Audio - We Must Live as Christians

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TEXT:  NKJ Romans 6:19 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. 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. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
In first century Rome—as in our very town today—there are those who misrepresent, misunderstand, and teach in error the doctrine of God’s mercy and grace—Paul tries to put it into simple human terms—Luther said it this way in his consideration of this lesson—suppose a thief is caught in the act of robbery—he is brought before the judge—the robber begs for mercy—confesses his guilt—and begs for mercy—the judge has compassion and sets the thief free
 
Now suppose the thief leaves the courtroom—returns to his old ways as a thief and continues to rob people—we would all agree that this is a disgrace—he didn’t appreciate the grace and mercy shown by the judge—what disrespect the thief shows toward the judge—the thief returns to his old ways—and forgets the promise to change that he made to the judge
 
This is an outrageous example—but it makes the point of the lesson—when you confess your sin—you acknowledge and admit guilt to that sin—God forgives your sin and you are expected to make changes to avoid sinning again
 
If we are outraged when a man violates the laws of our society—is pardoned—and goes right back to violating our laws—why would we not be even more outraged that a man would sin—be forgiven by God—and return to a life of sin?—That’s what Paul is saying!—Paul is telling us that God’s grace cancels our deserved sentence of eternal death and hell-fire—God grants us forgiveness and eternal life—we have life by the grace of God!
 
But we are not pardoned by God’s forgiveness to live our lives as we have always lived them—we are different now—we are Christians owing a debt we can never repay—our debt of deserved punishment for sin—we are to live our lives in true repentance—always trying to achieve perfection—we struggle with this—and so did Paul—who in this world owed a greater debt to God for sin than Paul?—this man spent his youth murdering innocent Christians—when Jesus called Paul into service—Paul owed his life to Christ—and Paul lived the rest of his life for God—but he was not always able to do things as he wished he could—listen to this struggle within Paul’s personal testimony
 
NKJ Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
 
Paul struggled with sin—and he describes the war within his flesh—good and evil cannot occupy the same space without conflict—and Christians have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them—and as human beings we are filled with sin—thus the struggle and war Paul describes
 
Paul was a wise man—knowledgeable of the writings of the wisest of all men for all time, King Solomon—as King Solomon approached the end of his life, he wrote these things for our learning
 
NKJ Ecclesiastes 2:9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.
 
When we examine the words translated as “under the sun” we find that they mean “apart from God”—there is no true pleasure or happiness or contentment outside of God—thus speaks the man who had everything—with this in mind—the words of Paul can be better understood—people of God are not to indulge in the pleasures of this world—because they will distract us from the important thing—God!
 
We are different than the other sinners in this world?—we are forgiven!—not because we deserve forgiveness—but because we truly love our neighbor and forgive others in obedience to God
 
NKJ Luke 6:37 " Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
 
It all comes back to the commandments Jesus instructed us to keep—the summary of all the commandments God gave us
 
NKJ Luke 10:25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?" 27 So he answered and said, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.' "
 
TEXT:  NKJ Romans 6:19 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.
 
Paul has been building up to this statement through all of Romans chapter 6—trying to explain to the Romans that since the Holy Spirit brought them to understanding of Jesus’ saving grace—they must reject the pleasures of this world and look at the pleasure of being in God’s presence for all eternity in heaven
 
Consider some of the passages leading up to these verses
 
NKJ Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
 
Paul says this about Jesus
 
NKJ Romans 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
 
NKJ Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
 
Paul is saying why is it different among Christians?—Just because God says your sins are forgiven doesn’t mean we should go out and sin without consideration of the consequences of sin—SIN KILLS!—we can’t just go on sinning as if we never heard the Gospel message
 
TEXT:  NKJ Romans 6:20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
 
Hear this exchange between Jesus and the Jewish leaders—these Jews thought they would inherit heaven just because they were descendants of Abraham—Jesus is explaining freedom from the bondage of sin
 
NKJ John 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
 
As long as we are on this earth we are sinners—Paul is telling the Roman Christians—and us today—that we are not to take forgiveness of sins lightly—live every hour of every day as if you were a citizen of heaven waiting to complete your journey home—because that is the definition of a Christian!
 
NKJ Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
 
By continuing to sin without regard to being slaves to sin is not the proper understanding of forgiveness and salvation—that is Paul’s message today
 
TEXT:  NKJ Romans 6:21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
 
Paul asks “What did you have before you became a Christian?”  All of those things that we were so pleased with are now things that bring shame—we’re different—we’re Christians—we’re not supposed to be like the people of this world
 
TEXT:  NKJ Romans 6:22 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. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
Those that serve sin become slaves to sin—those that serve God become righteousness in God’s sight due to the forgiveness and inheritance of the Son of God—notice that the wages of sin “earn” death—but the gift of God is eternal life
 
We close this lesson with a few verses from Paul’s letter the Ephesians which brings us from sin to salvation
 
NKJ Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
 
NKJ Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
 
We are not the sinners we once were—we still sin—but by the grace of God we forgive—and we are forgiven
 
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!