“A SURVEY OF THE BOOK OF ROMANS”

Romans 6:15-23

Paul’s Exhortation to the Believers to be

Servants to Righteousness – Not Slaves to Sin

In this most sublime epistle of Romans, the grand Apostle Paul has argued vehemently that both the Jews and Gentiles were guilty before God (Romans 3:23); and because of their condemned position, the only way they could achieve a righteous standing before God is through justification by faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).  In Romans chapters 6-8, Paul will discuss the subject of sanctification with reference to the believer knowing that he can live victoriously over the reigning power of sin.  As you recall, Paul began this sanctification section by raising a question in verse 1, when he said: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” He answered that question in verse 2 by saying – “God forbid.  How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”  All believers must understand that at conversion, we have been separated from the reigning power of sin!  We are no longer slaves to the controlling mastery of sin!

Paul begins this section (Romans 6:15-23) by raising another question in verse 15 by saying- “What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?  God forbid.”  Paul answers that question by saying – “By no means! (God forbid).  The child of God must understand that being under God’s grace is not a license to sin.  We cannot misuse God’s grace to engage in evil acts.  Furthermore, in verse 16, Paul stated that the believer should know that there is no middle ground between being a slave to sin and servant to obedience to God.  The child of God must understand that either he is a slave to sin or a servant to righteousness.  To put it plainly – “we are servants or slaves to something or somebody!”  The one who is our master is the one whom we obey!

Having made that statement, I would like to raise this question – “Is Christ the total Master of your life?  Our Christian lives will be so much better when we are obeying Him!  Excited about the intervention of God’s grace, Paul exclaimed with praise that these believers had once been slaves to sin, but have now obeyed the truth of the Gospel and now have been liberated from sin’s power (v. 17-18).  Recalling the believers’ pre-salvation state, Paul stated that they had offered their bodies to impurity and to an excessive degree of wickedness, continually to be enslaved to wickedness.  On the other hand, Paul now advises them to a life of being enslaved to righteousness that leads to holiness (v. 19).

In the past, being servants of sin, the pre-salvation state of the believers was that they were “free from righteousness (v. 20) and that their lives were fruitless and shameful (v. 21).  The only fruit of their former lives was shame!  However in verses 22-23, the believers’ salvation has resulted in a life of holiness and the gift of salvation.  Because of the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, a believer will never experience being separated from God throughout eternity; however, every unbeliever will be separated from God and will suffer consciously in hell forever (Luke 16:24-25).  Hell will be the place they will occupy because of their refusal to accept God’s only remedy for sin – Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8; 6:23; 10:9).

May God Bless!