Set Free to Serve Righteousness

Romans 6:12 – 18 (NLT)

¹² Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. ¹³ Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. ¹⁴ Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. ¹⁵ Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! ¹⁶ Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. ¹⁷ Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. ¹⁸ Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

Message

To understand today’s passage, let us briefly recap what we studied last week:

We have been united with Christ in His death (Romans 6:5^a) and resurrection (Romans 6:5^b). When Christ died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God (Romans 6:10). We should consider ourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Chrit Jesus (Romans 6:11).

I. Our New Life in Christ Demands a New Way of Living (12–13)

We were dead with Christ but now we have new life in Christ (13^c). Therefore,

• Do not let sin control the way you live (12^a)
• Do not give in to sinful desires (12^b)
• Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin (13^a).
• Instead, give yourselves completely to God (13^b)
• Use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God (13^d).

II. Grace Has Changed Our Master (14)

Paul explains our new reality. See verse 14:

¹⁴ Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

• Sin is no longer our master
• We are no longer under law
• We now live under the freedom of God’s grace

III. Grace Is Not Permission to Sin (15)

Based on this, Paul confronts the false conclusion:

^15a Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning?

The answer is:

Of course not! (15^b)

IV. You Become a Slave to Whatever You Obey (16)

Paul teaches in verse 16:

¹⁶ Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

Paul gives a spiritual principle:

• Obey sin → slavery → death
• Obey God → slavery → righteous living

There is no neutral ground. Every choice of obedience reveals our true master.

V. God Has Freed Us to Wholehearted Obedience (17–18)

See verses 17-18.

¹⁷ Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. ¹⁸ Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

Because Christ has saved us and set us free from slavery to sin, we must actively choose to obey God and offer ourselves to Him. This obedience (17) shows our new life in Christ and leads to righteous living (18).