is either the slave of sin or of God, and there is a very simple test to tell which master a person serves.
Do you yield to sin, that is, serve sin?
Do you yield to God, that is, serve God?
If you yield to sin, you shall die. If you yield to God and obey Him, you shall be
counted righteous and live. To whom do you yield?
Whom we serve determines our destiny.
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
“Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34).
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).
“While they [the carnal or fleshy] promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage” (2 Peter 2:19).
“His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins” (Proverbs 5:22).
Remember something: your decision—you chose righteousness (v.17-18).
Romans 6:17-18 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. [18] Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Remember your decision. You chose righteousness.
1. “We were the servants of sin.” But now we have obeyed the doctrine of God, that is, the gospel of justification. “Obeyed” that is did exactly what God commanded.
“And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1 John 3:23).
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:17).
2.Result…we are freed from sin.
We are counted righteous not sinful.
What does this mean then?
We are to become the servant of righteousness.
Shouldn’t the degree to which I grasp the love of God in justification be the degree to which I am driven to serve God and to live righteously?
“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Rom 8:33-34).
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14-15).
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new....For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:17, 21).
“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephes. 4:24).
Do something: serve God with the same fervor you served sin (v.19-20).
Romans 6:19-20 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. [20] For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
What shall we do? Serve God with the same fervor that we previously served sin.
Once our sin did further sin; it resulted in more and more sin. Remember last week we talked about the disease of sin and it’s total domination of many.
We at some point found that our sin worked more sin and that we could not break the power of sin, not the power of all sin. Therefore, we turned to the only hope we had, God Himself.
“For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death” (Romans 7:5).
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Ephes. 4:22).
“For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries” (1 Peter 4:3).
“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:14-15).
We are now to let righteousness work holiness. This means sanctification or holy. The believer is to yield the parts of his body to serve righteousness, and we are to let righteousness sanctify us more and more.
Now you have the opportunity to live righteously, so begin to serve God with the same fervor and energy with which you were serving sin. Let righteousness enslave you and become the bondage and habit of your life.”
“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” (Romans 6:13).
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:14).
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24).
“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
“That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:2).
Question something: what fruit is there in sin (v.21-22)?
Romans 6:21-22 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. [22] But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
What fruit is there in sin?
1.The true believer is ashamed of his past sin.
“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10).
“And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens” (Ezra 9:6).
“My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me” (Psalm 44:15).
The fruit of sin is death.
Believers are “freed” from sin by justification, through the glorious love of God. Therefore, they should come under God as master...
•bearing the fruit of holiness.
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).
“Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:18).
•bearing the glorious hope and end of eternal life.
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).
“And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together” (John 4:36).
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).
Consider something: wages of sin vs. the gift of God (v.23).
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Consider the wages of sin and the free gift of God?
The wages of sin is death.
Sin deserves death for two very clear reasons.
Sin is acting against God, acting against His very nature.
Sin is rebellion against God.
The point is true justice demands that sin receive its payment, its wages.
Sin must receive its just wages. Sin must die; it must be banished forever from the presence of God.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).
“As righteousness tendeth to life; so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death” (Proverbs 11:19).
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him” (Ezekiel 18:20).
Verses God’s option…The gift of God is eternal life. This isn’t wages.
A man cannot work for and earn eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:5-7).
Do you have this hope today?
We can come to this place of hope only after we truly come to Jesus. How?
We must come and admit to God that we are sinners. The bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.
So if we recognize that we are sinners God calls us to repentance for “While we were yet sinners God sent HIS only begotten son to die for all who believe and call on Jesus’ name.”
If God is leading you today?, Do you want to come to a place of acceptance so that you can follow up, get up, look up and allow God to lift you up, then we ask you to come forward?
We would love to pray with you today, to help you become one with Christ, so that you may begin to walk in newness of life.
Then you can begin to daily faith by faith work out your sure salvation in the ways that God leads.
If you have any prayer needs or concerns we would love to pray for you. We will continue to lift up the leaders of the United States and all of the allies that are aligned against the nations of terror. We will also lift up our men and women in uniform and those loved ones while they are out doing the will of God.
Closing Prayer.
Bruce P. Landry
Nome Community Baptist Church
Ranger1401@hotmail.com
