Choose This Day (Part 2)

He died to make us Holy—Rom 6:18

a. First, the two key words in this verse are not “sin” and “righteousness” they are “made free” and “became.”
(1) They are both aorist participles
(2) They are both in the passive mood
(3) So what? This means that they were made free and became holy by some act and Actor outside of them
b. First, we were freed at a point in time
c. We were slaves to sin, now we are no more
d. This freedom took effect in each of our lives as the instant of justification
e. At that same instant, we became servants of righteousness—now we must come to know it, reckon it, and do it.
f. AT Robertson—“…there is no middle ground …in this war…”

2. Paul Explains the analogy again—6:19-21

a. He essentially apologizes for using slavery as an example, then bores in on the fact
b. The word is very appropriate, with “habitual” sins, addictions, and proud self-sufficiency reigning in so many lives today
(1) Servants to uncleanness
(2) Patently true in sexual sins, in drunkenness, and all fleshly sins, especially in slaves like drug addicts.
c. He is saying: “Give it up, but give it up to God!
d. Instructions—
(1) Just like the old master, yet not at all really like him—
(2) Yield to God!


e. What they were, and the effect of it—6:20-21
(1) Imperfect tense, continual action in time past—the old lifestyle
(2) NLT—“In those days, when you were slaves to sin, you weren’t concerned with doing what is right…”.
(3) NLT—“And what was the result? It was not good, since now you are ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom...”.
f. The effect of Righteousness—6:22
(1) We ARE free—aorist—a done deal
(2) We are God’s servants—aorist
(3) You do what is right—present tense—holy living
(4) The end is eternal life
(a) Not that we earn salvation
(b) But living the Christian life is part of the chain of events, as we are kept by God’s power—1 Pet 1:3-5

3. We Earn Death—the wages of sin
a. The Curse of Works Religion

b. Works are bondage—Rom 8:15, Gal 2:4, 4:3, Gal 4:9, 4:24-25, 5:1

c. Wherein lies the bondage?

(1) Perfect performance required
(2) Perfect record keeping required
(3) Perfect memory and knowledge required
(4) No grace for mistakes, slips, passionate emotions of anger, etc.

d. The False Doctrine of Mixing Works and Grace

(1) Works and grace mixtures we see:

(a) God gets you started (even that with your help) and you must keep it going.
(b) God graciously gives you seven steps (or some other number) to jump through to get there, and even more after you get started, so you can complete the course.
(c) God saves you by grace, and keeps you by Law.

(2) Works and grace (as a way of salvation) cannot mix—Rom 11:5-6
(3) Where do works fit in? They are an evidence of the reality of salvation—Mat 7:20, Heb 12:4-8, Eph 2:10


4. Sin Is A Harsh Master—the wages of sin

a. What is Sin?

(1) General categories—1 John 3:4, Rom 14:23, 1 John 5:17, James 4:17
(2) Specifics—Prov 21:4, Gal 5:19-21

b. What Does Sin Do In This Life?

(1) Disease
(2) Family Problems
(3) Guilt, Psychological Misery
(4) Financial and personal ruin

c. What Is The Generational Impact of Sin? Exo 20:5, Num 14:18
(1) Diseases and disabilities from Godless lifestyles.
(2) Spiritual sickness from demonic influence
(3) Moral degeneration from bad examples and habits
(4) Spiritual ignorance from being unchurched.
d. What Is The Eternal Impact of Sin? Eternal damnation

5. Sin Pays—But It Pays A Dreadful Price—the wages of sin is death

a. The Original Payment—Rom 5:12
b. The basic equation of mankind: 1 Cor 15:22
(1) There are two alternatives, you are dead, or you are alive.

(2) If you are Christ’s today, if you have been born again, if you are a believer in and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, you are in Christ, and therefore alive. That life is yours today, and you have the sure promise of the Almighty Sovereign God that He will bring that promise to full fruition and complete your redemption.

(3) If you are lost today, if you think that this Christianity stuff is a lot of hokum, if you do not believe in Christ and follow Christ, then you are in Adam, and you are dead.

(4) You may think you are alive, but you are dead in Adam, and if you stay in Adam, that death will come to full fruition as your condemnation becomes complete.

c. The Payment Each Receives During Life—the increasing misery of sinfulness.
d. Payment Made By The Redeemer—Mat 1:21, 1 Pet 1:18-21
e. The Final Payment By The Lost—Mat 25:46, Rev 20:15

6. Salvation Is A Gift of God, Salvation is Forever —but the gift of God is eternal life

a. But—everything about Grace is different from Works.
b. The Gift Of God
c. Eternal Life Is Real Life, not “potential life” John 10:10
d. Eternal Life Is Eternal—John 5:24, John 6:47

7. Christ is the Only Way of Salvation—through Jesus Christ our Lord

a. Through
b. Through Christ Alone—Acts 4:12, John 14:6
c. Christ Is Lord