 Today we're here in the book of Romans. We're in chapter 6. We've been going through the book of Romans verse by verse We've arrived at verse 15 in chapter 6 and what we'll do is we'll be looking at verses 15 through 23 this morning and I'll read to you a few verses then we'll get an introduction layer foundation I'll review a few things that we've already seen Previous to this study and then we'll move into verse 15. So let's begin reading Romans chapter 6 at verse 15 I'll read to verse 23 and we'll get into our study Roman 6 beginning at verse 15 Paul writes What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace certainly not Do you not know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey? You are that one slaves whom you obey whether of sin to death or of obedience to righteousness 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 and Having been set free from sin You became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness So now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness For when you were slaves of sin you were free in regard to righteousness What fruit did you have then in the things of which you now you are now ashamed for the end of those things is death But now having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God You have your fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life for the wages of sin is death But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord So when we were last together we were noting a few things that I want to use as a foundation so that we can roll into verse 15 And have a grasp of it last time we were together We noted in verse 10 that Jesus had died to sin once for all It says in verse 10 of chapter 6 the death that he died He died to sin once for all, but the life that he lives he lives to God and so Jesus's sacrifice that Paul is mentioning is a one time for all time sacrifice It's a sacrifice that never has to be repeated It's a sacrifice that when he died on that cross that one single time That was sufficient to satisfy God's wrath and righteous requirements And so he will not die a second time This is a witness of the New Testament Hebrews 9 27 and 28 for example says that As it is appointed for men to die once but after this the judgment so Christ was offered once To bear the sins of many to those who eagerly wait for him. He will appear a second time apart from sin For salvation in chapter 10 of Romans verse 12 It says this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever Sat down at the right hand of God So Jesus Christ died one time for all time So he says for the death that he died he died to sin once for all But he goes on to say but the life that he lives he lives to God Now when he says the life that he lives he's speaking concerning his resurrection and that he lives for God Now that phrase he lives for God is something that we as Christians are Familiar with when you speak of somebody who is sold out to the Lord Jesus Christ We normally say he's he lives for God the phrase actually means that he brings glory to God Jesus Christ brings glory to the father Now that's what he always did and that's what his followers are to do is to have Habitually bring glory to the father, but Jesus did that he always brought glory to his father in John 17 verse 4 And what is called his high priestly prayer. This is what he said. He said I have glorified you on the earth I have finished the work that you have given me to do and so he glorified his father. It was a habit of his life and His glorifying his father his best scene in his voluntary death on the cross is yielding of his life on our behalf Brought glory to the father And so in light of Jesus is redemptive where Christians are to do at least two things in verse 11. He had said Wrecking yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus So we reckon ourselves to be dead to sin both to guilt and domination of sin in our life And so that understanding gives us motivation to resist the habit of sin And so one we reckon ourselves to be dead to sin Resisting the habitual sinning and we live in freedom Because of the power of sin that's been broken in our lives sins domination no longer has to occur in our life You don't have to be the victim any longer. You don't have to To yield and I know and realize how difficult it can be to be in warfare into and to fight the desires of the flesh But Paul is making it very clear and it's something that I wanted to emphasize last a week And as I'm emphasizing again this week It is something that we actually can do we can actually live Victorious lives in the Lord Jesus Christ He had said in verses 6 and 7 of Romans 6 our old man was crucified with him that the body of sin might be done away with That we should no longer be slaves of sin for he who has died has been freed from sin And so we can have victory in the Lord Jesus Christ We'll look at that a little bit more in just a moment, but how do we experience this freedom in victory? Well, he had said in verses 11 as well as verse 13 by faith We offer ourselves to God and we don't offer ourselves to live a life of sin by faith through his grace We can live a life of victory as I mentioned to you Romans 12 one Says I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God Which is your reasonable service first Corinthians 15 57 thanks be to God He gives us a victory through our Lord Jesus Christ and first John 5 4 Everyone born of God overcomes the world and goes on to say this is the victory that has overcome the world even our faith And so we have in Christ the ability to be overcomers Sin does not have to have dominion or domination over us any longer We yield ourselves to the Lord and he gives to a strength to walk and to follow him We can do that because we are not under law. He said but under grace We can begin to follow the way of the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the instructions of the word of God Paul in Galatians 5 16 through 18 said this he said walk in the spirit and You shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh For the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other So that you cannot do the things that you desire, but if you are led by the spirit You are not under the law So we Reckon ourselves to be dead and yet we understand that in Christ we live And so we've been looking at that here in Romans 6 and we move into verse 15 as Paul continues And he says this in verse 15 and 16 what then Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace certainly not Do you not know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey you are that one slaves whom you obey Whether of sin to death or of obedience to righteousness So he's basically saying this and we're going to look at this today. This is the heart of what we'll be looking at God forbid that we Should look lightly upon sin Sin will reign if it can it cannot be satisfied with any place below the throne of the heart So what we need to do is we need to learn to habitually yield ourselves god Seeking him to give us the strength continually to remain pure Some 1913 says keep your servant also from willful sins. May they not rule over me Then will I be blameless innocent of great transgression? So we ask the lord god in jesus name strengthen us Now we already know you've provided those things but lord We also know that our flesh is warring against the spirit and and it's a constant struggle And and i'm asking you lord in jesus name To work within me so that I might live a life that brings pleasure to you and one that's blessed by you Every morning when I wake up and I encourage you to the same if you're a follower of christ I I encourage you to do the same thing every morning in one form or another within the first few minutes of my awakening Is I I yield myself to the lord This is the day that you have made I will rejoice and be glad in it father There are going to be some things today that are going to come against me so that it'll try to undermine my walk with you I I ask that you just keep me strong today Lord, I ask that you work within me because the flesh is always desiring to have Have the have that that place of motivating me to do the things that aren't pleasing to you And uh, I ask the lord every day god in jesus name. Would you work in me? I encourage you to do the same when you wake up Because let's face it the flesh is always rising to the occasion. It's always motivating us always attempting to have domination You want to come to church? You want to follow the lord this morning at second service people here? There may be some first service people here. You didn't make it. Did you you wanted to come for a service, but something happened Kids wives husbands life It happens You wake up in the morning you get the kid ready to go The kid goes outside and starts playing with the dog and He's all messed up And comes in and you say I thought you were supposed to be watching him. No, I thought it's your turn And they're talking about dad and the kid does the same thing And what happens you didn't make it and the flesh just rises. It's there all the time You can come to church and you know this and and you can actually have the wrong kind of thought in church itself Here, this is where we say. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. I'll be And here you are in church with the wrong thought a bad thought years ago confession time years ago I used to sit in in church services, you know 30 plus years ago and I would sit in the second row for whatever reason I would be in the second row and I can still remember this one sunday morning as I was about to go up and teach I would I would sit in the second row during worship and then I would just step out and walk up and And give the study in all and and I was it was a time of worship and I was Seated and I had my eyes looking down and right in front of me There was somebody sitting there with long curly blonde hair. I still remember and and and Wearing jeans and and the jeans were opened up and you could see these Lazy underwear and I thought oh lord. I don't need that I don't need that lord. Oh, and I remember just closing my eyes and saying I'm not oh lord. Oh, it's I don't oh lord I don't need to notice those things So I didn't even look all I could see was the long blonde hair curly blonde hair That's all I could see and and so I remember You know time to get up and go to to teach and and I didn't even look in their direction I mean I just got up and and you kept my eyes. I just walked You can't imagine how I felt when I looked down to the front row and it was a guy I'm not kidding. I am not kidding I felt doubly bad And cut your hair jack But in church Has anybody here ever experienced something kind of like that? I mean it happens Even in church, you're coming to the you want to come worship the lord and the parking guy tells you to park where you Didn't want to park And all of a sudden you're in the flesh. We had guys in fights in the parking lot before fighting in the parking lot Oh help me jesus that happens people With the best intentions very often Are not aware of the war that's going on within And and that's why I encourage you. That's why I encourage you. Is it easy? No, it's not why because it is a war It is a war Because that flesh wants to dominate And I have to yield myself to the lord every day God's grace covers all sin Paul says but there are those who would argue well since god's grace covers all sin then why not continue in sin I'm I mean, what's the point of even desiring to live a holy life let alone disciplining yourself to pursue godliness since Since grace abounds and grace triumphs over sin. Well, why not just live in sin and experience god's grace? Well, paul is actually answering that when he says we don't continue in sin because grace is intended to set us free from bondage Grace is intended to set us free from the bondage of sin And that's why he says in verse 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey you are that one slave? Have you never considered what i'm sharing with you the question? Do you not know can be a statement haven't you considered this? I'm speaking to you. He said about sin And now if you thought about it for a moment You would acknowledge that sin is slavery And and by definition a slave is totally obligated to fulfill the commands of the master They have no choice. They're slaves Somebody says well, that's where you christians are wrong because i'm not a slave to anything I have habits and i've got some errors i've made mistakes But i'm not a slave to anything How can you say that i'm a slave and that's where i have a problem with you christians Because you say that we're slaves in reality. We're not I remember one of my friends who was a slave to sin and I was trying to share with him the lord. I was a young believer Probably was offensive to him unintentionally. I I don't know but I know that he got upset at me when I was sharing with him one time and because he was always complaining I mean this man was always complaining. That's what he did You know, it's it's a nice sunny day. Yeah, I'll probably get a sunburn You know, it's just a complainer, you know, and one day I spoke to him and I said to him You know, you need the lord, man. You need the lord I said and he says why? I said because bro, you have no joy and i'll never forget his response. I have joy. I've got a lot of joy So yeah, I see it. It's all over you man. It's all over you You have no joy in your life And others you have no peace Or others you have no you have no love others. You have no hope I do too. I've got a lot of this. I got a lot of that. I've got no no you don't that the problem is is you're blind to yourself speak to somebody who is Who likes to drink can't go out without a beer or wine or mixed drink talk to him Some of us were that person No, I'm not I'm not addicted to alcohol, man. You know, I I can stop anytime I want as a matter of fact I've stopped a lot of times I'm not addicted to it Before I got saved I would have argued that with you. I'd say look and I we used to call it putting down. I can put down anytime I want I don't have to I remember my my record just before I got saved my record of putting down my drugs was I think two days I think it was two days I don't remember You can remember you didn't live during that period. I I I believe it was two days. It was at the Monterey pop festival I remember that I remember dropping psilocybin magic mushroom I remember seeing a young man a young woman and a little boy or a little girl. I couldn't tell Long hair blondes all three of them. I remember seeing that And their clothing was made out of sheets And I remember thinking that's my future if I don't get away from these drugs I'm going back to my friend's place Pacific Grove They went back for the evening for some more music And I stayed there and I said no I'm I'm putting down man I'm not going to smoke pot anymore because I I thought what was going to happen is I'm going to end up like that That couple and that little child that was my future. So so for the rest of that day I didn't smoke any pot The next day I did But I didn't that day And I felt pretty good about myself because you see I was not in bondage I could choose to or not choose whenever I wanted and that's how I argued. That's what I thought I really believed that Speak to the alcoholic And ask him in his more sober or hermer sober moment whether or not they're in bondage And if they're honest with you Which sometimes they're not but if they are They may very well tell you I really hate this I hate what I do when I'm drunk I hate how I speak to people how I act But it was difficult for you to get me to admit that I would just say that's just life. That's the way it is. I mean, you know, some people get angry when they're drunk Some people are happy when they're drunk. It's up to them, you know For me, this is the way I am and so I would have people argue with me and tell me, you know What and you need to get away from that alcohol that's killing you And I would say I can anytime I want. I just don't want No big deal But If you had to talk to me in my more sober moments, then I would have said to you I don't like what I am when I'm drinking. I don't like what I do I don't like the the way I treat people how I broke my parents heart how I've Hurt girls how I've stolen from friends how I I don't like this and and and just before I got saved a few months before I got saved I started praying again and I started asking God Well, I actually started telling God. I don't like what I am. I need help. I don't like what I am. I need help I started doing that once in a while not always but once in a while I don't like what I do to people. I don't like how I am with people. I don't like what I am What I was saying is I am a slave to sin And I do its bidding And and I'm in bondage. That's what the bible says That we are in bondage to our sin before we get saved And that's what he's saying in for 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey? You are that one slaves whom you obey whether of sin to death or of obedience to righteousness He's saying if you thought about it, you would acknowledge sin is slavery And sin is manifested through various kinds of activities actions Galatians 5 19 through 21 Paul says when you follow the desires of your sinful nature the results are very clear sexual immorality impurity lustful pleasures idolatry sorcery hostility quarreling jealousy outbursts of anger selfish ambition dissension division envy drunkenness wild parties and other sins like these Let me tell you again as I've told you before that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of god That all reveals bondage to sin So we can voluntarily submit our lives to sin Paul is saying or we submit our lives to god, but we cannot do both simultaneously In Matthew 6 24 Jesus said it like this no one can serve two masters For either he will hate the one and love the other or else he'll be loyal to one and despise the other You cannot serve god and mammon Mammon is earthly riches You can't serve two you have to choose the one you're going to serve Now Billy Graham said it like this we're suffering from only one disease in the world Our basic problem is not a race problem Our basic problem is not a poverty problem Our basic problem is not a war problem Our basic problem is a heart problem We need to get the heart changed the heart transformed You see sin according to verse 16 leads to death, but yielding to god in obedience results in righteousness and freedom And jesus said in john 8 34 and 30 through 36 most assuredly i say to you Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin and a slave is not a bite in the house forever But a son abides forever Therefore if the son makes you free you shall be free indeed We can be set free we can be slaves to righteousness notice verse 17 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 You need to see yourself differently God be praised god be thanked we once were slaves We're no longer. I am set free I've been set free by the lord jesus christ I am no longer a slave of sin I was in a a class in a secular college when I was a young man And uh, I was speaking to one of my classmates before class began and It was a social psychology class or something of that sort and as we were together He began to visit with me and and so I began to give him a bit of a testimony I began to share what god had done in my life And uh, I said, you know, I was an alcoholic for several years He says, oh, what do you mean? You were He said, I'm an alcoholic though. I haven't had a drink in several years myself But he goes and says what was the mantra then uh once an alcoholic always an alcoholic He says you're always going to have those inclinations to alcoholism You're only one drink away From returning to a life of alcoholism And I said that's where you're wrong I said, I am not an alcoholic. I was an alcoholic I said the bible says if any man be in christ, he's a new creation old things are passed away behold all things are become new I said, I am new. I once was an alcoholic, but now I'm set free by the lord jesus christ See, I don't identify with the old life. I once did these things. Yes, and I admit them willingly And many things that none of none of my family or anybody else will ever know only god and I know my true testimony But I'll tell you this There are many things that that I did Habitually yielded myself to just like you But I do not identify myself like that anymore. That's the old man's been buried in jesus christ And the new one is alive because of jesus christ so I can have a life in christ I don't have to say oh, I'm an alcoholic. I'm a drug addict. I'm promiscuous. I'm violent I don't have to say those things anymore. That's what I was but that's not what I am What I am in christ is brand new and that's what paul wants us to know You are brand new in jesus christ. All things are passed away Understand that and live that God wants you to know that And that's how we live No, I used to do those things. Yes, I did and worse And worse crazy absolutely a thief. Yes a liar. Yes But now i'm a pastor god changes lives. That's what god does. He transforms us And that's what paul is telling us See, I wake up like you every morning and I can remember things that I've done in the past and I can dwell on them Or I can say it's under the blood It's under the blood of jesus christ washed set free paul has taught us to do that And that's what we need to learn to do habitually. It's not denial It's recognition Yes, I did those things. Yes, I was guilty of those things. Yes, the penalty for those things is death and judgment. Yes guilty as charged But jesus christ died on that cross was buried resurrected that third day arose from the dead Ascended into heaven sent his holy spirit to dwell in me and I am brand new in him And my name is now in the lambs book of life and I will live as one who understands that That's what god has called us to you see that's what paul is speaking about right now We see ourselves differently. You were once slaves to sin, but not anymore. You are brand new in jesus christ Entitus 3 verses 3 through 6 it says we ourselves were once foolish disobedient let us stray slaves to various passions and pleasures Passing our days in malice and envy hated by others and hating one another But when the goodness and loving kindness of god our savior appeared He saved us not because of works done by us in righteousness But according to his own mercy by the washing of regeneration And renewal of the holy spirit Whom he poured out on us richly through jesus christ our savior You see notice they had obeyed from the heart the message of redemption God's word had been received and acted upon and they were transformed from the inside god's word of salvation Occurs in your innermost being and by his spirit and by his word. He gives you a new heart which gives you new motives God says in Hebrews 10 16. This is the covenant. I will make with them after that time says the lord I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds You see some people live laws that are on tablets of stone that they still can read It's like they're looking at this philosophy and they're saying those are things I should do But I don't have the power to do them But god says i'm going to write my law on your heart and the things that you do are going to be done from the inside out Because i'm going to transform you from within So we're set free by clinging to and trusting in god and his word and walking in his spirit Jesus in john 8 31 and 32 said it like this if you continue in my word Then are you my disciples indeed you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free So he praises god in verse 17 god be thanked you were slaves yet you obeyed from the heart Verse 18 he goes on and he says and having been set free from sin You became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and of lawlessness leading To more lawlessness. So now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness At one time We were slaves and notice what he says that we yielded ourselves to two words uncleanness and lawlessness He said you yielded yourself to uncleanness and lawlessness uncleanness Is a word that speaks of a moral sense of uncleanness. It speaks of impurity. It speaks of a lust filled life You may not have been six sexually Lustful, but you were lusting for for power and fame or or money whatever that was the motivation of the life He said in a moral sense we had impurity of our lustful living and then he speaks of lawlessness When he speaks of lawlessness, that's contempt for the law. It speaks of not having moral restraint That's why in second peter 2 19. Peter said a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him That was at one time our way of life. We did whatever our sinful heart desired But that is no longer the way that we live Because of grace we're slaves of righteousness for holiness. We have a new life in jesus christ Because of his grace towards us Notice he closes verse 20 when you were slaves of sin you were free in regard to righteousness What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death But now Having been set free from sin, please underscore that having been set free from sin Having become slaves of god You have your fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life For the wages of sin is death But the gift of god is eternal life in christ jesus our lord We pursue righteousness We pursue righteousness and We pursue righteousness because And holiness because god Has done a work of grace in our life So as we pursue a righteous life and a holy life We are demonstrating that we understand what grace is The argument is Shall we sin because we're not under law but under grace god forbid The response is Grace motivates us from the inside to live a life in pursuit of that which is pleasing to god So our lives are not going to become worse for grace But the better So those who know jesus christ Do not continue in sin Not because we have a tablet of laws that we abide By rote just trying really hard to keep all those laws Because that makes you into what has been called an accidental Pharisee You actually begin to do things in a structured way So you have the appearance of being righteous And accidentally become a Pharisee who's always nitpicking and looking at other people's lives And saying all you're not all you can't You know you all you said look at you and Like jesus said we forgot that jesus said when you point your finger at one person Remember you've got three pointing back at you If you're busy taking out somebody's speck in their eye you may want to take that beam out of your own before you help them But we can become an accidental Pharisee because they're trying so hard To live an outwardly righteous life, but through grace Listen god changes you from the inside He writes his laws on the tablet of your heart And from within you have a passion and hunger to follow him And that's why you don't do the things you used to do So my friend says you can't drink anymore Because you're a christian and I said I can drink I don't want to drink There's a difference You can't smoke pot anymore because you're a christian. I could smoke pot But I don't want to why god changed my taste buds And god changed my desires I don't drink and I don't smoke pot and I don't run around with the girls anymore And I don't do any of those things because god changed my life and he wrote his law on the tablet of my heart And from the inside I now pursue him. You see the wages of sin is death But something charles virgin said one time that I really like he said the wages of sin is death But thank god I quit before payday And that's how it works