Slideshow image

“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.” (Romans 6:15–18, ESV)

Pastor Abel’s sermon on this passage is titled, “Which Side Are You On?”

Sometimes, when we share the gospel with others, or we share that we are Christian and believe in the God of the Bible, we are met with scorn. This response is given by people who view religion with disdain, and who mock anyone who believes that someone who was crucified by the Romans rose again to save mankind (for example, Christopher Hitchens was of this opinion).

It is probably more common, however, to be met with an apathetic response. This is the person who says that they do not care what you believe. They don’t really disagree or agree. They are happy for you that you have found something to believe in, but for them, they prefer to remain neutral.

When it comes to the living God, however, neutrality is a myth, as Paul demonstrates in this passage. The one who has not spared his own son to save sinners, demands a response from those sinners, either one of faith and repentance, or denial and sin. There is no middle ground.

We understand this when it comes to the response of others regarding the gospel, but in this passage, Paul applies the same principle to Christians in their daily walk. In anything we do, from waking up in the morning, to buttering our toast, to finding a place to park, to changing a dirty diaper, to watching a documentary about whales on Netflix, we do those things in one of two ways:

  • Walking in obedience to God and in relationship with him.
  • Walking in rebellion, away from God and towards sin.

As those who have experience the love of Christ, we must strive to remember that there is no life apart from Christ. Any attempt to go our own way is a fruitless turning back into the pit of sin and death that Christ rescued us from. Now, it is our joy to experience the freedom that obedience to God brings, as we put sin to death daily.

 

For Further Study

 

Small Group Questions

  • Review Romans 6:12-23, the passage covered in the sermon. What concept, application, or truth had the greatest impact on you from this passage or the sermon?
  • Have you experienced the war with sin in your life? How does this impact your daily life?
  • Have you ever found yourself buying into the myth of neutrality, or thinking that you can do your own thing, apart from God, without that being rebellion against God? Why is this false?
  • Discuss Paul’s use of the strong word “slavery” in this passage. Why is being a slave of Christ better than being a slave of sin?
  • In the sermon, Abel touched on the fact that our identity has changed because of the gospel. How has your new identity empowered you to say no to sin in your life?
  • What are some practical ways we can remind ourselves to fight this war this week?