Our text this morning is Romans chapter 6, 12 through 14.
I'm going to start reading in verse 11.
God's Word says,
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
! Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions.
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness,
but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life.
And your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law, but under grace.
Let's pray together.
Fathers, we've just sung, I need Thee every hour.
I need You this moment to guide the words that are spoken,
to guide the hearing of those words.
May the words that are spoken be Your words this morning.
As John the Baptist said,
I must decrease so that He may increase.
I pray that this morning.
That I decrease so that Christ can increase in our meeting.
So that we can see Christ.
See who He is.
See what He's done.
See how He loves us, cares for us, and has changed our lives.
We thank You for Christ.
We thank You for this great privilege to meet together.
Father, Spirit, I ask that You continue to move in the hearts of those here.
That You would penetrate the hardest of hearts.
Soften those hearts to be receptive to Your Word.
That You would convict the stubbornness, or most stubborn hearts,
that repentance can be acted out.
Let us leave here different because Your Spirit moved,
You worked, and we learned about You.
In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Be seated.
So if this is your first time,
we are going through the book of Romans.
Verse by verse.
And as a quick review,
chapter 1 and 2 is about the illness,
or the problem with mankind,
whether you're Jewish or not,
and that is sin.
We are dead in sin.
We are totally dead.
Not just a little dead.
We don't need a band-aid.
We don't need some magic potion or serum.
We are dead.
We need a miracle.
We need God to work on our behalf.
Chapter 3 kind of sums up 1 and 2 in saying that no one is righteous.
No, not one.
No one does good apart from God.
Chapter 4 gives us the way in which those of us who are dead can be alive.
That is by faith.
We are justified by faith alone.
That faith is an act or a gift from God.
No religious activity can earn that faith,
can make that faith.
No good deed or nice to your neighbor can earn that faith.
It is completely by God's act.
Chapter 5,
as our standing with God changes because of the faith,
because of being justified by faith.
We are no longer enemies with God.
We are now at peace with God.
Verse 1,
and that peace
is good.
That peace
is
what only God
can do.
As I've said before,
we cannot earn that peace.
We cannot say,
God,
I will just stop being your enemy
because
what makes us an enemy
is inside of us.
It is what makes us who we are.
It is what we are born into.
It is God's act that gives us peace.
It is what Christ has done on the cross for us.
Later in chapter 5,
Paul compares
Adam to Christ.
Basically,
gives you the question,
gives us the question,
do you belong to Adam?
The lineage of sin?
Do you belong to Adam
or do you belong to Jesus?
Which gives us life.
And that's the question I end with.
Do you belong to Jesus
or do you belong to Adam?
Are you a child of God
or are you a child of the world?
Last week,
we talked about
God's radical grace.
This radical grace
that is radical enough
to kill us.
To kill that sin inside of us.
And it's radical enough
to give us life.
To make us new.
So that's kind of where we are.
Where we're moving forward.
This week,
we kind of get the action.
What are we doing
since we are dead to sin?
How do we live?
In 1941,
the U.S. national debt
was $48 billion.
Manageable numbers
compared to our debt this year.
In 1945,
it rose to $247 billion.
The U.S. spent more money
in four years of World War II
than it had in the first
150 years of its existence.
The cost of war is great.
World War II to this day
remains the most expensive war
the U.S. has ever fought.
418,000 men lost their lives
fighting in World War II.
U.S. men.
There was great cost in war.
Now, it's the same for us spiritually.
We too are in a war.
We fight for our own lives
to live without sin.
We fight for those around us
having the courage
to live out the Gospel
in front of them.
In this text,
there is a wartime feel,
wartime language.
It speaks of good versus evil.
And we're right in the middle of it.
We are at war,
and war is costly.
When you and I become Christians,
it costs us nothing.
It's all by grace.
It's all the work
of Jesus Christ on the cross.
It is by grace.
He paid the price.
But,
to live as a Christian,
to live out in the Christian life,
costs us everything.
It costs us everything.
This morning,
God's radical grace
is costly.
So let's dig in.
First of all,
it costs the Christian
their allegiance.
It costs the Christian
their allegiance.
Verse 13 says,
Do not present your members
to sin as instruments
of unrighteousness,
but present yourselves
to God
as those who have been brought
from death to life,
and your members
to God
as instruments
for righteousness.
Now,
when we give allegiance
to someone
or something,
we are committing
to follow and serve
that person
no matter what.
But even before
anything is even asked
of us,
we commit ourselves
and we must make
a choice
who we're going
to serve.
Who are we going
to give that allegiance
to?
Is it going to be sin
based on our text?
Is it going to be sin
where then our body
is used for unrighteousness?
Our members
are used for unrighteousness?
Or will it be to God
where our body
is used
as instruments
for righteousness?
These are the questions.
This is the questions
that we need to be asking
ourselves
based on our text.
Now,
the word present
here in our text
is not an offering
or a yield
in a passive way.
It's not,
okay,
here it is.
I present this gift
to you.
It's not that.
The language
is much stronger
than that.
It's more like
I give in service
to.
Like war.
I give in service
to fight.
I give in service
to go into battle
for you.
You are giving
your loyalty
as a subordinate
to a superior.
So for us
as Christians,
we're giving
our loyalty
to God
and it puts
everything in
proper order.
So what we have
is we have
creator,
creation.
Man,
God.
This is a proper
order of way
that things should be.
Adam and Eve
in the garden
had it the other
way around.
Remember,
they were deceived
to think that they
could become
like God.
Man,
God,
not God,
man.
See,
when we pledge
our allegiance
to God,
then we put
things in
proper order.
And this is
important.
We must,
we must,
must,
as Christians,
we bear His
name,
we must put
ourselves under
the authority
of God
and His
ruling.
And the
gospel,
the truth
about Jesus
Christ,
the good
news is
what empowers
us to do
that.
The gospel
tells us
who we
were.
Romans
chapter 1,
2,
and 3.
We were
dead in
our sins.
There was
nothing good
in us.
We could
not achieve
righteousness.
It shows
us what
we deserve.
We deserve
death.
We deserve
damnation.
Our sin
deserves a
punishment.
It reveals
to us what
God has done
through Christ's
life,
death,
and
resurrection.
which is
He has
made us
righteous.
He has
given us
His
righteousness
and taken
from us
our sin.
And then
finally,
the gospel
compels us
to give
our allegiance
to God.
Or at least
it should.
And there's
where the
rubber meets
the road.
The gospel
isn't just
a one-time
decision
made for
the unbeliever.
And then
once you
become a
Christian,
there's no
need for
it.
That's
not the
gospel.
The gospel
is the
fuel of
the
Christian
life.
It is
what
fuels
us
and
empowers
us to
keep
going.
And it
is what
compels
us to
surrender
our
allegiance
to God
and not
to sin.
The beginning
of verse 13
says,
do not
present your
members.
This is
not a
one-time
thing.
This is
a lifelong
action.
Continuous
action.
I wish
it was a
one-time
thing.
That would
be so
much
easier.
So many
less
struggles,
but that's
not what
it says.
Our
allegiance is
worth fighting
for.
We must
make a
decision.
And that
decision is
whether or not
we're going to
give to the
enemy or
give to
God.
In a
speech before
the Battle
of Long
Island in
1776,
George
Washington
said,
the fate
of unborn
millions will
now depend
under God
on the
courage and
conduct of
the army.
Our cruel
and unrelenting
enemy leaves
us only the
choice of
brave resistance
or the
most abject
submission.
We have
therefore to
resolve to
conquer or
die.
Our
enemy,
our enemy
is not
terrorism.
It is not
Iran.
It is not
North Korea.
It is not
the crazy
kooks up in
the mountains
somewhere
hoarding
weapons.
Our
enemy is
sin and
it is cruel
and unrelenting.
And we
must be
brave and
unrelenting
in our
allegiance to
God.
God has
already
defeated
that sin.
Our
enemy is
cruel and
unrelenting
and it
will tell
you anything
to gain
your
allegiance.
It will
tell you
anything.
John 8
says that the
devil is a
liar and the
father of
lies.
He is the
owner of
sin.
He lies
sin.
So that
we can
give our
allegiance to
the enemy.
Jesus has
already fought
the fight
and he
has won.
He has
already fought
the fight.
We must
now live
like it.
Live like
we have
been brought
from death
to life
as our
text says.
live.
Jesus made
that possible
for us
because we
have been
brought from
death to
life.
He makes
it possible.
He it
is.
He empowers
us over
the enemy.
to give
your allegiance
to God
isn't a
fatal move.
It's not
this passive
okay God
I'm yours.
No.
There's a
fight to be
had.
There's a
battle to
be won.
It's a
decision with
action.
Look at
verse 16
of chapter
4.
Looking
ahead just
a little
bit.
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.
There's no
neutral ground.
You are
one or
the other.
You are
on one
side or
the other.
We must
make our
decision based
on what
God has
done.
And not
what we
can do.
Not what
we think
we can do
or what
we have
done.
See when
we do
that when
we base
our decision
and we
make our
decision
of who
we're
going to
give our
allegiance
to based
on what
we do.
And there's
only two
outcomes.
Those outcomes
are either
moralism or
legalism.
Moralism,
the idea
that we
can be
holy and
do acts
of righteousness
as verse
13 says,
just by
doing them,
just by
being good,
just by
not cursing
or just by
loving our
neighbor,
being a
good person.
Holiness
does not
come from
what we
do.
Okay?
Does not
come from
what we
do.
The other
side of
it is
legalism.
The idea
that if we
follow rules
and if we
make rules
to live by,
then that
will make
us holy.
If we just
make a list
and check
them off.
I've done
this and
I've done
this and
I've done
this.
If I stay
away from
this sin,
then I
won't cross
that line
and do
that sin,
so I'm
just
going
to step
further
back.
It does
not lead
to holiness
either.
Both
are a
deception
of sin
and the
evidence
that your
members,
your body
has been
used for
unrighteousness.
So the way
you defeat
both of
these tendencies,
the way you
don't fall
off one
side or
the other
is by
being who
you are.
Or another
way to put
it,
become who
you are
becoming.
In other
words,
you have
been brought
from death
to life.
Now live
like it.
That's
where the
rubber meets
the road.
You have
been brought
from death
to life.
Now live
like it.
It's the
indicative
of what God
has done
and who
we are
in Christ
followed
by the
imperative.
What we
should do.
What should
we be
like?
How we
should
live.
When we
think about
what Jesus
did and
who we
are now,
that we
are made
righteous,
we are
standing
before God
righteous
because of
the blood
of Jesus
Christ,
we should
be compelled
to place
our allegiance
to God
and not
to sin.
Place our
allegiance
to God
because of
what He
has done
for us.
Galatians
5.16
says,
walk by
the Spirit
and you
will not
gratify the
desires of
the flesh.
Now if you're
in Galatians
chapter 5,
you look a
little further
down and
you get
the list.
Not an
exhaustive
list,
but you
look through
that list
and you
go,
yep,
I got
that.
I see
that.
The list
of the
fruits of
the flesh.
If you
don't want
to gratify
the desires
of the
flesh,
if you
have a
sincere,
convicting
desire to
not sin,
and walk
by the
Spirit.
But,
we cannot
walk by the
Spirit without
allegiance to
God.
You cannot
walk by the
Spirit without
being in
service to
God.
If you're in
service to
sin,
you cannot
walk by the
Spirit.
There is
sin.
There is
no
neutral
stance.
You're
one side
or the
other.
God
or sin.
So,
verse 13
says,
do not
present your
members to
sin as
instruments for
unrighteousness,
but present
yourselves to
God as
those who
have been
brought from
death to
life,
and your
members to
God as
instruments
for
righteousness.
not only
does God's
grace cost
the Christian
their
allegiance,
it also
costs the
Christian
their
obedience.
Verse 12
says,
let not
sin therefore
reign in
your mortal
body to
make you
obey its
passions.
Therefore,
it connects
us to what
has been
previously
said.
In other
words,
since you
are dead
to sin
and alive
to God,
since you
have been
brought from
death to
life,
do not
let sin
reign.
And the
only way that
happens is if
you are a
Christian,
if you love
Jesus and
He is your
Lord,
can you
not let
sin
reign?
You have
died to
sin.
When Jesus
died on the
cross,
He paid
the price.
He paid
the price
for us.
And in so
doing,
He took
on our
sin and
gave us
His
righteousness.
That
righteousness
makes it
possible to
live as
if we
are dead
to sin.
That
righteousness
is also
how we
can approach
the throne
room with
boldness
and confidence
because it's
nothing of
our doing,
it's all
of Christ's
doing.
So Hebrews
4 and
Hebrews 10
tells us,
approach with
confidence.
Verse 12
of Romans
chapter 6,
let not sin
therefore
reign.
It's
actually
connected
to
verse 14.
Verse 12
without
verse 14
is like
telling somebody
who's
drowning,
just swim
to the
shore.
It
doesn't
help
them.
If
somebody
is
drowning,
you have
to get
in and
help
them.
You have
to throw
them
something.
You have
to do
something
to help
them.
You
can't
just
say,
man,
you're
drowning,
just swim
over to
the shore.
It's
right
there.
Ten
yards,
you got
it.
That
doesn't
help
them.
Verse 12
without
verse 14
is the
same way.
Look at
verse 14.
For sin
will have
no dominion
over you.
Verse 12,
let not
sin
therefore
reign
in your
mortal
bodies.
I said
last week
that sin
is a
choice.
Sin
is
voluntary.
Voluntary.
We choose
to sin.
We choose
to give
sin
power.
Verse 12,
let not
sin
therefore
reign
in your
mortal
body
because
sin
will have
no
dominion
over
you.
For us,
without
verse 14,
verse 12
is useless.
Without
verse 14
being dead
to sin
and knowing
that it
has no
dominion
over us,
verse 12
does not
help.
God's
grace
costs you
and me
our
obedience.
Look at
the last
part of
verse 12.
To make
you obey
its
passions.
We will
obey
one
or the
other,
but only
one.
We are
at war
and you
cannot
fight
both
sides.
There's
no
secret
spies.
There's
no
double
agents.
You
can't
do it.
It's
black and
white here.
The battle
is a
spiritual
battle
that is
fought
and won
or lost
on the
daily
decisions
you and
I make
and how
we're
going to
use
our
body.
How
are we
going to
do
action?
If I
told
Britain,
my
beautiful
Britain,
if I
told her,
Britain,
go clean
your room,
and 30
minutes later,
she comes
back and I
said,
Britain,
did you
clean your
room?
And she
says,
no,
but dad,
I thought
a whole
lot about
what you
said.
I
memorized
what you
said.
Britain,
go back
to your
room and
clean your
room.
30
minutes later,
she comes
back.
I said,
Britain,
did you
clean your
room?
She
says,
no,
but dad,
I thought
about it a
lot.
I thought
about what
you said.
I looked
up in the
Greek what
you meant
to say,
what it
really
means.
that's not
obedience,
is it?
That's
disobedience.
That's
straight sin.
Good
intentions,
maybe.
Good
thinking,
but that's
not
obedience.
It's the
same for
us.
The same
for us
as we
know
what God
has
commanded
us to
do,
and yet
we don't
do it.
God,
I've
memorized
half of
Romans.
Okay,
but have
you lived
it out?
Did you
clean your
room?
Did you
put things
away?
God,
I know
exactly what
verses 12
through 14
means in
the Greek,
what it's
saying.
I know
the tenses
of the
words,
and I've
actually
memorized
it in
Greek.
And I
can tell
you the
Greek
alphabet,
and I
can tell
you the
Hebrew,
and God,
I'm doing
a lot
for you.
Are you
living out
my words
to you?
That's
where the
rubber meets
the road.
See,
we are at
war.
We are in
a battle.
And the
question to
you,
and to
me,
is are we
willing to
pay the
price of
obedience
to God?
Are we
just going
to skip
out on
obeying
Him and
continue
in sin?
God's
grace
costs us
our
obedience.
When Jesus
called His
disciples in
Matthew 4,
what does
He say?
He says,
follow Me
and I
will make
you fishers
of men.
I'm pretty
sure that
follow is
a verb.
There is
action there.
And He
doesn't give
them,
follow Me
and I'll
do this
for you
and it'll
be happy
and it'll
be great
and you'll
do a lot
of things.
He doesn't
really give
them a lot
of information.
He doesn't
give them
the core
syllabus
of what's
going to
turn out.
The
disciples
obeyed.
Action.
In
Matthew 13,
Jesus is
teaching
some
of the
parables
and in
verse 44
He says,
the kingdom
of heaven
is like a
treasure
hidden in
a field
which a
man found
and covered
up.
Then in
his joy
he goes
and sells
all that
he has
and buys
that field.
And again,
the kingdom
of heaven
is like a
merchant
in search
of fine
pearls
who on
finding one
pearl of
great value
went and
sold all
that he
had and
bought it.
There is
great price.
God's
grace is
costly.
And there's
action
that needs
to
follow
our
obedience.
A kingdom
of heaven
requires
obedience.
Will you
obey?
Will you
obey God?
If you
obey God,
you cannot
obey the
passions of
your bodies.
If you
obey God,
no matter
what happens,
no matter
where that
takes you,
no matter
how hard
it seems
to be,
see,
the disciples
didn't
know.
Peter
had no
clue,
no clue
that he
was going
to be
crucified
upside
down.
But he
did,
and he
went.
The
disciples
gave up
everything
they knew.
They were
fishermen.
This is what
they did.
That was
their livelihood.
That's how
they did
things.
That's how
they paid
for things.
That's how
they lived.
And yet,
they gave
it up to
follow Jesus.
And the
same call
is on
your life
and my
life.
God said
to Abram
the same
thing.
Go.
Just go.
And I'll
show you
the way.
Didn't give
any details,
but Abram
was obedient
to God
and he
acted on
God's
commands.
He
obeyed
with
action.
See,
the good
news is
that as
daunting
as it
may sound,
as crazy
or dangerous
or radical
as the
command
that God
has in
your life.
No matter
the situation,
for some
of you,
it may be
obeying
and not
dating a
certain
person.
For some
of you,
it may be
quitting a
job.
For some,
it may be
having to
have a talk
with somebody
that's going
to be
difficult
and a
little
scary.
It may
be raising
your kids
an entire
new way.
A paradigm
shift.
Shifting
what you
know.
It may
be stop
drinking
certain
things.
It may
be giving
up your
addictions.
Whatever
it is,
God gives
us the
strength
and the
endurance
and the
ability
to do
these
things.
He will
not let
us flop
around like
a fish
out of
water,
gasping
for air.
He enables
us to
do what
He commands.
Augustine
put it
this way,
grant
what
thou
command
and
then
command
what
thou
will.
Grant
what
thou
command.
Enable
me to
do it
and
then
command
what
thou
will.
In other
words,
I'll do
what you
say if
you enable
me to
do it.
God
will guide
and help
His
children.
The
question is,
will you
obey?
Are you
willing to
pay
your
obedience
to Him?
We are
at war
and our
obedience
determines
which side
we're on.
Plain and
simple.
Which side
are you
fighting for?
Are you
fighting for
God?
Are you
fighting for
sin?
Are you
obeying
God or
are you
obeying
sin?
So not
only does
God's
grace cost
us our
allegiance
and our
obedience,
but thirdly,
it costs
the Christian
their
security.
Now this
is a little
bit of a
play on
words,
but you'll
see what
I mean.
It costs
the Christian
their
security.
Verse
13 again,
do not
present your
members to
sin as
instruments for
unrighteousness,
but present
yourselves to
God as
those who
have been
brought from
death to
life,
and your
members to
God as
instruments
for
righteousness.
Now the
word
instrument
here can
also be
translated
weapon.
So your
member,
do not
present your
members to
sin as
weapons for
unrighteousness,
and your
members to
God as
weapons for
righteousness.
Our bodies
are either
weapons for
righteousness or
unrighteousness.
When we
place our
allegiance to
God, we
are giving
up our
security to
live under
His rule and
His commands.
Sounds
confusing.
Here's what I
mean.
When our
bodies are
weapons of
unrighteousness,
we fight for
only one
person and
that's
ourselves.
We fight for
ourselves.
We're on the
side of sin.
We obey
sin.
We obey the
passions of
our flesh.
And our
security is
found in
what we do.
We think
as long as
we're fighting
that we have
security.
As long as
we have
weapons, we
are secure.
It's kind of
like the
Occupy Wall
Street stuff
going on.
Occupy Wall
Street, New
York, Oakland,
whatever city
you name.
It's like that
because no
one knows why
they're doing
what they're
doing.
Inside the
camp or
outside the
camp, nobody
can really,
there's no
unity to
what they're
trying to
accomplish.
And the
only thing
positive, the
only thing
coming out of
that is
they're
accomplishing
more work
for the
police, more
work for the
street cleaners,
and more
work for the
coffee shops.
See, nothing
positive is
being accomplished.
But they
think that
because we're
protesting and
we're doing
something, we
are accomplishing
something great.
In reality,
there's no
unity there,
there's nothing
being done.
Likewise, when
we use our
bodies as
weapons of
unrighteousness,
we think we're
doing something,
we think we're
accomplishing
something.
And in
reality, we
are doing
nothing.
Nothing is
being accomplished.
We, in
fact, are
being devoured
by the
enemy.
And we
don't even
know it.
If you take
a frog and
you throw
them in a
hot boiling
pot of
water, the
frog jumps
right out.
A pretty
smart frog.
But, if
you take the
frog and
you lay it
in cold
water, take
the pot and
put it on
the stove and
you start
heating it
up, the
frog stays
in until
it's finally
cooked.
Until it's
done.
Until it's
ready to
eat.
You and
I, when
we fight and
use our
weapons of
unrighteousness,
we're like the
frog in the
pot being
devoured, being
cooked without
even knowing
it.
See, as we
walk towards
one direction,
as we obey
and pledge our
allegiance to
sin, we're
walking away
from God.
We're walking
away from the
other direction.
The place where
Jesus made it
possible for us
to live without
sin.
Having power
and reign.
So what we
thought was
security, what
we thought was
accomplishing
something, was
actually just
smoke and
mirrors.
It was
nothing.
We must lay
those weapons
down.
We must lay
our bodies
down and
pledge allegiance
to God.
Surrender
them.
See, when a
person or
army would
surrender to
the king,
their weapons
would be handed
over to the
enemy.
The enemy
would take
those weapons.
God works in
such a way
that those
weapons, our
bodies, instead
of taking them,
instead of
removing them
from us, He
uses them for
righteousness, for
His glory, and
for our joy.
So, when we
place our
allegiance to
God, we are
giving up our
pseudo-security,
security that we
think we have,
to live under
His rule.
That will
mean that some
of us, God
may take to an
unsafe place on
earth.
It may mean
that He'll have
us in a place
where our only
security is in
Him, and not
in what we do,
not in what we
achieve.
And there,
we're bold.
There, we're
vocal.
There, we are
dangerous because
our dependence on
security is in
Him.
Our dependence on
security will be in
Him and not in
our home, not in
our normals, our
routines, not in
our job, but only
in Him and His
provision.
See, God's
grace costs us
security.
not only does it
cost us allegiance
and our obedience
and security, but
finally it costs the
Christian their
freedom.
It costs us our
freedom.
When a person
becomes a Christian,
there are several
things that happen.
First of all,
their sin is removed
by Jesus, and His
righteousness is given
to them.
the great exchange,
our sin for His
righteousness.
Secondly, their
standing with God is
no longer as enemy,
but as child,
adopted child of the
King.
Thirdly, the
Christian is now at
peace with God, no
longer enemies.
We are now at
peace with God.
And finally, the
Christian is set free
from the bondage and
power of sin.
Because on the
cross, Jesus
destroyed that
power and that
bondage of sin.
Christians are
free.
Free from the
first time to
sin.
The life that we
were born into is
no more.
That sin that
once controlled
and reigned over
us no longer
has control or
power.
The Christian has
been set free.
As Horatio
Spafford says,
in it as well
with my soul,
my sin, oh, the
bliss of this
glorious thought.
My sin, not in
part, but the
whole, is nailed
to the cross and I
bear it no more.
Praise the Lord,
praise the Lord,
oh, my soul.
We have been set
free.
Look at verse
14 of Romans
chapter 6.
grace.
For sin will
have no dominion
over you since
you are not under
the law, but
under grace.
You have been
set free.
Now live like
it.
Skipping down to
verse 18,
looking ahead just
a little bit,
here's where our
freedom is
costly.
Verse 18 says,
And having been
set free from
sin, have
become slaves of
righteousness.
That freedom,
the freedom that
we have from the
control of sin,
from the control
of and having
power over us,
is no more.
We have been set
free from that.
But we are now
slaves to
righteousness.
Sin that leads
to death and
destruction, that
leads to pain
and suffering,
that leads to
remorse and
strife, can no
longer lead you
to the stockyard.
No longer
lead you
towards death.
It no longer
has power over
you.
You've been set
free all because
of God's radical,
amazing,
glorious grace.
We are now
slaves to
righteousness.
Which means
that we are at
the service of
the king of
kings who
will never
leave his
throne.
You're in it.
The king of
kings who
will never
be defeated.
The king of
kings who has
defeated death
that which no
man could ever
have done.
Who will never
leave you or
forsake you.
Who will not
leave us as
orphans.
Who will guide
and direct us.
Who is a
gracious God.
A ruler who
is gracious and
just.
Who is holy
and righteous.
This is who
we're in the
service to.
There should be
no worry in you
to ever be
gypped by God.
You're not going
to be gypped by
God.
He cares for you
and He loves you.
Pay the price.
Give Him your
obedience and your
allegiance and your
security and your
freedom.
There should be
no worry that
He'll not do
what He says
He's going to
do because He
will.
He cannot
lie.
He is faithful.
Before Christ
you were free
to sin.
You were free
to sin but
that freedom
was not freedom
at all.
You were actually
enslaved to sin.
Your master
was sin.
After Christ
after becoming
a Christian
you are free
to live holy
lives.
But that freedom
is not really
freedom because
you're enslaved
to righteousness.
And being
enslaved to
righteousness
leads to a
life of
righteousness.
Being enslaved
to sin leads
to a life
of sin.
As a
Christian
we are
compelled to
live lives
as if we've
been brought
from death
to life.
because that
is who we
are.
Because we
have been
brought from
death
to life.
And we
can only do
that because
of the grace
that God
has shown
us.
We can only
do that because
of His
glorious
grace.
We are
under grace
and not
under law.
The last
part of
verse 14.
Meaning sin
no longer
has reign.
It has
no power.
As I said
a few minutes
ago what
power it
has we
give to
it as
believers.
And law
which reveals
our sin no
longer reigns
over us as
well.
Does it
mean we
don't follow
the law?
No,
absolutely
not.
But it
does not
condemn
us.
For we
are righteous,
we are
perfect,
we are made
right before
God.
God's grace
is costly.
It requires
action on
our part.
When there
is no
action,
when there
is no
action,
we cheapen
the grace
of God
into something
invaluable.
Something
worthless.
Listen to
Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
from his
book,
The Cost
of Discipleship.
It says,
Cheap
grace is
represented
as the
church's
inexhaustible
treasury from
which she
showers blessings
with generous
hands without
asking questions
or fixing
limits.
Cheap
grace without
price,
grace without
cost.
The essence
of grace,
we suppose,
is that the
account has
been paid in
advance.
And because
it has been
paid,
everything can
be had for
nothing.
Since the
cost was
infinite,
the possibility
that's using
and spending
it are
infinite.
What would
grace be
if it were
not cheap?
Cheap
grace,
therefore,
amounts to
a denial
of the
living
Word of
God.
In fact,
a denial
of the
incarnation
of the
Word of
God.
Cheap
grace is
the preaching
of forgiveness
without
requiring
repentance.
Baptism
without
church
discipline.
Communion
without
confession.
Absolution
without
personal
confession.
Cheap
grace is
grace without
discipleship.
Grace without
the cross.
Grace without
Jesus Christ
living and
incarnate.
But,
costly grace,
costly grace
is the treasure
hidden in the
field.
For the sake
of it,
a man will
gladly go and
sell all
that he has.
It is the
pearl of
great price
to buy which
the merchant
will sell
all his
goods.
It is the
kingly rule
of Christ
for whose
sake a man
will pluck
out his
eye which
causes him
to stumble.
It is the
call of
Jesus Christ
at which
the disciple
leaves his
net and
follows him.
Costly
grace is
the gospel
which must
be sought
again and
again.
The gift
which must
be asked
for.
The door
at which
a man
must
knock.
God's
grace is
costly.
Are we
willing to
pay?
Let us
not cheapen
God's
grace into
some form
of insurance
or some
form of
cheap potion
that we
can get
what we
want so
that we
can live
how we
want to
live without
any rules
or regulations.
Let's not
cheapen
God's
grace.
Let us
be a
church of
action
where our
bodies are
used for
righteousness
and not
unrighteousness.
God's
radical grace
is costly.
It costs
us our
obedience.
It costs
us our
allegiance,
our security
and our
freedom and
many,
many more
things.
May God
help us
strive to
be used
by Him,
to glorify
Him and
to proclaim
the gospel
to the
world.