Lesson 15
R
omans 6: 15-23, Sanctification, Part 2.
Paul continued to ask rhetorical questions and answered them.
V 15, What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?
Certainly not! Grace is not a license to sin but a freedom to serve Christ.
2 Tim 2: 1, ”be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”.
V 16, Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves, slaves, to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Greek for slave is “doulos”. We were once slaves to satan who operates by law and sin leading to bondage and death. Now that Christ had purchased our freedom, we are slaves to Him, who operates by grace, leading to obedience, righteousness, and life.
VV 17-18, 17 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. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
We were once slaves to satan. Now that Jesus Christ had redeemed our freedom, we turn from satan and turned to Jesus as slaves of righteousness.
VV 19-20, 19 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. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
When we were slaves to satan, we presented our bodies to satan for acts uncleanness and lawlessness. Now that we are slaves to Jesus, we are to present our bodies to Jesus for acts of holiness and righteousness.
1 Thess 4:3, ”It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality”
VV 21-22, 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 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.
There are two kinds of fruits. The fruit of disobedience when we were slaves of satan. The fruit of righteousness or fruit of the Spirit when we are in Christ. The un-regenerated person has the fruit of disobedience leads shame and eternal death. The born again believer has the fruit of the Spirit leads to holiness and eternal life.
V 23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Greek for wages is ”misthos” which means payment for work done. The payment for sin is death, but the grace from God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of grace, salvation, justification, sanctification, righteousness, holiness, and eternal life. Thank You for redeeming us and setting us free from sin and death into righteousness and eternal life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
