Let's read God's Word.
What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace?
! By no means!
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,
you are slaves of the one whom you obey,
! Either of sin which leads to death,
or of obedience which leads to righteousness.
But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin
have become obedient from the heart,
to the standard of teaching to which you were committed.
And, having been set free from sin,
have become slaves of righteousness.
I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations.
For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity,
and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness,
so now present your members as slaves to righteousness,
leading to sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed?
For the end of those things is death.
For now that you have been set free from sin and become slaves of God,
the fruit you get leads to sanctification,
and it's in eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Let's pray together.
Thank you.
Gracious Heavenly Father,
I ask that you would be gracious to us here this morning.
That you would reveal yourself to us.
That you would show us who we are in Jesus.
And show us how to live because of who we are.
Because of Jesus.
I thank You for the love that You've shown us.
I thank You for Your Spirit that is moving and working even now.
And we ask that You would continue to work.
I don't know the situations in this room.
Nobody knows every situation in this room, God.
But I know You do.
And we trust that what is spoken will speak to each person
because there's power in Your Word.
And I pray that the words that come from my mouth
will be Your words, not my opinions,
but Your words this morning.
Show us how we should live because of Christ.
And we thank You for Him. In Jesus' name, Amen.
The Constitution, the U.S. Constitution,
was designed to defend and protect the freedoms
of each individual person.
The U.S., freedom is celebrated.
We have Independence Day.
We have people protesting because they have the freedom to do so.
If we strip freedom down,
if we take those layers off and we strip it back,
and we look at the real meaning and the effect of freedom,
we really come to the realization that none of us are free at all.
We are enslaved to something.
And for us, in the middle of the day,
that might be several things.
Example, you have a desire to eat.
You're hungry.
Well, you're now enslaved to that desire.
Temporary enslavement, nonetheless, but still enslavement.
You have a desire for companionship because you're lonely.
You are enslaved to that desire.
You want chocolate milk.
You're enslaved to that silly desire.
We are all enslaved and not really free.
Scripture reduces it even further for us.
That we are either enslaved to sin or enslaved to righteousness.
The hard truth about this is that's it.
There is no middle ground.
There is no neutral stance.
We are either enslaved to sin or enslaved to righteousness.
It's like Joshua in Joshua 24, chapter 24, verse 15.
At the end of his life, he says,
Choose this day whom you will serve.
And then the famous,
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
It's not a choice on us,
but it's either one or the other.
In reality, there's no such thing as freedom from outside power.
There's no such thing as being autonomous and just floating by yourself,
answering to no one,
being affected by nothing.
The truth is, we are a slave.
And we have a master.
So, I want to ask you,
as I preach this morning,
as I proclaim what I feel like God is wanting to say to us,
I want you to come up with a conclusion on your life.
Who is your master?
Is it sin or is it righteousness?
Who do you bow to?
Who do you worship?
In the end, I hope that you come to a clear conclusion
who that is and what that is.
Three points, really two big points.
We're going to look at what it looks like for a person who is enslaved to sin.
And we're going to look at what it looks like for a person who is enslaved to righteousness.
Each having evidence of both.
So, let's look at what it is to be enslaved to sin.
What does this look like?
Verse 16 says,
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,
you are slaves of the one whom you obey,
either of sin, which leads to death,
or of obedience, which leads to righteousness.
The result of being enslaved to sin is death.
Later on in verse 19, it says,
Lawlessness.
More lawlessness.
The result is death.
It doesn't mean anything else.
Sin is very powerful.
John MacArthur said this about sin,
and he's got alliteration,
and I try not to do that,
so forgive me.
Sin is very powerful.
It is the most devastating,
debilitating,
degenerating power
that ever entered the human stream.
The most devastating,
debilitating,
and degenerating power.
The evilness of sin
corrupted all of mankind.
So let's look at a few descriptions of sin
from Scripture real quick.
Sin is defiling.
It is a pollution of the soul.
It's like a corrosion on a beautiful piece of metal,
or smog in a beautiful sky.
Pollution.
Isaiah 30, verse 22 says,
Sin is called an impure thing.
Deuteronomy 32 says,
Sin is the poison of serpents,
and the cruel venom of asps.
Even though we could consider to be righteous
the things that we think are good,
Isaiah 64, verse 6 says that they are filthy garments,
or menstrual cloths.
2 Corinthians 7, verse 1 says that sin is the defilement of flesh and spirit.
Titus 1 says that sinners are those whose minds,
minds and consciences are defiled.
Sin is pollution of the soul.
Sin is also rebellious.
It is the acting out and the ignoring of God's word.
It is rebellious.
Somebody called,
and I don't know who this is,
called sin,
God's would-be murderer.
Because if sin had its way,
it would destroy God Himself
along with His righteousness.
We see this in Romans chapter 7,
the next chapter we're headed to,
where Paul says,
I do what I don't want to do,
and I don't do what I want to do.
Sin is rebellious.
Sin is also ungrateful.
Every person indulges in God's gracious provisions,
but we fail,
or mankind fails to give credit to God,
much less to thank Him.
We take God's blessings
and use them to serve ourselves for,
and Satan.
Every sinner is like Absalom.
You know who Absalom is?
David.
It's one of David's sons.
In 2 Samuel chapter 14 and 15,
this son of David
kisses his father
at the same time
plotting to take his throne.
This is what sin does.
It is ungrateful.
Sin is incurable.
No matter how hard man tries to fix the problem,
no matter how creative we be
to come up with a solution,
it's impossible to fix our situation.
Jeremiah 13 talks about the Ethiopian
changing his skin.
It's impossible.
Or a leopard,
his thoughts,
cannot change who we are.
It is a helpless state.
Ephesians 2,
Colossians 2,
it is a dead state.
Sin is overpowering.
In Romans chapter 1,
verse 21,
it says that sin dominates the mind.
In John 3,
it dominates the affections.
In Jeremiah 44,
it dominates the will.
It says darkness hovers overnight,
sin hovers over all mankind.
Sin is overpowering.
And lastly,
and the scariest of all,
sin damns the unreneeed soul to hell.
In Revelation chapter 20,
John is given a vision of this throne,
the judgment.
And he writes,
And I saw the dead,
great and small,
standing before the throne,
and books were opened.
Then another book was opened,
which is the book of life.
And the dead were judged
by what was written in the books,
according to what they had done.
And the sea gave up the dead
who were in it.
Death and Hades gave up the dead
who were in them,
according to what they had done.
Then death and Hades
were thrown into the lake of fire.
This is the second death,
the lake of fire.
And if anyone's name
was not found written
in the book of life,
he or she was thrown
into the lake of fire.
Sin damns the unredeemed soul.
John 8.34,
Jesus' word says
that everyone who commits sin
is a slave to sin.
As we have seen what sin is,
the power and control that it has,
we all have been
or are currently slaves to sin.
It's one or the other.
If you are a slave to sin,
then death and lawlessness
are the fruit of your labor.
The fact is
that you're going to do
what your master
asks of you.
There's no,
I don't know,
maybe, maybe not.
If your master is sin,
you are going to sin.
If your master is
obedient to righteousness,
you're going to do
righteous things.
Act pure.
Act perfect.
Live sinless.
And if we're going to do
what our master does,
then we're reflecting
that master.
We represent him.
We portray his attributes.
And eventually,
eventually,
we become like him
or it.
So the question for you
just this far,
what do you portray?
What are you reflecting
to the world?
Who is your master?
Now the sad part
of this situation,
the sad part
about all mankind,
is that most of the world
doesn't even know it.
They don't even know
the situation
that they're in.
Let's just look at
Georgia for a minute.
Smaller picture.
2010,
the projected number
of lost people
in Georgia
is 6.8 million.
2020,
they said,
it's going to raise
to over 8 million.
That is astronomical.
That is 8 million people
who do not know
that they are enslaved
to sin.
There are 900,000 people
who live inside
the perimeter
in Atlanta.
800,000
are lost.
Are not affiliated
with a church
or Jesus.
So,
70%
in our state
and 90%
inside the perimeter.
in the Bible belt.
Some would say
the buckle
of the Bible belt
don't know Jesus.
They don't know
that they are
enslaved
to sin.
So,
no matter
how good they are,
how religious
they are,
and some of us
in this room,
how good we are,
how religious we are,
we're still
enslaved
to sin.
Here is something
else.
Did you,
did you know
that in the Civil War
that slaves
would fight
for their masters
for the,
for the Confederate
Army?
They would fight
for the guys
who were their
masters.
They'd fight
against the very
people who were
trying to emancipate
them,
who were trying
to free them
from this
slavery.
They fought
the very ones
who were fighting
for them.
Now,
I bring that up
because,
isn't that what
we do as
Christians?
Don't we fight
the one who
fought for us
when we sin,
when we become
enslaved to sin
voluntarily?
Isn't that what
we do?
We do the exact
same thing.
We fight
against the one
who has fought
for us.
Are you
fighting against
Jesus?
This is what
sin does.
It gets us
to fight.
It gets us
to hate
the one
who died
for the very
sin that we're
committing.
So whether
you have been
a slave to sin
or you are
a slave to sin,
there is hope
from this bondage.
There is a way
out.
There is no
reason for you
to stay
in your situation
being ruled
by sin.
And I say
ruled because
sin is
your master
if you do not
know Jesus
Christ.
So let's talk
about those
who are enslaved
to righteousness
because this
maybe is better
news for us.
Maybe not.
So if
you're not
enslaved to sin
and you're
enslaved to
righteousness,
which when I
say righteousness,
I mean
holy,
perfect,
sinless life.
I mean
pursuing good
deeds,
trying to live
for God,
following His
laws,
honoring Him
with your
life.
Now we
become part
of this group.
We become
enslaved to
righteousness,
not by anything
that we have
done.
We have to be
clear about this.
not by any
good merit,
not by any
prayer that we
pray.
There was
nothing in us
that earned
this transfer
and master
that is all
by the grace
of God.
Verse 18
says,
it does not
say,
I'm sorry,
verse 18,
does not say
that you set
yourself free.
It says that
having been set
free from sin
have become
slaves to
righteousness.
It is an
act done
to you,
not by you.
God,
through Jesus
Christ,
has set you
free.
These are
chains that
we cannot
break ourselves.
He sets you
free from the
bondage of
sin,
from the
control and
dominance of
sin.
You're now
slaves to
righteousness,
which is a
good thing,
not a
negative thing.
God didn't
have to do
this.
He didn't
have to.
He wanted
to,
and he's
the only
one who
could do
it.
So if
you have a
desire to
do good,
a desire to
honor and
please God,
if you
treasure Jesus,
then your
master is
righteousness,
your master is
obedience.
there's been
a dramatic
change in
your life.
You are
dead to
sin now,
no longer
dead in
sin.
You are
dead to
sin.
It no
longer has
power over
you,
no longer
has control
over you.
So,
when you're
in the
hardest of
times,
the most
ferocious
fights,
the most
vulnerable
moments of
temptation,
you don't
have to
give in.
You can
have victory
over that
temptation
because Jesus
Christ has
freed you
from that
power.
Jesus has
defeated death
and sin so
that you can
grow in
God's grace,
so that you
can grow in
His love for
you and
His love for
others,
so you can
grow in
knowledge of
Him.
And the
best part,
I think,
is that you
can grow in
your vulnerability
to sin.
You no
longer give
in to sin
as often
because you've
been set
free.
You can
live sinless
life.
The result
of being a
slave to
righteousness
is sanctification.
Verse 19.
Last part,
so now
present your
members as
slaves to
righteousness
leading to
sanctification.
Whenever you
see this
word in
scripture,
whenever you
see it,
the idea is
there's a
person being
set apart
for God's
glory,
a person
being perfected
and set
apart.
I know
analogies
fall short.
They never
always work,
but I'm
going to try
to give you
this one.
When I was
a kid,
I had a
baseball card
collection.
I would
buy a
pack of
cards and
you got
six or
seven or
ten cards
and the
top,
you got
the little
piece of
bubble gum
that was
horrible,
but you
liked it
because you
were a
kid.
And the
high percentage
of the
time,
you got
nothing good.
A lot of
times,
you got a
whole pack
and there
was not a
good card
in it.
You're a
little
disappointed,
but you
did get
the gum.
Now,
when I did,
when I did
get a good
card,
I would
take that
card and
I would
set it
off to
the side.
I would
set it
off to
the side
because I
knew that
this is a
good card.
This may
not be worth
15 cents,
5 cents,
but it was a
good card.
It was just
somebody's rookie
card,
some good
player.
And I
would set
it apart
and I
would put
it in my
folder with
the individual
slots for
cards.
And I
would set
it aside so
that I knew
that I could
go to that
card,
I could go
to those
good cards
and I could
enjoy them
and I could
look at
them.
It's the same
for us.
We have been
set apart.
We've been put
aside for the
rest of mankind
for the purpose
of bringing God
great joy and
glory.
We have been
set apart for a
purpose.
And my
baseball cards,
they weren't
going to make
me rich,
but I sure
did enjoy
looking at the
good players
and their
stats.
God has
chosen to
use you
to get the
gospel to
those who
need to
hear it.
We were
not set
apart to
sit and
stay protected
from the
evil world.
We were
set apart to
look different,
to live
different,
and to love
different in a
dark and evil
world.
And the
whole time
pointing to
Jesus and
not to
ourselves.
another word
to keep in
mind when
seeing
sanctification
is holiness.
We are
being made
holy as
God continues
to mold us
into the
men and
women of
God He
wants us
to be.
As the
clay in
the potter's
hands
molds His
creation,
God is
molding us
and perfecting
us.
So being
enslaved to
righteousness
is not
a bad
thing.
It is
not a
negative
thing.
It is
a glorious
thing.
So here's
some
evidences
of being
enslaved or
being slaves
of righteousness.
Evidences
from our
text.
Evidence
number one,
you are
thankful for
the proper
things.
Verse 17
says,
But thanks
be to
God that
you who
were once
slaves of
sin have
become
obedient from
the heart
of the
standard
teaching to
which you
were committed.
thanks be
to God
for the
lives that
have been
radically
changed by
God's
grace.
This
Thanksgiving,
did you
thank God?
Did you
thank God
physically for
the physical
things?
Did you
thank God
for the
spiritual
things?
Are you
thankful for
the brothers
and sisters
you have in
Christ in
this room?
Are you
thankful for
those who
are coming
from their
enslavement
to sin
over the
enslavement
of righteousness?
Are you
rejoicing?
Are you
thankful for
those?
There's a
lot of
things that
we can
be thankful
for.
We can
be thankful
for the
places we
live,
the cars
we drive,
the clothes
we wear.
We can
be thankful
for the
food we
eat.
But there's
only one
that we
can be
thankful
for that
is
eternal.
One
thing.
And that
is the
salvation
that we
have
through
Christ.
And so
often,
so often
we take
this very
thing,
take it
for granted.
We have
this ho-hum
attitude.
You know,
it becomes
just,
you know,
just something
we do,
something we
are.
No big
deal.
It's like
a hat
to put on
and take
off.
This
salvation
that you
and I
have,
it should
be that
new car
we drive
around in
slow,
down the
road so
that everybody
sees it.
It should
be that
new necklace
we wear
on the
outside of
our clothes
so that
everybody
can see
it.
That
driveway
filled with
cars so
people know
something is
happening.
That
billboard
that grabs
everyone's
attention,
that should
be our
salvation,
not something
we hide
and pick up
Sunday
morning,
not something
we don't
do,
something
we don't
live out.
We hide
it way
too often.
And Jesus
spoke about
this in
the Sermon
on the
Mount.
He says,
you are
the light
of the
world.
Because of
your salvation,
you are
the light
of the
world.
A city
set on
a hill
cannot
be hidden,
nor do
people light
a lamp
and put
it under
a basket,
but on
a stand
and it
gives
light all
in the
house.
So
question
then,
are you
a city
on a
hill?
A city
on a
hill
cannot
be
hidden.
Are you
enslaved
to
righteousness?
Our
thankfulness
is a
good
thermometer
of the
temperature
of our
salvation,
what we
really think
and feel
about it.
So what
are you
thankful
for?
See,
this salvation
is supernatural.
It's an
act of
God,
making the
dead alive.
The
sinner a
saint,
the slave
of sin
into a
slave of
righteousness.
So
evidence
number one
is you
are thankful
for the
proper
things.
Evidence
number two,
your
obedience
to God
has
action.
We have
said this
time and
time again.
Scripture
says it
time and
time again.
but your
obedience to
God has
action.
Verse 17.
But thanks
be to God
that you
who were
once slaves
of sin
have become
obedient from
the heart
to the standard
of teaching
to which
you were
committed.
Obedient
from the
heart.
Whenever the
Bible talks
about the
heart,
it's not
the organ.
It's not
the organ
pumping
blood for
your body.
It's also
not the
central hub
of emotions
and feelings.
You know,
I love
you from
the bottom
of my
heart.
That's not
what it's
talking about.
From the
heart here
is from
the entire
being,
from the
soul.
It's the
seat of
physical,
spiritual,
and mental
life.
It's what
makes you
who you
are.
When he
says from
the heart,
he's saying
that you
were obedient
with every
fiber of
your being.
That there
was sincerity,
sincerity to
your
obedience.
Meaning,
that there
was action
that followed
that
obedience.
My question
is,
is your
obedience
just
mouth
service?
Is it
just something
you say
and nothing
you do?
Because,
my friends,
that is not
obedience.
Is there
action that
reflects what
you believe?
this is one
of the reasons
why the
Christian
suffers.
This is one
of the reasons
why Scripture
over and
over tells
the Christians
that we're
going to
suffer.
Because God
in His
sovereignty
puts the
Christian in
a position
where they
have to live
out what
they say
they believe.
You can't
just say
you're a
Christian and
not act
like one.
It doesn't
work that
way.
You can't
just say
you believe
something and
not be
forced to
live it
out.
It doesn't
work that
way.
God is
not like
that.
It doesn't
work.
We are
we suffer
and we
are forced
to believe
what we
believe so
that people
around us
can see
Jesus.
We put
action to
what we
say we
believe.
suffering
also puts
the
Christian
in a
complete
dependence
upon
Jesus.
Not
on our
abilities or
our
possessions or
our comforts
but on
Jesus
alone.
So just
like there's
no neutral
stance in
being enslaved
to sin or
enslaved to
righteousness,
there's no
middle ground,
there's no
Switzerland here,
there is no
passive or
neutral Christian.
Okay?
There's no
passive or
neutral Christian.
If your life
has been
changed,
it cannot
be and is
not a
whole long
life change.
It isn't.
And if
somebody is
telling you
it is,
then they're
lying to
you.
Passiveness
is for the
unbeliever.
We must
be men
and women
of action
and fight.
You want
to see
Jesus glorified?
Get off
your rear end
and do
something for
Him.
You want
to see your
workplace
changed?
Stop being
passive and
silent and
speak up.
You want
to be in a
healthy
relationship,
a God-honoring
relationship?
Stop talking
and work
towards it.
Trust Jesus
in all areas
of your
life.
He knows
what's best.
And He has
the power to
enable us to
do it and
the strength
to sustain
us.
Jesus defeated
death.
He can surely
help us through
the fight
that we're
in.
Defeat the
fear that we
have.
Obedience
has action.
evidence
number three
is that you
reflect the
master,
capital M.
Verse 16.
Do you
not know
that if you
present yourselves
to anyone
as obedient
slaves,
you are
slaves of
the one
whom you
obey,
either of
sin,
which leads
to death,
or of
obedience,
which leads
to righteousness.
And as I
have said
already,
we are
going to
be mastered
by one.
It's not
who you
decide you
master by.
You're
going to
be mastered
by one
or the
other.
If you
are a
slave to
sin,
then you
are going
to act
as your
master act,
which is
sin.
If you
are a
slave to
righteousness,
slave to
living,
perfect,
holy lives,
honoring God,
then you're
going to
act as your
master act and
do those
things.
So let's
say,
for an
example,
that you
own a
restaurant.
Now your
employees
represent you
and the
company.
Now I'm
pretty certain
that if you
own a
family
restaurant,
whatever it
is,
a family
restaurant,
you're
probably not
going to
hire somebody
who has
spikes coming
out their
head and
out their
cheeks and
tattoos all
the way up
on their
necks and
every other
word is a
curse word.
You're just
not going
to do
it.
Why?
Because that
person,
as your
employee,
represents
you.
And you're
trying to
portray a
certain
environment.
They
represent
you.
And so
you hire
somebody who
right or
wrong,
who looks
like you,
who cares
like you,
and who
can represent
you the
way you
want to
be
represented.
And so
as their
employee,
you enforce
certain
guidelines and
rules.
You dress a
certain way,
you act a
certain way,
customers always
write,
you do these
types of
things so
that they
properly
represent you
and the
restaurant.
When we are
slaves to sin
or to
righteousness,
we represent
that master.
So on this
level,
for us,
the illustration
breaks down a
little bit,
for us,
there's no
rules to
follow.
There's no
things that
we should
do.
We're just
going to
do it.
We're going
to obey
that master.
That's
just the
way it
is.
So if
our master
is sin,
we're going
to sin.
And what
Paul is
trying to
say is
that if
your master
is righteousness,
then you're
going to do
righteousness.
And you're
going to be
subjected to
Jesus and
honoring him.
This is how
we were
created.
This is how
we were
created.
We have a
master.
We're born
into being
a master,
being mastered
by sin.
And Jesus
comes and
changes that.
See, we
were created,
originally man
was created to
reflect,
one master.
We were
created to
be created
in his
image,
Genesis
127.
We were
created to
reflect him,
to be image
bearers,
the creator
of the
universe.
We were
created to
bring glory
to him,
to him
alone.
We were
created to
worship him
and to
bring honor
and praise
to him,
to prove
that he is
worthy of
all praise.
That's what
we were
created for.
Genesis
3,
all that
changed.
Because of
sin,
we have
been corrupted.
Because of
sin,
we no longer
are image
bearers of
God.
We no
longer can
worship God.
But we're
now image
bearers of
ourselves.
We now
worship
ourselves and
sin is our
master.
sin.
We have
a worship
issue.
We worship
ourselves,
which is
sin.
We are
held captive
by that
sin.
Instead of
worshiping the
creator,
we worship
the creation
and become
enslaved by it.
you guys
have been
there.
Can't
think of
anything else.
Can't do
anything else
without giving
in.
It just
happens.
It just
comes out of
your mouth.
It just
whatever.
Then
it's
slaved to
sin.
This is a
worship issue.
You're not
reflecting the
master.
you're
reflecting
your
master.
There's
good news.
There's
good news.
Instead of
being enslaved
to sin,
instead of
being controlled
by sin,
if you're a
Christian,
you've been
set free
from that
sin.
You've
been set
free.
Sin no
longer has
power over
you.
We can
live for
him.
because of
him.
Turn to
Colossians.
Now if we
are enslaved
to
righteousness,
and we
are enslaved
to Christ,
to Jesus'
righteousness,
his righteousness
that we
have,
it has
power over
it.
Still,
again,
nothing that
we do.
Colossians
chapter 1,
second part
of verse
16.
Because all
things were
created through
him and for
him.
And he is
before all
things,
and in him
all things
hold together.
he is the
head of the
body of
the church,
and he is
the beginning,
the first
war from
the dead,
that in
everything he
might be
preeminent.
For in
him all the
fullness of
God was
pleased to
dwell,
and through
him to
reconcile to
himself all
things,
whether on
earth or in
heaven,
making peace
by the
blood of
his cross.
we can
live for
him because
of him.
We can
live for
Jesus because
of Jesus.
We can be
set free
because of
Jesus.
Romans
chapter 6,
verse 18,
our text this
morning, it
says,
and having
been set
free from
sin,
having been
set free
from sin,
you have
become slaves
of righteousness.
You have
been set
free to
worship and
treasure Jesus.
He is
worth it.
You have
been set
free to
love those
whom you
cannot.
You have
been set
free to
no longer
fall for
the lies
of the
enemy.
You have
been set
free to
forgive the
most awful
things done
to you
because Jesus
died for
you and
for them,
and he
has forgiven
us.
You have
been set
free to
let go
of the
grudge
that you
keep holding
on to
that has
stunted
your spiritual
growth.
You have
been set
free to
accept the
leadership of
your husband
no matter
how hard
it may be.
You have
been set
free to
just let
go.
Let go
of the
things that
you think
God doesn't
know,
or the
things that
you think
are too
heinous and
awful.
you have
been set
free to
be different,
to not
buy the
car or
the house
or the
$300 jeans.
You have
been set
free to
not care
what others
think.
You have
been set
free to
love God
and hate
sin.
This is
who we
are.
You're
a Christian,
this is
who you
are.
Christian,
you have
been set
free.
Jesus has
done what
we could
not do
so that
we can
live like
he did.
Let's
live for
his glory,
for his
renown,
and prove
to the
world that
he is
all we
need.
Because
that's what
scripture
says.
We have
been set
free.
Real
quickly,
at the
end of
verse 17,
there's a
peculiar
statement.
ESV
says,
the standard
of teaching
to which
you were
committed.
Other
versions say,
hand it
over.
I bring
this up
because this
is not
evidence of
your
commitment or
my commitment
to the
teaching.
What he
is saying
here is
this word
is more
like being
committed to
a mental
facility.
more like
somebody
acting on
your behalf
for your
good.
God
committed
us to
his
teaching.
It is
his action
on our
lives,
but our
good and
his glory.
Praise
me to
God.
He has
committed
us to
his
teaching.
So this
morning,
my prayer is
that God
has spoken
you,
that he's
made it
clear to
you who
your
master is,
that you
know
if it's
him,
if your
master is
righteousness,
if your
master is
him,
praise God,
thank him
for his
grace and
his goodness.
If it's
sin,
that's
okay,
because you
know where
you stand
at.
Because
God has
made a
way where
you can
no longer
play the
sin.
You can
no longer
live a
hopeless and
helpless
life.
Jesus
died on
the cross
for your
sins.
He died.
He died
so that you
can be set
free.
from the
power and
control of
sin.
Let's
repent and
believe.
Turn from
your sins.
Accept,
admit your
situation,
and ask
God to
change you.
Joshua 24,
15.
Choose this
day whom
you will
serve.
As for me
and my
house,
we will
serve the
Lord.
and
have
to
have
!