Wednesday: Sin or Obedience?
Read Romans 6:16. What point is Paul making? Why is his argument very black and white here? It is either one or the other, with no middle ground. What lesson should we draw from this very clear contrast?
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Paul comes back to the point again that the new life of faith does not grant liberty to sin. The life of faith makes possible victory over sin; in fact, only through faith can we have the victory that is promised us.
Having personified sin as a king ruling over his subjects, Paul now returns to the figure of sin as a master demanding obedience of his servants. Paul points out that a person has a choice of masters. He can serve sin, which leads to death, or he can serve righteousness, which leads to eternal life. Paul doesn’t leave us any middle ground or room for compromise. It’s one or the other because in the end we face either eternal life or eternal death.
Read Romans 6:17. How does Paul expand here on what he said in Romans 6:16?
Notice how, interestingly enough, obedience is linked to correct doctrine. The Greek word for “doctrine” here means “teaching.” The Roman Christians had been taught the principles of the Christian faith, which they now obeyed. Thus, for Paul, correct doctrine, correct teaching, when obeyed “from the heart,” assisted in the Romans becoming “servants of righteousness” (Rom. 6:18). We sometimes hear that doctrine does not matter, just as long as we show love. That’s a very simplistic expression of something that’s not so simple. As stated in an earlier lesson, Paul was very concerned about the false doctrine to which the Galatian church had succumbed. Thus, we need to be careful about statements that somehow denigrate the importance of correct teaching.
| Servants of sin, servants of righteousness: the contrast is very stark. If after baptism we sin, does this mean that we are not truly saved? Read 1 John 1:8-2:1. How does this passage help us to understand what it means to be a follower of Christ and yet still be subject to falling? |
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John 1:8-2:1
I praise God for his incredible mercy in that while WE WERE HIS ENEMIES HE DIED FOR US. Even in eternity, I'm not sure I'll ever grasp that fully. When we were His enemies we were steeped in sin without hope of being saved. Simply by surrendering our will to His, we can now be saved. Not because of anything we can do (including living a sinless life) but because of everything He has done.
The only thing we can do is accept what He has done.
If we are able to reach a sinless life within our own efforts then at that point we are no longer in need of a Savior. However, we can enter into a sinless life when he puts His robe of righteousness upon us.
We are so busy pointing out each other's faults while the very God of the universe looks on and says "what sin?" He is in the business of saving lives for eternity. Far too often we find we are in the business of passing condemnation.
Let's get into His business and allow His character to transform our stinking thinking.
The Apostle Paul in Romans 6:17 seems to be referring to "Heart Obedience," and also "Correct Doctrine," that believers were delivered to and from the bondage of their sinful lifestyles.
My fellow brother in Christ thinks it’s possible to not sin after being born again. Examples include #1 Jesus, Enoch, Elijah, Elisha and Job.
Romans6:16 I like the way the AKJV puts it, It calls us servants, servants do have a choice as to whom they want to serve. Slaves, on the other hand, do not have that option. We were slaves to sin and were bought free through the sacrifice the Jesus the Christ made on our behalf. Having surrendered to Christ, we, being free moral agents, serve Him willingly. On the other hand, being a slave to sin, Satan does not allow ( affords ) that freedom that leads to a reward of life. His reward is DEATH.
Salvation, as an experience , may, be defined as an exodus from the world, which is under Satan’s control, and an entrance into the church, which is under the rule of Christ 1 John 5:19.The exodus of God’s people from Egypt to Canaan symbolized this great truth, Egypt being a symbol of the sinful world, and Canaan representing the church destined for heaven. When Israel crossed the Red Sea (a symbol of baptism), they said good- bye forever to Egypt (the world) and Pharaoh (a symbol of Satan). When they entered Canaan, the Promised Land was a figure of the church, the realm of God. 1 Corinthians 10:1-11.So we are no longer slaves of sin.
The "world" seems to be about 180 degees in the opposite direction from Godliness.
When we realise our love for God, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer, we would not want to sin no more. But still in our human frailty, we still have the tendancy to sin. We may sin without the desire for it and without the motive we once had. When we recognise our sin and feel absolutely terrible about it, Jesus our advocate is faithful and just to forgive. Remember man looks on the outside only but the Lord looks upon our hearts. Let's have a passionate love and desire to obey God, because we are almost home and we don't want to fall on the last hurdle. May we all look forward to meeting each other in our eternal dwelling place with our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
It seemed more clear to me to think in terms of being servants of selfishness or being servants of God's Love.
I did not get today's lesson. The Caribbean lesson that comes early. Thank you.
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Ie. Slaves to self or servants of God. When we die to self we are saying no to ever increasing sin. When we live for Christ we have been set free to obey from the heart, producing fruits of the spirit, bearing good fruit and enjoying the process of transformation of character.
"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching* that has now claimed your allegiance." Romans 6:17
*Teaching refers to Torah for Torah translated means teachings and/or instructions. Doctrine is part of the Torah but the Torah is more than just Doctrine. Commandments (mitzvot) are part of the Torah but the Torah again is more than just commandments. Torah is the teaching guide or instruction manual on how to live. The Torah is not just about keeping the commandments in fact that only makes up a small part of Torah, the Torah also teaches about walking in faith and trusting God. The Torah does not focus so much on what we do but rather what God has done and is doing. Our focus used to be on ourselves when we were slaves but now we are freed by God and our hearts now follow the Torah of God.
I appreciate your comment, Robert. By focusing on the word “doctrine”, Paul's intended meaning is distorted. “Doctrine” in the minds of most readers of this blog would be the 27 Fundamental Beliefs, which Paul obvious did not have in mind. The Greek word translated as “form” or “pattern” is τύπος (tupos), from which the English word “topography” is derived.
What Paul is writing about here is that God has given us the “lay of the land” so that as slaves we can navigate freedom’s path from land of the master of sin (the Deceiver) to the promised land of the master of righteousness (our Saviour), and thereby be freed from deception that leads to death and destruction to the Way that leads to Truth and Life (John 14:6). It has always been and always will be that the One who leads us out from the “land of Egypt” and the “house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2) is the Way, the Truth and the Life that leads to the land and house of the Father who loves us all dearly (John 14:2).