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Have you ever felt the need—perhaps even a desperate need—to change? Maybe you are simply trying to impress someone, but knew your flaws are shouting louder than your virtues. Maybe someone close to you gave you an ultimatum—change or else. Perhaps, you, like Adam and Eve in the Garden, knew you were morally naked, and feared meeting the Lord with his all-seeing eyes.
My own spiritual life has been punctuated by moments when I knew that I was “crooked deep down”— when I knew that I desperately needed change. Even the smallest or seemingly most surface level changes can be difficult—to wake up earlier or to read my Bible before looking at my phone. But, our need for change goes much deeper. Sometimes the needed change goes into deep matters of the soul—my desires, my loves, my anger, my pride. This is an unsettling experience, and one that is intended by God to drive us to Christ.
One of the lessons we’ve learned so far in the Letter to the Romans is that every human who has ever lived faces this predicament. We all fall short of the glory of God.
The greatest and most necessary solution to this predicament is that Jesus Christ lived perfectly before God. He never needed to repent or change. He always chose the good. He always pleased the Father. And, he offers his righteousness to those who come to him in faith, trusting in his atoning death on the cross and being united with him in his death and resurrection.
This faith in the work of Christ brings us justification (a right standing before God), forgiveness of sins, and the promise of eternal life with him.
This is what we mean by “Gospel” or “good news.”
But this good news goes beyond the promise of eternal life when we die. It also includes promises about change in this life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) — Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
What does Paul mean that the “new has come,” and how do Christians avail themselves of this newness of life?
Romans 6 is one of the most important passages in the entire Bible that addresses how change actually takes place in a believer’s life. Even before I preach from it tonight, I encourage you to begin hiding this passage in your heart that you might not sin against God. Memorize it. Meditate on it.
For our message tonight, we will be looking at verses 12-19. We will look at:
We have already turned the corner in Romans from the “Bad News” to the “Good News.” This is how chapter 5 begins:
Romans 5:1–2 (ESV) — Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
This is great news! We are declared righteous simply by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Through him we have access and rejoice the glory of God.
What is the problem, then? Even though through faith we have been counted as righteous (“justification”), we still sin and stand in need of moral change.
How do we know this? First, by experience. No matter how dramatic our salvation testimony, no matter how clearly we were brought from darkness to light, we still fall short of moral perfection in our attitudes, words, and actions. As a young Christian this is very disheartening. With a newly kindled zeal for God, and a newly washed conscience, we still fall into our old ways, sinning anew against our Lord.
We don’t just know from our experience, though. The Apostle John reminds us that Christians must not pretend that they no longer sin.
1 John 1:8–10 (ESV) — If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
One of the very marks of God’s work in our lives is that we acknowledge that we still sin.
What about Paul’s argument, though? Romans 6 exists, describing the need for believers to change to become more like Christ.
Paul responds to the anticipated objection to the freeness of the Gospel in vs. 1.
Romans 6:1 (ESV) — What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
If grace is so free and glorious, should we sin even more to magnify this amazing grace? Paul emphatically says, “No Way!”
After writing five chapters glorying in the mysterious hope of the Gospel, Paul gives the first commands to the Roman Christians in Romans 6:11 and following. These imperatives are about how they must stop giving themselves over to sin.
Romans 6:11–13 (ESV)
If salvation brought immediate deliverance from the reality of sin, these commands would be unnecessary. Our union with Christ (vv. 5-10) breaks the power of sin in our lives, but we are still faced with temptations and the opportunity to sin.
Let’s pause for a moment and consider this reality.
God could have orchestrated salvation in such a way that as soon as one put faith in Christ, all temptation to sin disappeared, and from then on the believer walked in perfect righteousness. After all, this is what will happen when we die or when the Lord returns.
But God didn’t make salvation work in this way. Instead, he made it so that we receive the hope of eternal life at conversion, and then we are gradually changed to be more like Christ until we die or the Lord returns. This is a big difference! But, it is God’s design and purpose for us.
Romans 8:29 (ESV) — For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
We are to be conformed to the image of Christ … over time.
Romans 12:2 (ESV) — Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We are to be transformed and renewed … over time.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) — And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Set your expectations, then, young believer. Don’t grow weary, older saint. God has purposed to sanctify you slowly over time.
Therefore, Paul tells the Roman Christians and us, consider yourselves dead to sin. Don’t let sin reign in your mortal body. Do not present your members to sin.
In other words, we still need to change in our actual behavior. Now let us see what path God has laid out for us to change.
We have already talked about this path for change in general terms. God is working in the believer’s life to conform him to the image of Christ. This work begins at salvation and continues until death or the return of Christ. Here is Wayne Grudem’s definition from his Systematic Theology.
Sanctification is a progressive work of God and believers that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives.
- Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 924.
We call this process “progressive sanctification” because it happens over time.
Paul does not use the descriptor “progressive” to modify sanctification in our passage, but he acknowledges that it is a process. He writes in vs. 19 that this process leads to sanctification.
How, then, does Paul present the process for believers to put away sin and put on Christ? Surprisingly, Paul uses the example of slavery. You probably would not have seen that coming if we had not already read the passage.
In fact, I’m 99% certain that none of you has ever answered this question with this answer:
Let’s dig a little deeper to see what Paul is doing.
Romans 6:16 (ESV)
Paul gives two options: slaves of sin or slaves of … ? We might expect, “slaves of God,” or “slaves of righteousness” (he’ll get there later). But, here Paul’s options are slaves of sin, or slaves of obedience. I would imagine some of you are looking for “Door Number Three” — the non-slavery option. How about freedom? He doesn’t give it.
Some of you are already flipping over to Galatians 5 where Paul writes:
Galatians 5:1 (ESV) — For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
However, in Galatians, Paul is answering a different question regarding the Old Testament law and grace.
Here in Romans, Paul is acknowledging that in our everyday lives, Christians are either presenting themselves to sin or obedience. Let’s add more context:
Romans 6:12–13 (ESV)
Romans 6:19 (ESV)
I believe Paul is acknowledging here in verse 19 that the slavery analogy isn’t perfect, though he sticks to it in the rest of the verse.
Let’s try to follow Paul’s argument through his imperatives.
vs. 11 — “Consider yourselves dead to sin.” This means to think a certain way about your identity. You have been united with Christ in his death and resurrection. The power of sin has been broken.
vs. 12 — Therefore, “don’t let sin reign in your mortal body.” This is possible because of verse 11. However, it is a choice. Paul implies that one could let sin reign. The interesting truth in verse 12 is that if one does let sin reign, it will “make you obey its passions.” Does it ever feel like you don’t have a choice in your sin? The habit patterns go so deep, and the ruts of falling to the temptation seem impossible to get out of?
vs. 13 — “Do not present your members to sin.” What are your members? Your eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet.
vs. 13 — Present yourselves to God. Paul is calling for an act of worship.
Romans 12:1 (ESV) — I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
The solution to change is not merely avoiding sins with your eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet. It is to present those things—even your whole person—to God.
This presentation of ourselves to God is not passive, it is active. In 6:2-10, Paul describes our union with Christ, in which we are passive. He unites us to Christ by faith. Here, our participation is active. We are to present ourselves to God.
This is putting ourselves (heart, mind, soul, strength) before him in the morning and saying, “I’m yours today. Use me for your purposes. Use my mouth, my hands, my feet, my affections, my emotions for your purposes.
If you’re still wrestling with the slavery analogy, let me offer some helps.
Slavery in first century Rome was different than slavery in America. One might choose slavery as an option to provide for his family. But, once chosen, obedience was expected. This helps us understand what Paul is arguing for in our text.
What is your posture toward obedience?
Is that how you approach obedience to God’s word? Or, do you hold on to your own autonomy? Do you treasure your own freedom, or “being your own man” above obedience to God?
In our culture, obedience to authority is nearly always shunned. Self-expression is cherished above all. “You can’t tell me how to live! That’s intolerant!”
Slaves don’t talk like that. Slaves say, “I am your servant, Lord. Here am I, send me.”
The path to sanctification is voluntary slavery to obedience and righteousness. However, we cannot even do that apart from God’s provision.
There is much more help in our passage than simply saying, “do better next time.” Let’s see some of the places where God’s grace is shining through.
Romans 6:17–18 (ESV)
To this point, we have focused on the intentional, daily presenting of ourselves and our members to God in the midst of our circumstances.
Here, Paul draws our attention back to something that has already happened to us, and he does it with a doxology, “Thanks be to God!”
He reminds them that they were once slaves of sin, but that they’ve had a heart change. The phrasing of verse 17 indicates that they were given over to that form of teaching.
Also, something definitive has already happened at conversion. “having been set free from sin,” they “have become slaves of righteousness.” This is descriptive of the change of allegiance at salvation.
Romans 6:14 (ESV)
We’ve made it through most of the sermon and are just now coming to this huge truth. One reason for that is that our entire sermon next week is going to be on this text.
However, I do want to say a few words here this evening.
Obedience is not the Gospel.
The reason that sin no longer has dominion over us is because of God’s covenant of Grace. Paul has already made the point extensively in Romans that no one will be justified by works of the law.
Grace makes all the difference. God does not give us what we deserve.
I know we have already covered the first parts of chapter 6, but this is one of the main provisions for our growth in Christlikeness. We have been united with him. All of the goods of salvation come to us because we have been united to Christ by faith.
Romans 6:6 (ESV)
What does this progressive sanctification look like in your life? What would you expect it to be?
Remember that the two choices in our sanctification are:
There is no third option. We will either be ruled by our sinful desires or by God’s commands.
One is never “free” from a master, and those non-Christians who think that they are “free” are under an illusion created and sustained by Satan. The choice with which people are faced is not “Should I retain my freedom or give it up and submit to God?” but “Should I serve sin or should I serve God? …
The freedom of the Christian is not freedom to do what one wants, but freedom to obey God—willingly, joyfully, naturally.
- Douglas J. Moo, NICNT, 425.
Consider writing a prayer of consecration.
Sometimes we see clearly the areas we need to change. Often, however, our vision is obscured and we need the help of others.
Verse 14 says that we’re not under law but under grace. Is this true for you?
If so, rest in the grace of God.
If not, turn to Christ. Cease striving against sin in your own power. You cannot make yourself righteous.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) — And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
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