Romans 6:15-23
You are Free!
The book of Romans is not a light-weight book. It contains some heavy doctrine.
In this book, Paul argues many important but deep points.
1. Paul argues salvation by grace and grace alone, both in the Old and New
Testaments.
2. Paul argues salvation is available to the Gentiles.
3. Paul argues that even though Gentiles may be saved, the Jews are still a
blessed people.
4. In this section, Paul is arguing the freedom that comes by dying with
Christ.
Chapters 6 and 8 in Romans are necessary chapters for the Christian to learn the
importance of and the how to of overcoming sin.
We are jumping into the middle of these deep doctrines, so let me give you a
summary of what Paul has already said. I will not take the time to prove them,
but if you will accept them, they will help you understand what I am going to
preach about tonight.
1. Christians are dead to sin.
Romans 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, THAT ARE DEAD TO SIN, live any longer
therein?
a. That means we are freed from sin’s power.
b. The moment we were saved, all of sins shackles were broken.
c. No Christian has to sin. Sin does not have dominion or power over us.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the
law, but under grace.
2. Yet, we have a new life to live through Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:4 …Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
a. That new life, although available, is not easy.
b. We must learn how to use the powers of Christ that are ours.
c. If we do not, if instead Christians turn back into sin, they will
enslave themselves to the same sins from which Christ died to set
them free.
d. In doing so, they will damage themselves spiritually, emotionally,
and physically, ruining the new life that Christ gave.
Tonight, please notice:
I. We have a new Master in freedom.
Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have
obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
A. Our old master was sin.
1. Of course, sin is not a person.
a. God speaks of sin being our master because we basically did
whatever was sinful.
b. In BC (life before Christ), that was our natural tendency.
2. You might also say that Satan and selfishness were our masters.
a. That is the case for the same reason.
b. Lost individuals just tend to go the wrong direction.
B. But now, being set free from sin, we have a new Master.
1. Being free from sins does not mean we get to do what we want.
2. God has never intended man to be his own boss.
3. We were created to serve God.
1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your
body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
4. The whole of man’s problems came when Adam & Eve decided to be
their own boss. It was a bad idea then. It is a bad idea now.
5. Most of the problems a Christian might have today can likely be
traced back to that same problem, trying to be our own boss.
C. As you study the text, you might conclude we actually have more than
one master.
1. God \\#22\\
2. Righteousness \\#18\\
3. Paul also mentions "new life" as if it might be our boss.
4. In one way, all three are our new bosses.
5. For the Christian, God has become our Master; righteousness has
become our goal, and the new life we have in Christ is the means
of attaining that righteousness.
II. \\#Rom 6:15\\ We have a new and higher standard in freedom.
A. There is a lot of misunderstanding about grace.
1. The truth is that every one, both under the Old and New
Testaments, have been saved by grace.
a. Paul proves that in this Book.
b. However, the Old Testament saints were saved by grace and
worshipped under a works system.
c. We are saved and worship in grace.
2. There are many benefits to living completely under grace.
a. We are not works oriented under grace. There are no lists
for us to accomplish, no rules we must fear breaking.
b. We do not have to bring a sacrifice to worship.
c. We can travel as far as we need on the Lord’s Day.
d. We do not have a day that we must worship upon.
e. We do not abide in fear, wondering if we are saved or lost,
wondering if we have done enough to please God or done too
much to displease Him.
3. From time to time, we hear of people who say that those who
believe in once saved, always saved, have a license to sin.
4. What these people don’t understand is that grace demands even
more from us than the law (or works) did.
Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the
kingdom of heaven.
21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not
kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a
cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his
brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say,
Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
B. Grace expects more than the law demanded!
1. The law demanded that all males appear before God three times per
year. Grace demands we "walk in the Spirit."
2. The law demanded a sacrifice to atone for sin. Grace demands
that we present our bodies a living sacrifice to God, 24/7.
3. The law demanded a tithe, a tenth of all increase. Grace demands
that all we have be given to the Lord.
4. The law demanded that man not commit adultery. Grace demands
that not only our actions be pure but our mind as well.
5. The law demanded that we not kill. Grace demands that we love
even our worst enemy.
6. The law demanded a day of rest. Grace demands we enter into
God’s rest and peace, and stay there.
C. It almost seems like a contradiction.
1. On the one hand, I say we are not works oriented.
2. On the other hand, I list more works for us under grace than I
do under the legal system.
3. How can that be?
4. The answer is under grace we do not have to follow a list, we
follow a Leader, the Holy Spirit.
a. Each individual is responsible to do what the Holy Ghost tells
him, when the Holy Ghost tells him, how the Holy Ghost tells
him.
b. The Holy Spirit leads different people in different ways, but
all will be lead to be like Christ.
c. We do not do the things we do because we must, we do what we
do because we love Jesus and want to be like Him.
D. Why is the standard so much higher under grace? Because we have been
given so much more!
1. We now have the Holy Spirit working more directly with us.
2. We now have the completed Living Word in our hands.
3. We now have the Church, the body of Christ, to help us in the
practice of living different.
Luke 12:48 …For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required …
III. \\#Rom 6:20-23\\ We have a new goal in freedom.
A. Paul is asking the question, "What fruit did you have when you were
doing those things you are now ashamed of?" (while in darkness)
1. When he speaks of "fruit," he means fruit of righteousness. That
is, what good things did you do when you were lost.
2. The answer is NONE!
3. We need to get this principal - Lost people can’t produce good
fruit even if they are doing good deeds.
a. It makes sense to a lost person that if they will go to
church, treat someone else with kindness, or clean up their
act a little, it will impress God.
b. The opposite is true!
c. That is human flesh trying to impress God and instead of it
impressing God, it offends God.
B. Now that we are saved, we can reverse the question that Paul asked.
1. What fruits of darkness should we be producing now that we saved?
2. The answer is NONE.
3. I know it is a high goal to set, but Christians should shoot for
living a sinless life.
a. Literally, in this flesh, we will not permanently achieve it.
b. But it is our goal none the less.
IV. \\#Rom 6:19\\ We have a new plan for freedom.
A. In overcoming sin, the Christian finds varying degrees of success.
1. The chains of some sins are instantly broken at salvation.
2. Some fall away with some effort in time.
3. With others, we really struggle.
B. This is part of the plan of God.
1. It is not just freedom from sin that God wants us to have, it is
the growth that getting that freedom will bring.
a. As we fight to overcome sin, we grow.
(1) We grow in the Word which persuades us to struggle
against sin.
(2) We grow in prayer as we seek God’s help.
(3) We grow in faith as we see God giving us victory in
our struggle.
b. All of this and more is part of the slow growth process.
(1) It is very slow for us.
(2) It is very frustrating.
(3) We stumble and fall a lot.
C. God’s plan \\#19\\ As ye have yielded to uncleanness,
yield to righteousness.
1. Typically, we go into sin gradually. As Christians, we get out
of sin gradually.
2. Typically, each step is downward. As Christians, each step should
now be upward.
3. Typically, we just kept going the wrong way. As Christians, we
now just keep going the right way.
It is very important that every Christian understand that sin can destroy them,
but it need not do so. We can have the victory if we will seek the grace to
overcome.
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