Text: Romans 6:15-23
Title: Are You a Slave to Sin or a Slave to God?
Romans 6:15-23 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I. Slave to sin
a. Death
b. Impurity and lawlessness
c. Worthlessness
II. Slave to God
a. Righteousness
b. Sanctification
c. Eternal life
I’m going to start today with a brief description of a couple of competing theological ideas that clashed about twenty years ago. As a student of theology I have always been most interested in those in-house theological debates. Those debates between Christians and other Christians. Those areas of difference of opinion that still fall within orthodoxy.
Some examples of in-house debates are things like free will vs. predestination; the nature of sign gifts; the effects of post-modernism and the Emergent Church.
Well in the late 1980’s there was this heated debate over something called “Lordship Salvation”. Simply stated lordship salvation maintains that good works will be a necessary consequence or outcome of being declared righteous by God. If a person is truly saved, they will act like it. If a person has made a genuine commitment to Christ then Christ will not just be their savior, but also their Lord.
So a person who lives in open rebellion to God, wallowing in sin, unable or unwilling to abandon their old sinful lifestyle, is most likely not really a believer. That person might think they are saved and even say that they are saved, but they don’t act like it. They don’t live like it. They seem to only be giving God lip service.
The flip side of this argument came from those in the “Free Grace Movement”. They taught that salvation was a free gift of God’s grace, it is based on the work of Christ on the cross, and it comes simply as a result of faith, even childlike faith. This free gift of salvation is not dependant on a person’s past behavior, or their future behavior.
Those on the free grace side would claim that lordship salvation is almost a kind of works religion. Because lordship salvation seems to teach that good works are a requirement for true salvation. Are good works an ingredient in our salvation or an evidence of it? This is an important distinction to make. And obviously those on the Lordship salvation side would not claim that works are a requirement for salvation, but the confusion is still there.
Here’s my take on this controversy, and keep in mind, this is only my opinion. If you have strong feelings one way or the other I’m OK with that. Remember, this is an in-house debate. Anyway, I’ve always felt that the lordship salvation side suffered from one major flaw. It tries to discern someone else’s heart. It attempts to judge whether or not someone else is saved.
It also presupposes that the sanctification process should be pretty much the same for everyone. And I don’t think that is the case. Each one of us has a different story of how we came to Christ and different lessons that we have had to learn since then. Some of us learn the lessons that God is trying to teach fairly quickly. And for some of us it might take years for God to pound a lesson into our thick skulls.
How fast does a person’s growth need to be once they’ve accepted Christ?
So I guess that means I’ve always thought of salvation being easier to attain than some on the lordship salvation side might. After all, It’s really God who does all the hard work and heavy lifting in the salvation process anyway, right? Paul seems to be driving home the point over and over again that salvation is all about simple faith in Jesus Christ. He atones for all our sin, past, present, and future. Am I truly saved simply because I don’t have as many future sins as someone else might?
That being said, as we move into chapter 6 it really seems like Paul is strongly advocating a lordship salvation theology. Last week he asked, “How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” And this week he all but says that Jesus needs to be your Lord.
I mention this debate between lordship salvation and free grace theology, not so we can try to determine which one is right from this passage, and not so that we can get better at figuring out who is really saved and who isn’t. I mention it so that each one of us will realize the need to search our own hearts and evaluate our own actions.
One thing that both lordship salvation people and free grace people both agree on is that some kind of change will take place when a person becomes saved. So today as we study this passage, and over the next few weeks as we dig deeper into our understanding of sanctification, I want you to really allow the Holy Spirit to search your heart.
I want you to pinpoint some specific things that have changed in your life since you have become a believer. I want you to be able to recognize some specific ways in which God has been working on you just in the past year, or the past month. I want you to be honest about any areas of growth you still might have, or maybe be honest about whether or not you have every really put your trust in God.
Last week I asked the question are you dead or alive. And for believers the answer was both; we are dead to sin but alive to God. This week the question I want you to ask yourself is, are you a slave to sin, or a slave to God?
Follow along as I read 6:15-23…
I love how black and white Paul makes things. I love how he just tells it like it is. All of us are either a slave to sin or a slave to God. All of us serve one master or another. The trick of the devil is to make us think that we are free to do whatever we want. The devil wants to make us believe that we are not slaves at all.
Satan tempted Eve by saying, why would you want to be a servant of God when you could be just like God yourself. Satan tricked Adam and Eve into thinking they where free to do whatever they wanted. And Satan is still using that same lie.
You are the master of your own fate. You are in charge. You have to look out for yourself. No one can tell you what to do. Do those phrases sound familiar? They are all false.
The two options are simple; either you are a slave to sin or a slave to God. Let’s talk about what it means to be a slave to sin first.
Let’s start by looking at the question Paul asks this week. Last week he asked, “Should we sin on purpose so that grace will increase?” The answer to that question was an emphatic “no”. We are dead to sin. It doesn’t have the same power and control that it used to.
This week Paul asks a similar question: “Is it OK to sin because we are not under the law?” If we don’t have to obey the laws anymore to be saved, they it must be alright if we break those laws all we want right? Again, the answer is the same, “May it never be!”. No way. That’s not how it works.
Again, we are not saved by grace so that we can now sin all we want, we are saved by grace so we can have freedom from the power of sin. Last week Paul explained that we don’t wallow in sin anymore because we have died to sin. This week we learn that we don’t wallow in sin anymore because we are freed from sin.
Being a slave to sin is a real thing. There was a time when every one of us was enslaved by the power and control of sin. But slavery to sin isn’t like being held captive against our will, it’s really more like suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.
If you recall, Stockholm Syndrome is psychological term for a person who is kidnapped or enslaved, and then the kidnapped person develops a loyalty to their abductor. It’s being held captive against your will, but then remaining a captive because you want to.
One of the most famous examples of Stockholm Syndrome was Patty Hearst. Patty Hearst was kidnapped in 1974 by this weird group called the Symbionese Liberation Army. They kidnapped her and demanded that her very wealthy family feed every needy person in California, or something crazy like that.
During her time in captivity Patty began to sympathize with her captors and joined up with their cause. She was eventually arrested for robbing a bank with other members of the organization.
There have been other examples of Stockholm Syndrome, and a lot of research done to try and figure out why it happens. Some think it is a form of brainwashing, some think it is a form of a coping mechanism.
I think our relationship to sin is a lot like Stockholm Syndrome. We start out being taken captive by sin. It blindsides us. Because sin is built into our nature from the beginning, we have no way of freeing ourselves from its effects. We are slaves to the power of sin from the beginning.
But over time, as we grow up and learn to sin on our own, its almost like we decide to join that side. We make choices, take action, and develop behaviors that are sympathetic to our sinful nature. Sin controls us, and we let it. Sin is a brutal slave master, and we like it.
The problem is that allowing ourselves to be enslaved by sin has a bad ending. The end result is death. Look at verse 16 with me…
The end result of slavery to sin is the same for everyone; death. Spiritual death. Spiritual separation from God. An eternity spent apart from God. I think we all understand what this is about, so let’s move on to the next point…
Slavery to sin means that we are slaves to impurity and lawlessness. Look at the first part of verse 19…
As slaves to sin we are entrapped by impurity and every filthy thing. Acts of sexual impurity are seen as acceptable and even promoted by those who are slaves to sin. Filthy language, hatred, jealousy, and every other improper thought is a part of who we are. These impure thoughts are common and inescapable.
That’s the scary part. This sinful lifestyle is unavoidable, inescapable, forced on us. We can’t do anything good for God or for others. We can’t break free from this enslavement.
Slavery to sin means that we are lawless, or disobedient. We are disobedient to our parents, authority, or anyone who tries to tell us what to do, even God. Lawlessness is rooted in selfishness. We only want to do the things that we want to do. We shouldn’t have to listen to what others say, or care about what others think.
Slavery to sin makes us selfish jerks.
Perhaps the worst aspect of our slavery to sin is the total worthlessness of sin. Look at verse 21…
What benefit did you receive from the sinful things you used to do? What benefit is there to the kinds of things that you are now ashamed of? Does sin help us in any way? No, sin is worthless. It doesn’t help, it only hurts. It hurts our relationship with God, it hurts our relationships with others, and it can even hurt us physically.
Sins great lie is that it holds pleasure, happiness, and fulfillment. But in reality, sin is hollow and empty. It leaves us with nothing. It doesn’t give us anything, it only takes from us.
True fulfillment, true happiness, true contentment can only be found in a true relationship with God. The problem is that people want it both ways. They want to have some sort of spiritual or religious fulfillment, but also live their lives on their own terms. They don’t want to allow God to be fully in control, but they want some level of religious experience.
There was a study about religious trends in America that came out last week. It had a lot of different interesting aspects to it. One of the things I found interesting was that the study found that there is a decline in mainline or denominational churches and an increase in non-denominational churches. There are a lot of people who are leaving the church for another kind of church.
This survey makes sense in light of other recent studies that show the rise in spirituality. People are more interested today in incorporating some kind of spirituality into their lives. There is apparently a growing interest in different forms of religion. But this is not translating into converts. People just want to add some kind of religious experiences to their lives without really adopting a particular religion.
One of the driving forces behind this is the queen of spiritualistic stuff, Oprah. Oprah’s new book club book is pushing this book called “A New Earth”. But it isn’t about a new earth, it isn’t new ideas, it’s just the same old new age spirituality in a new packages.
This book, along with The Secret and other popular new age writings have gained popularity because people are looking for a kind of religion that fits their lifestyle. People are looking for a god that is maybe less offensive than the God of the Bible. Even people in the church are attracted to these church of Oprah writings because of the promises that they make.
They offer meaning and hope. A New Earth promises to teach you about your real purpose and give your life real meaning. Just like sin promises to provide an easy way out. It promises meaning and fulfillment, but the end result is worthlessness and death.
So go ahead and watch Oprah when she has Dr. Oz on, ignore her book suggestions.
Well fortunately for us, slavery to sin isn’t our only option. There is another alternative. We can be servants of God. Again, Paul doesn’t offer any middle ground or third option. We can be our own boss, it just doesn’t work that way. We are either allowing sin to be master over us, or we are allowing God to be master of our lives.
The differences between being a slave to God and a slave to sin are stark. Just look at verse 16-18 again…
You were enslaved by sin. You used to allow sin to reign in your mortal bodies. You used to be oppressed and confined and manipulated by all kinds of evil things. You were a slave to sin resulting in death, but now we are slaves to God, resulting in righteousness.
“17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,”
This passage is a little confusing. It’s not talking about our commitment to the form of teaching. It’s talking about how God has committed us or handed us over, or assigned us as servants of Him rather than servants of sin. Through the teaching of Scripture, through the truth of the gospel, and through our faith and obedience to it, we align ourselves as servants of God rather than servants of sin.
As a slave to God we are slaves to righteousness. We are under the control, authority, and direction of righteousness now. This is such a huge blessing. We have something that other people don’t. We have true freedom. We have the ability to do good and be good.
Even though there are times when unrighteousness still seem to be in charge, we no longer have to sin. Even though we still have a sin nature, we no longer have to give into it. Freedom from sin means that we have the ability to de the right thing.
Listen to what I’m saying because I think this is a very important point, you do not have to sin. You are no longer under sin’s control. I think this is a truth of scripture that many of us either don’t believe, or don’t understand. Even after we become believers we still act like we are slaves of sin. But you don’t have to live like that anymore!
One of my favorite verses that reinforces this fact is in 1 Corinthians 10:13
1 Corinthians 10:13 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Next, Slavery to God results in sanctification. Paul mentions this a couple of times…
At the end of 19…”so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification”
And the first part of 22… “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification”
The result of slavery to God is sanctification. Sanctification means to be made holy, to be conformed to the likeness of Christ, to get cleaned up. I mentioned last week that as we move into chapters 6, 7, 8 of Romans Paul will turn his attention to the topic of sanctification.
Gary Letterman loaned me this set of commentaries on Romans written by Martin Lloyd-Jones. Really they aren’t commentaries but a collection of his sermons, but they are so full of great insight and uplifting words. I thought that Martin Lloyd-Jones description of this passage and this process of sanctification was awesome. Let me read you his take…
I wish I could just read the whole thing to you. But I think you get the point. As we yield ourselves to God, instead of going from bad to worse, we go from bad to better. We draw closer to him. Good things build on each other until we have built a life of holiness and devotion to God.
The end result of offering ourselves as slaves to God is eternal life. Look at verses 22-23…
This verse is a part of the Romans road. The salary that we will get paid for working for the devil is death and punishment. The free gift that God offers is eternal life and blessing. This seems like such an obvious choice. But unfortunately many people either make the wrong choice, or get fooled into thinking that they have a third option.
Quickly before we close, let’s go back and reinvestigate that Lordship salvation issue. Regardless of where you stand in that debate, I think it is clear from this passage just how important it is for each on of us to actually make Jesus Christ our Lord.
I know we don’t live in a feudal system anymore, but we have to train our minds to recognize the fact that we don’t live for ourselves, but we life for God. He is king, we are the servants.
Jesus Christ isn’t just our savior, He is our Lord. We need to allow Him to take control of our lives. He has bought us at a great price. He gave his life up and purchased us with His own blood. He truly deserves to be our Lord.
