"Depart from me, I never knew you."
What chilling words these will be for those who thought they were going to enter heaven but instead were turned away. How can we be sure that we won;t hear those words? Let’s be careful to know for sure.
Romans 6:15 - “A Sorry State”
As Paul writes his letter to the Romans he is careful to be very clear regarding the doctrine of salvation. Paul up to this point has given a clear picture of how Christ alone provides our salvation, but in this verse his tone changes quickly and he provides a point of clarification. Paul asks this rhetorical question; “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?” I believe this is a fair question to ask you today. Should you continue in sin because your salvation is by grace alone through faith alone?
If we are not saved by our works then do our works really matter? Many of those who profess Christianity must think not. The amount of Christians who get divorced each year is equal to our non-Christian neighbors. Many Christian youth believe cheating is okay as long as they do not get caught.1 25% of those who claim to be born again and who regularly attend church say that they have no personal relationship to Christ2 and 60% of evangelical Christians feel no responsibility to share their faith.3 Paul was concerned about a group of Christians who believed this way and we ought to be concerned as well. When we are faced with the question - is continuing sin in the life of a Christian okay - we should reply as Paul, “Certainly not!”
As we follow Paul’s argument we need to appreciate his heart here. Paul does not give a watered down invitation to Christ. His concern here is not for response, but for clarity. Greg Laurie in his book The Upside Down Church states “Sometimes we pastors get to thinking that our objective is to make people respond to God. But, that is not your job or my job. Our job is to make the message clear and leave the results up to God.”4 Jesus said in Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.” This is a strong warning and one which you and I should be mindful. Who is Jesus referring to in this passage? It is obvious that He is talking about those who claim a servant relationship with Him but refuse the Father’s will. As your pastor I, like Paul, have a tremendous responsibility to explain the whole gospel. In this light, join with me as we follow Paul’s clarification of the gospel message.
Romans 7:16 “A Matter of Loyalty”
“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slave whom you obey...” Right away Paul lets the reader know that salvation is less a matter of destination than one of loyalty. Too often we think in terms of heaven and hell in regard to salvation. The rich young ruler who came to Jesus as recorded in Luke 18 also thought in this manner as evidenced by his question, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Pause here for a moment and think with me how thrilled we would be to have a rich man come to our church and ask us what it would take to join. We know how we would respond, but how did Jesus respond? Jesus answered him by telling him to sell all that he had and to give it to the poor and to follow him. Of course the rich man turned away and Jesus replied, “How hard it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”
A closer look at the terminology in this passage gives us some insights as to why this is true. The rich man called Jesus “Good Teacher” rather than Lord. This is very significant for us to understand. Are you aware that the term “lord” appears in the Bible nearly 8,000 times? This is more than any other word excluding pronouns, conjunctions and the like. The implications of this term must be explored if we are to fully understand the gospel. The Greek term for Lord carries with it all the implications of authority and sovereignty.5 When one is lord, then that person is in a sense a king to whom those who address him as such must be loyal. Perhaps this is why translators used the term to translate Yahweh perhaps feeling that nothing else could capture the meaning of God’s name better.
The rich man also wanted “eternal life” but Jesus referred to what he was seeking as “the kingdom of God.” It is as if Jesus was saying that eternal life is impossible outside the kingdom of God. It is only in accepting his lordship that one becomes a part of that kingdom. Paul gives us only two possibilities of loyalty in this passage, one is sin and the other is righteousness. I ask you, which one are you loyal too? Verse 17 tells us that we were slaves to sin and we must ask - how did this happen?
In the Garden of Eden man was created in God’s image. In order to understand God’s original intention for man we must understand the Hebrew understanding of the term “image.” Today we think of image as the way something looks. The Hebrew term carries an understanding that image means “representative.”6 As God’s representatives Adam and Eve had access to God. They had all of their needs provided and nothing was withheld from them save that which was exclusively God’s, that was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
As representatives they had creative responsibilities as well as the responsibility of maintaining the garden. Their obedience assured them a part in God’s eternal kingdom. Their disobedience assured them death. God gave man the choice to either function as His representative or to serve himself by taking that which was not his. The Serpent made this clear as he assured Eve that if she ate the fruit she would be “as God.” Adam and Eve chose to divorce themselves from God’s kingdom in that treasonous act and instead chose to make themselves sovereign over their own lives. Sin, by one definition, is an act of rebellion against God.7
You might be thinking, as Adam and Eve did, that you would rather be your own master and do your own thing. You may want your independence. Perhaps you like sexual immorality, cheating on your taxes or using godless language. Maybe you don’t want to get out of bed for worship and certainly we don’t want to have to share our faith with those we work with. Why not live in sin? Why not be our own boss and the master of our own destinies? The answer is simple.
Where and when does our kingdom end? Paul says that sin leads to death in verse 16. When we rebel against God and live as our own lord we are eventually faced with the one enemy no man can defeat. The writer of Ecclesiastes says that death comes to all. No matter what our kingdom looks like there is an enemy coming and all kingdoms fall in its path. Not only that, but living in this world outside of God’s kingdom has disastrous effects on us all. Note the pain and suffering of Adam and Eve outside of the Garden of Eden. Notice the broken relationships and the longing to be back with God. The Psalmist said that it was better to spend on day in God’s courts than a thousand elsewhere. It is better to be a slave in God’s kingdom than the king of any other.
Realizing this truth, mankind has tried for thousands of years beginning with Adam and Eve to make its way back to God. The problem is that no one can return. Indeed, the angel stands at the gate of paradise with a flaming sword keeping sinners out. Paul says in Romans 3:23 that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 1 Kings 8:46 says “there is no one who does not sin.” Paul goes on to say in Romans 6:23 that “The wages of sin is death..” Indeed Paul points out that God’s law shows us that we cannot be a part of His kingdom no matter how hard we try because our nature no longer allows us to walk according to the statutes of his kingdom. He writes in Romans 7:21, “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.”
Jesus says in Luke 16:13 that we cannot serve two masters. Once we have rebelled and committed ourselves to sin, we cannot serve God. Have you discovered yourself in this situation, realizing the futility of this life without God? Have you realized that you are eternally lost without Him. Have you desired to be reunited with God in His kingdom or are you like the rich young ruler, content to hold on to your self-rule in a kingdom that lasts little longer than a vapor?
Romans 6:17-18 “The Good News”
“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.” Here, Paul speaks of a way of deliverance. This way is the only way as Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” Knowing that no one could return to Him on their own, God, in His great love and mercy made a way for us. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Think of it in this way. The King of Glory sent his son the Prince of Peace to pay the penalty for our sins. Thus He defeated death, hell and the grave on our behalf. In dying for our sins, Christ paid the penalty for our treason. Only He could make this payment for He is the only one in whom no rebellion was found. Because He did not have to die on His own behalf as a penalty for treason, He could die vicariously on our behalf. Thus, He is still just and He is also the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus as Romans 3:26 points out.
Ephesians 2: says we are “saved by grace through faith.” Rom. 6:17 says that in coming to Christ the Roman Christians “obeyed from the heart.” The term obeyed is hupakouo in the Greek. The idea is that the hearers acted as servants and were attentive to the requests made of them and complied. We cannot save ourselves but we can heed our masters voice when He calls. We can respond in faith and obedience trusting with our heart in Jesus’ work of restoration on our behalf.
This language sounds familiar to most of us but let’s not dance over it without considering its implications. Paul must agree that this is dangerous because he follows up the salvation thanksgiving with verse 18 which reads, “And having been set free from sin, you became a slave of righteousness.” We are not saved from hell to heaven, but we are saved from sin to righteousness. We are once again citizens in the kingdom of God. This cannot come about without renouncing our previous loyalties. Restoration requires repentance as Jesus said in Luke 13:3 and again in verse 5, “...unless you repent you shall all likewise perish.”
Romans 6:19-23 “A New Loyalty”
Paul reiterates this idea as he says in verse 19, “I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.” Here Paul wants to make crystal clear to his readers and I want to make it crystal clear to you that being a Christian means that we will have a new loyalty. In verse 20 Paul tells us that when we were in sin we had nothing to do with God’s kingdom. We were “free in regard to righteousness.” This path was fruitless and its end was death. The Christian has realized this and has turned. Where we once served our own sinful nature and were totally devoted to its desires, Paul says that now we are to be so dedicated to righteousness. Where we were once abandoned to moral deterioration, selfish desire, hubris, lust and self-serving, we ought to be devoted to holiness, righteousness, obedience and pure living before God. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” as Ephesians 2:10 states. Those in the kingdom of God are expected to be servants of the King!
What Then Does This Mean For Us?
Implications for Christians:
Recommitment
For the Christian the truth of what Paul has set forth in this passage must lead us to a renewed allegiance to Christ. Where we have continued to walk in sin we must cease for it is not an option for those who have made a true pledge of allegiance to Christ. We are to walk in newness of life and this is the evidence of our salvation.
If we struggle with this idea of commitment, then we must question our salvation. Yes, I said we must question our salvation. If our lives are still marked by our slavery to sin and we are unwilling to change, then we must ask ourselves if we are indeed saved. If we went to an altar wanting to go to heaven and were unwilling to up our reign in a pledge of loyalty to Christ, we may have been accepted as a Christian by our church and by our pastor, but we are not accepted by Christ. Indeed, we may be in danger of hearing those haunting words, “Depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you.” The rich young ruler wanted heaven apart from loyalty to Christ and Christ said no deal!
Church Membership
This church must begin to make stronger demands on its members. As part of the body of Christ you and I are obligated to heed His commands. We have spiritual authority placed over us which ultimately comes from Christ. As Christians, we function within the body of Christ - His church. Our churches do us no favor when they allow us to slack. Greg Laurie says that the ministry of Harvest Christian Fellowship has prospered because of the call to obedience in the lives of a few believers has led to a great harvest of souls with the same convictions. He says “The early church leaders were simply living their lives according to what Jesus taught. What we consider to be radical behavior was nothing more than a sincere attempt to live in obedience. 8
George Barna wrote a book about his observation of successful churches and writes: “But for many who belong to the successful churches I surveyed, ‘Church’ was more than just an occasional experience; it was a lifestyle.” He adds, “Their goal was to be Christian by living in accordance with the principles Christ taught.”9 Pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church in California has seen that church grow from one family to over 10,000 in worship in just fifteen years. He states that his church boldly asks for a “big commitment” from its members. They do not see evangelism as complete until the new believer is growing in knowledge and obedience to Christ.10
Certainly this kind of commitment is what Christ wants from His church. He was willing to let the multitudes who followed Him go on their way as He preached a radical commitment message. We must be willing to do the same. We must be strong enough to demand the same!
Evangelism
The renowned Baptist pastor of the late Nineteenth Century Charles Haddon Spurgeon writes in his book The Soul Winner that to leave out the entire truth of the gospel for the sake of trying to convince a sinner toward salvation is wrong and that we must understand and clearly convey the things God has commanded concerning salvation.11
As mentioned earlier, the first Christians understood well that they were making a life-changing commitment because it could possibly be a life-threatening commitment. Micheal Green in his book Evangelism in the Early Church stresses that in the early church conversion meant something very different than it means to us today. To the Jews it meant a renunciation of all assumed rights and privileges of being a chosen people. It meant realizing a need for Christ and required loyalty to Him. To the gentile it meant an entire change in the way they viewed God. It meant a new ethical standard and a loyalty to someone greater than Caesar. 12
An in-depth study of the revivals of the Twentieth Century by Alvin Reid suggests the techniques employed by the evangelists were often simplistic and emotional. Conversion records often determined the success of the evangelists and conversions were determined by walks to an altar rather than in changed lives. The gospel changed from an emphasis on a new kingdom to an emphasis on the free gift of heaven.13 During this period even the Southern Baptist literature targeting new believers spoke of salvation and lordship as two different events.14 Evangelistic messages lacked the entire truth that Spurgeon warned was necessary. It seems as if trickery was involved as the evangelist offered heaven and the church later said - Oh, by the way, now you need to make Jesus your lord. Many seemed to say, “I’m saved and that’s enough for me.” In believing they made their deal for heaven, they hardly wanted to re-negotiate their contracts.
The danger here is obvious. Again, there is no salvation without repentance. “Many will come and say Lord, Lord...” and if our message is unclear we will share responsibility in their damnation.
Implications for the Non-Christian
You may be here today and be thinking to yourself, “I like my life the way it is.” Maybe you are not ready to give up on your sin. Perhaps you have not thought of what lies beyond. Hebrews 11:25 says that there is pleasure in sin for a season. This is true, Adam and Eve saw that the fruit was good for food but where did it lead them. My, how they did cower and hide themselves in the presence of God. Ask yourself, how will you stand before the King of the Universe, the Holy and Most Powerful God knowing that you have made Him your enemy in the treason of your sin. Where does the road of rejecting His authority end? The answer is death. It’s the same for all of us - unless we become through Christ a citizen of the everlasting kingdom of God. Proverbs 14:1 says that “The fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God.’” Don’t be foolish, there is good news for you if you will hear and obey.
You may be here today already realizing that life is hopeless on your own. You may fear death and what lies beyond and, without Christ, indeed you should. You may be asking yourself, what is the meaning of my life? Perhaps you have found that there is no real joy in your self-serving nor in the things this world has to offer. Perhaps you just have an emptiness that nothing seems to satisfy. These are all symptoms of slavery to sin. You have made yourself king and rejected God as we all have. However, there is good news for you today.
Jesus Christ, God’s only son came to Earth in obedience to the Father. He lived a perfect life and then gave it freely as a substitution for our sins. He has made it possible for us to be reunited with God in His kingdom. If we will trust in His work on our behalf, forsake our self-claim to our lives, repent and pledge Him our allegiance we will once again be His people and He will be our God. He has told us that He is preparing a place for those who are His and He will come again someday to take us there. Great news is found in Revelation 1:5-6. “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Jesus will actually make those who are faithful servants of His kings. Craig Larson tells of King Henry III of Bavaria and how he grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. “Your Majesty,” replied Prior Richard, “do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.” “I understand,” said Henry. “The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.” “Then I will tell you what to do,” said Richard. “Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you.” When King Henry III died it was written of him: “The king learned to rule by being obedient.”15
Isn’t it ironic that in forsaking our rights to self-rule and serving Him as king we will be kings in a land that will last forever because of Christ. In Revelation 22:12 Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming quickly and my reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” Blessed will those be who have become slaves of righteousness rather than slaves of sin on that day. Which will you be?
1 George Barna, What Americans Believe, (Ventura, Ca: Regal Books, 1991), 152.
2What Americans Believe, 192.
3 What Americans Believe, 223
4Greg Laurie, The Upside Down Church, (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1999), 99.
5Walter A. Elwell ed., Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1984), 646.
6 Spiros Zodhiates, The Hebrew-Greek Greek Key Study Bible New American Standard Bible, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1990), 99 of the dictionary.
7 Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 1015.
8The Upside Down Church, 14.
9George Barna, User Friendly Churches, (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1991), 69-70.
10Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995), 106.
11Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Soul Winner, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eeerdmans Publishing Company, 1995), 22-23.
12Micheal Green, Evangelism In the Early Church, (Berkshire, UK: Cox and Wyman Ltd, 1995), 176-177.
13Alvin Reid, Introduction to Evangelism, (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1998) , 31-32.
14Don Cox, Peronal Evangelism Claoo Lecture, (Louisville, KY: The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1999).
