i'm going to invite you now to turn as we continue our study in the book of romans we are in romans chapter 6 tonight and we are in verses 15 actually i'm sorry we are in verses 12 through 23 we're taking a little bit larger of a section tonight 12 through 23 of romans chapter 6 Let's give our attention tonight to the word of the Lord. This is beginning at verse 12. 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've 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 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 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 have having been set free from sin have become slaves of righteousness i'm speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations but just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity into lawlessness leading to more lawlessness so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification for when you were slaves of sin you were free in regard to righteousness but what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed for the end of those things is death but now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of god the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end eternal life for the wages of sin is death but the free gift of god is eternal life in christ jesus our lord and we'll stop the reading of god's word there well the apostle paul knew that the relationship of the christian to ongoing sin in life it's the struggle with sin that it would be continually confusing for for christians at times perplexing to understand this relationship of the Christian and sin if he's been delivered you know this I raised it last time you could you go through many different scriptures that sort of address this maybe that verses that just at first glance are a little bit confusing for us you take something like first John 3 everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness sin is lawlessness you know that he appeared in order to take away sins and in him there is no sin no one who abides in him keeps on sinning no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him you see we might stop and say well that's that's that's hard because i sin still i sin still what does that mean might even take jesus in john 8 most assuredly i say to you whoever commits sin this is just what paul's explaining tonight is a slave of sin well does anyone here want to deny that they have committed sin this week everyone here has committed sin so you have these strong statements what do they mean it's a really simple principle that the scriptures are giving we don't as believers say we don't run around saying that since jesus died for us we can go on and live against god's law and live immorally and do whatever we want to do that's the mentality that is behind that first john statement because jesus died that means then that we can go out and live in sin rejecting him being disobedient to him because we live under grace well this is what the new testament authors are addressing it's a continual habitual unrepentant looked at this morning somewhat unrepentant sin living in that is what those scriptures are talking about okay we get that basic point i hope if somebody comes in and says i'm continuing in sin i'm gonna pick your sin pick your commandment i'm gonna live in that and i can do whatever i want to do the scriptures are clear that's all you're a liar that's first john that person is lying okay but that doesn't quite help where we are tonight because you're sincere the confusion for us is we still sin and don't feel very victorious at all and at times you read the scriptures and they seem so much more victorious than the actual experience of something the actual experience of your life we in fact truth be told we still sin regularly and with great frequency if at all you're aware of it you could still be sinning and not even see it and that happens and that's confusing that's troubling our approach is to say and this is how it's kind of gone in the church to sort of stir up christians well one approach is to say well that must mean you're not truly a Christian. Let me ask, do you care about sin? Do you care when you sin? Does it bother you? Are you burdened about it? The approach is not to say at this point, for people who are sensitive to sin, when you struggle against sin, the approach of the scriptures is not to come along and say, well, maybe you're not a Christian. Notice how that's not how Paul at all has dealt with this issue. Paul's looking at these Roman Christians, and he believes they're true Christians. And I could say that tonight at this congregation. I look at this congregation. You're gathering to worship. You've come to worship the Lord. You love His Word. You love His truth. I'm not looking at you and thinking, maybe not. Who am I? See, he wants to, and this is what we do all the time. I see it in evangelical leaders. You see it in youth pastors. You see it in pastors. Well, we got to get people back, back in line, in line. Just make them feel that maybe they're not Christians. Well, this is the confusion. God in his providence has left us in this continued struggle against sin. And how Paul helps the Roman church on this point is so instructive for us. That's why Romans is so helpful. What he's been saying to us in this book, how he has been helping us in this book, is to say there is a crucial difference between how the believer responds to ongoing sin and how the unbeliever responds to sin. Do they even care? What Romans 6 has been all about is fascinating on this point. Paul has been rooting our sanctification, if you will. We've moved and started to think about the continued struggle and sin. But really what he's first done is help the Christian think with regard to sin. Of everything that Christ has done, objectively, but he's putting it in the category of union with Jesus Christ. It's such a crucial doctrine of the Christian faith. You have been joined to him. You've been united to him by faith. you've been raised with him in the heavenly places that was addressed this morning in the sunday school class you are seated with him in the heavenly places you may not feel like it but that's the truth nonetheless isn't it in principle paul is not running around to christians and saying now since jesus died stop sinning or else well that's not really how he's doing it is he he's really not using the threat of judgment to turn our hearts to him is he um take this morning oh the the message of judgment was surely given by jesus on those cities but those they hadn't even come to him they hadn't even repented and believed they hadn't even been converted the people he was talking to come paul wants the christians to understand and become motivated to this life in an entirely different manner and that's why romans 6 is so helpful we don't continue in sin remember what he said shall we continue in sin that grace may abound heaven forbid how can we who have died to sin live any longer therein and we spent time on that that's roman 6 he's looking at union and and those are all aorist tenses and what he was saying was when jesus died you died i want you to think this way when he was buried you were buried when he rose this was an action for jesus on behalf of his people just as in the first adam adam's sin was the sin of all the people the righteous act of jesus christ in laying down his life in dying in being buried and being risen is the righteous act for you so that you can see yourself being united to him by faith in those actions that's what happened to you that's how he wants us to think that's what we've been been looking at by virtue of union you were buried you were raised the old adam was crucified in order that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be enslaved to sin you'll notice that so for the first time in verse 11 where we ended off last time he told us to do something in the book there really isn't a lot of imperative so far in this book and in the first thing he's told us to do in this book is this since notice verse 11 of chapter 6 so you also you responsibility now must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to god in christ jesus let's just want you to think this way i first first way we're going to deal with sin is to change your thinking on the matter you need to first think of yourself since you've been brought into christ into the new and last adam that you reckon to yourselves that you are dead to sin and alive now with christ union is where it begins with christ in helping us on this issue i'm out of the old atom i'm brought into the last atom objectively my status has changed i am set free in him i am forgiven in him i have noticed romans 5 1 having been justified by faith you have peace with god this is done and so now he continues to help us that's what we've looked at so far he continues to help us building on this this idea of union this concept of union and being brought into jesus christ therefore if anyone is you know is a new creature he's been brought into jesus christ the old is past the new has come so what romans 6 is doing is describing two principles now at work for you to understand this it's really important i feel like i took too large of a section maybe we'll come back to it if you come up to me and say i didn't cover it very well then i'll come back to it okay but um verse 14 is crucial for understanding the Christian life. Verse 14 is crucial. For, now notice this, sin will have no dominion over you for you are not under law but under grace. What a verse. Memorize it. It's crucial to the whole Christian life. There are two principles throughout Scripture. People are either under law or under grace. That's a crucial principle. The law, John said, came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. So notice what he just did. If you see what he's done, and you see what he's been building on, Since you've been united into the last Adam, you were taken out of the old Adam. The first Adam's actions were the actions of all the people in original sin, the guilt and corruption and the imputation of sin and all those problems of death. You were brought out of that and you were put into the last Adam, his free gift, his righteous act of laying down his life, being united to him. We are then also, that means, by faith, no longer under law, but under grace. What does that mean? To be under law. Well, when Sinai happened, you've heard me rehearse how scary an event that was. If you just go back and read it, the author of Hebrews chapter 12 picks up the same thing. and he says even Moses was deathly afraid. He wouldn't even want God to speak, remember? They were so afraid, the people. Israel in a formal act was put under the law. And Paul takes that in Romans 2. Do you remember what he said about that? When we studied Israel under the law, Romans said that studying Israel was a tutor, was a teacher to show the whole world to stop the mouth of the whole world in its righteousness before God. Okay. Paul in Romans 4 had said the law brings wrath. So he's made this distinction between the old life in the old Adam and the new life in the last Adam by union. And at the end of chapter 5, he said the law entered that the offense might abound so in other words he'll build on this principle in romans 7 that the law was given and what it actually did as you guys all know what the law does is it arouses sin from somebody who doesn't have life it's like the baby who will take the chocolate cake every time instead of the brussels sprouts this is what the law does don't do it i want it that's the problem of the sinful nature the law entered that the offense might abound what was the purpose of the law the purpose of the law was to teach everyone of their terrible predicament before god to be under the law meant now listen this is this is the crucial point to be under the law meant that you have a solemn obligation to keep all the commandments perfectly. When people are under the law, there was always the threat. Do this and live. God was never saying, hey guys, just do your best. It'll be okay. The message of Galatians was clear. Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do all things written in the book of the law to do them. God had a standard of perfection. And you see, that's important for tonight. Paul is explaining how to deal now for the Christian who's been put into Jesus Christ, brought into Jesus Christ, joined Him by faith. How to deal with ongoing sin as those who are no longer under the law for condemnation, but under grace. put it together so far we have been united to jesus by faith we've been joined to him in the last adam we've been brought out of the first adam sin and death has been dealt with in christ we are risen brand new creatures in him we have life the principle of life now reigns in us grace now reigns in our lives we're under the reign of grace in our lives the threat of judgment no longer looms over our heads this is how he's motivating us so this anticipates romans 3 i mean 8 1 there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are what in jesus christ that's union you've been you've been put into him so there can't be condemnation because you're under grace you see now this is how paul is speaking to them as new creatures in how to deal with sin in their life here's the beauty tonight romans 6 speaks to the believer as being under grace do you know what that means it's one concept that he's going to develop here that he's going to push us to over and over and say in so many different ways it's one of the reasons i took the larger section because i think he's trying to say it in so many ways because he knows it's hard for us to get but he's saying the same thing and that concept is this freedom everyone wants it freedom since jesus died for you you die so now he's describing the principle of grace reigning so look at verse 14 what that means is sin shall no longer have dominion over you i think he's really trying to encourage them right now to understand something he's not saying and this is i think how christianity has been heard so much this is what we do with our young people try really really hard so that sin no longer masters you and the young person sits there and says i give up on that i can't do this and so that's why most of the talks end up just being moral putting great pressure he just said now listen listen listen to what he said sin cannot master you anymore that's a different thing to say now i know experience at times can make us feel confused about this it can be besetting sins but you're here tonight you care the evidence is right in front of you the evidence that the dominion of sin has been shattered in your life is all the time in front of you the power of sin has been disarmed for believers through the cross think of colossians he disarmed principalities and powers he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in maybe this will help maybe this will help for a little bit you are like a man now or a woman standing who just got out of prison the bars you know when they let somebody out you've seen this the gates go closed and they're locked you can't go back in status you're free you're free you were removed from the sentence of death you have a brand new life in front of you you're a free man you're a free woman in Christ the dominion, the slavery, the dominion being behind bars is over but now you know it's a fight to go forward that's what many of you say well why is the struggle so fierce you know why at times do i want to go back and try to go back into those bars why why do i want to stand in front of the bars of the prison again and the first thing paul's saying here is tonight beloved jesus has freed you think it's how you think sin can no longer be your master you see now this is mastery we're talking about sin is no longer your master you're not in the old atom now you're joined to christ so so here's the principle while the dominion of sin is shattered you now fight its ongoing presence until glory okay that's a fundamental point he's making this was the great point in john owens book on the mortification of sin he says sin is still acting it's it's laboring to bring forth the deeds of the flesh he says the dominion of sin has been broken through the cross think about this the dominion here's the principle the dominion and no longer has reign over the life of the believer. But the presence of sin, the influence of sin, the rebellion of sin is not abolished in this life. The nature of sin does not change in sanctification, but its status in us is radically altered. If you can get that, this is why Paul is explaining this in so many ways because it's hard for our minds to grasp. But the controlling power of sin is now ineffective, says Owen. Controlling power. And that's why in Romans 8, he will say that anyone who puts to death sin in their life is never doing it on their own. What is the great gift he's about to unfold for the believer? The Spirit. So that he could say, if by the Spirit you mortify and put to death the deeds of the body, you will live it's the spirit's work in us and see this is the encouragement he wants to give us in the fight you're free and now you are put into and you have another master you serve someone else and so this is verse 12 gives us the great sort of marching orders here therefore don't let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it you see this is obedience you were obeying sin from the heart in the old adam you see that difference you're obeying sin from the heart he will say you were ashamed of those things now but back then you weren't ashamed of them because you loved it you lived in it you didn't care i told you a million times it's like me preaching at the modesto rescue mission and saying how many of you want to be free. Every hand went up in there. Don't let sin reign in your mortal bodies that you should obey it in its lusts. And you see, he's still, even then, I want you to notice this, realistic about the struggle of sin for the believer. He's saying that to a believer. It's a real struggle for you. I know that. He's not confused about that struggle for us he's saying this to real christians right i mean it's important here isn't it he's saying that to real christians don't let sin reign in your mortal body anymore i know you flirted with that i know you've played with that but you need to think differently here don't let sin reign in your body don't obey it because you're set free in verse 13 and don't present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin but present yourselves listen as to god as being alive there you are again union with christ alive from the dead you're alive in christ and your members your body parts as instruments of righteousness to god so so that's supposed to be encouraging to us now let me let me ask this question how do you feel tonight when i say you're no longer under lob under grace there's the question nervous i know some reformed ministers well i i talked with some who are very nervous to use this phrase one of them said to me i'm afraid if you say that too freely if you say that that's going to lead somewhere that's going to lead to lawlessness i'm saying to you tonight it's absolutely crucial for the christian life paul knew that people are going to have a hard time with this because he says it again What then? Did you notice that? In verse 15. What then? Are we to sin because we're not under law but under grace? That's going to make people nervous. You weren't around telling people they're not under the law. They're going to think they don't have to keep the law. That's so far from Paul's mind. I mean, it's just ridiculous. But you see, when you hold back on this, you hold people back from their freedom. he's afraid we're going to miss the point about slavery and mastery now of what that new servanthood looks like under grace, if we don't emphasize that. Look at the next verse. 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. This is such an important verse. You're making the assumption here that if one comes under grace in this life, that there's neutrality. No, there's no neutrality. That's why you're wrong. You're either under law or under grace. You're either in the old Adam or you're in the new. this is how we think of course this is part of our problem we think you know we have sin here in front of us and then we have uh the sort of right righteous decision over here and here i am in the sovereign middle which way am i going to go paul says yeah not not you got it wrong got it wrong you're not listening you are either in one or the other you are either in the old adam still dead in darkness and slaves to sin and if that's the case if anyone is living as a slave controlled by sin mastered by sin never turning with no repentance the reality is they're still slave to that sin they're still serving sin and that leads to eternal death that's what he says but but but that's not you you're in christ there's no neutrality here you're you are in him you have died with him you've been raised with him and that means you're a slave now to christ you're a servant he is your master not sin you have been yoked to a new master the last adam that's beautiful when you think about yoke right I didn't think about that until right now, but take my yoke upon you. One pastor, this is James Boyce, I just remember it years ago, and I thought it's simple for the boys and girls, but he tells the story of one day of a man walking down the street in Los Angeles, and he saw this man riding on his bicycle and on the sidewalk next to him on his chest as he was walking and this man was on his bicycle. On his chest was a sign and the sign said, I'm a slave of Jesus Christ. And so he passed by and the guy turned around and looked and on his back, he had another sign, Who's slave are you? See, that's what he's doing. Sin's broken. Dominion's broken for you. As a Christian, that dominion's broken and you've been united to Jesus. And Paul is so overwhelmed by this. And this is how he kind of ends here, isn't he? But God be thanked. Notice this. But God be thanked. What drove Paul in this life of joy was understanding how wonderful the Lord had been to him. That's what drives obedience. Tears of thanksgiving for the amazing love that God would show us in setting us free. And so he says in verse 17, but thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin, now notice this, notice this, this is a crucial new covenant distinction of life under grace. But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from where? The heart. 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. There's something that happens in the heart, doesn't it? For the born-again, regenerate believer who's been united to Jesus Christ. In the New Covenant, see, that didn't happen in the Old Covenant. The law was written on stones. The motivation of love for God in the New Covenant is from the heart. that was always the promise of god in the old covenant i will circumcise your hearts to do what to love the lord your god with all your heart with all your soul so that you shall live i will put that law on your minds and i will write it on your hearts it's a strange kind of paradox to the whole thing isn't it we've been delivered from the law of sin and death and condemnation and then when you're joined to christ we have by his power in the life of sanctification we are given now to honor and desire from the heart what the law requires under grace you see as redeemed we love the law we establish the law we've been set free from its condemnation how could we not love the law of god if this god has loved us and set us free from its condemnation and so paul ends up so now present your members as slaves for righteousness for holiness what's your body parts that were once enslaved to sin that you served now use those for instruments of righteousness verse 20 for when you were slaves of sin you were free in regard to righteousness isn't this just true of 21 but what fruit were you getting at that time from the things to which you're now ashamed you know anyone who's been redeemed can look back in their life and say i was getting no fruit from that i was miserable but now that you've been set free from sin and i become slaves of god the fruit you get the fruit you get is fruit leads to sanctification and in the end eternal life and you weren't happy in that before you had no rest remember this morning you had no rest you had no peace you're ruining your life you were stressed out you were full of anxiety your sin put you in depression, you were miserable, you were living in it, you were serving it, you were following whatever lust you wanted to follow, but you know what? Christ set you free, so now serve Him in the joy of discomfort. You see? That's how He's motivating us, beloved. I suppose He summarizes everything with this great verse of 23 to end tonight. for the wages of what sin is death now this is just great isn't it but the free gift there it is again we saw that in romans 3 justification the free gift of god is eternal life in christ jesus our lord freedom you're free you've come to christ you're his children he loves you recognize it and when you sin confess it always come back to the throne of grace what does he say 70 times 7 always come back confess your sins he's faithful and just forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness the fact you're coming shows that you're free you see those who are slaves of sin don't come and that coming as we saw this morning we need to come every day to our lord for rest live now and be who christ raised you up to be as new creatures free with a free gift in him what a blessed life the lord's given us may he give you his spirit and strength to understand his will for you let's pray gracious lord thank you for helping us tonight with this glorious text there's much said here but may oh lord we have a grasp of who we are being united to jesus christ help us in our struggle against sin it's real we understand its presence even though its dominion is shattered we confess at times we're like that prisoner who's been so used to it in the past we want to run back to it keep us oh lord by your spirit since we are free let us now by your spirit put to death the deeds of the flesh and live. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.