THE WAGES OF SIN" by George Crumbly
Romans 6:16-23
11/18/2001 Sunday AM
Sheridan, Arkansas
Want to talk with you today about a three letter word. We hear folks talk about and use four letter words but today we are talking about a three letter word. It seems so small yet it causes so much damage. It causes so much hurt, so much heartache, so many problems. This word is SIN.
SIN: "Lawlessness or transgression of God’s will, by either omitting to do what God’s law requires or by doing what it forbids. The transgression can occur in thought, word or deed."
Mankind was created without sin, he was created morally upright and inclined to do good. But sin entered into the human experience when Adam & Eve violated the direct command of God by eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Because Adam was the head and representative of the whole human race, his sin affected all future generations. Associated with this guilt is a corrupted nature passed from Adam to all his descendants.
Romans 6: verse 23
Paul is talking about two kinds of servitude: One brings death upon the servant and Two brings eternal life. Today there are alot of things that are not fair. Life is not fair. (I heard a fella one time say that FAIR is where hogs & chickens win ribbons). One thing I think we can take to the bank? THere is a day coming when every person will get what they have coming!!
(Mark Maquire retired leaving 30 million dollars on the table - he said that he was not playing good enough to make that much money and therefore he did not deserve it.)
One day though, we will ALL get what we deserve. It will either be Heaven or Hell. if you continue to live in SIN you will:
1.) First die spiritually.
2.) If you continue to live in SIN and then die physically
3.) You will die eternally. (Another words you will die forever & forever & forever.)
Today we are free moral agents. We make the choice as to where we will spend eternity. We chose who we will serve, who we will worship.
Today: Who do you serve? Who do you worship?
Verse 16
Here we make a contrast between SIN and disobedience. To me that suggest that SIN by nature is DIS-OBEDIENCE to God. So everytime when disobey God, when we don’t do what God says to do or when we do what God says not to do this is SIN. Either SIN unto death or Obedience unto Righteousness. Whatever I yield to do, then that is what I am a servant of.
We either do what God says to do or we don’t do what God says to do. Adam & Eve didn’t commit a gross SIN, they just disobeyed God. So I chose to SIN or not to SIN.
Verses 17-18
One day I was a servant to SIN. One day I disobeyed God, I served the world, I served SIN. But one day praise be to God I heard the Doctrine of Jesus Christ, I heard the message of Heart-Holiness, the message that I could be set free, that I could be delivered from this lifestyle, I obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine and the Lord gloriously saved me from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet!!
(Folks today are afraid of the word "Holiness" because they think it cost them too much or they have to give up so much) It’s not what we give up it’s what we receive! I guarantee you that you will not miss the things you give up. The message of Heart-Holiness is a Doctrine that WORKS!! It is a message of Hope. I heard a preacher a few years ago say there was a time coming when the world will want to hear this message because it is a message of POWER, once again it is a message that works!
Thru the POWER of God we can be set-free from SIN, we can be delivered from the binding & controlling POWER of the flesh & SIN. The question today is not: Can God deliver & set me free, it is do you want to be set free? People must get tired of living in SIN, living defeated lives, they need to quit making excuses for SIN and let God set them FREE.
I was then made free from SIN and became a servant to Righteousness!
Verses 19-20
WE used to be slaves of SIN. Another words I used to serve SIN, the ways of sIN, the ways of the world, as we all have before we came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. But now because of what Jesus has done for us we can become "slaves to righteousness that leadeth to holiness." Paul is telling the romans that as long as they were slaves to sin that they were out of the control of Righteousness.
Today, who controls you? God or Satan? To whom do you yield yourself to? When the Lord filled me with the Holy Spirit I exchanged SIN for RIGHTEOUSNESS as my master. Who is your Master today?
Verses 21-22
Stop & look back a minute. What did it benefit you to live in SIN? To do the things that we are ashamed of today? What good did it do? Paul tells the Romans here that the only benefit they received from SIN was death. Now though we have become "slaves to God" this way of living leads to Holiness, it leads to Eternal Life.
Today the life you are living is leading to something it will result in something either SIN unto death or Righteousness unto life. What will it be?
SIN in the bible is not represented as the absence of good, or an illusion that stems from our human limitations, SIN is portrayed as a real and positive EVIL. SIN is more than unwise inexpedient, calamitous behavior that produces sorrow and distress. SIN is rebellion against God’s law which is the standard of righteousness.
SIN is rebellion to God. It is not just breaking one of the 10 commandments, it is: Not doing what God says to do or doing what God says not to do.
God demands righteousness. When we violate God’s law whether in thought, word or deed this shows the sinfulness of the human heart. If we live in SIN then we become DEAD TO GOD. When we DIE TO SIN then we become alive unto God.
God is still today very serious about this three letter word SIN. He has never made exceptions for sinful living, it doesn’t matter who you are. As Holiness people we realize that SIN is a contradiction to Holiness and that we as Holiness people cannot continue to live in SIN. Jesus came to earth to bear the SINS of mankind, God is giving us the opportunity to separate from the sinful lifestyle and BECOME the people He has created us to be.
Today, are you living in SIN? If you have been set free from SIN and yet commit SIN the bible says that we have an Advocate with the Father (Jesus Christ) that we can go to and that He is faithful and just to forgive us.
Is there anything standing between you and God today? Is there anything that is keeping you from being what God wants you to be? THere are folks in the church today that just need to come clean with God. God wants to use you in the building of His kingdom.
Have you been set free?
