Categories for living in this world

Consumerism - we design to meet your felt needs, in order that you can experience your best life now.

Tolerance - no one claims to have exclusive hold on the truth therefore we yield to toleration. It can mean to you what it needs to mean and it can mean to me what it needs to mean

Romans 6:15-23

READ THE TEXT

Discuss overall breakdown of Romans Chapter 6

Section 1 - Romans 6:1-14 “dead to sin and alive to Christ”

Section 2 - Romans 6:15-23 - “slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness

Section 1 Romans 6:1-14 basic breakdown

Starts with a question about grace then continues with an understanding of regeneration

A study of the phrase “dead to sin”

What does it NOT mean

What does it actually mean

The word picture of Baptism and the importance of this word

The 4 indicative verbs in Romans 6:6-7

The 4 imperative verbs in Romans 6:11-13

Section 2 Romans 6:15-23 basic breakdown

Starts with a question about grace then continues with an understanding of regeneration

“Slaves to sin or Slaves to righteousness”

Romans 6:15 - the objector in essence is saying to Paul that since we are under grace and not under the law then why shouldn’t we just continue to sin.

And Paul’s answer is this, if you still live the way you always have and you give yourself to sin then you are a slave of sin.

The reality of your life shows the reality of which realm you are actually living in. It really doesn’t matter so much what you say, but in fact what you are presently doing.

Anyone who has passed from the realm of sin and death into the realm of righteousness and life does not say well I think I am going to keep on sinning.

The law is not on the outside of us pushing down and telling us things that we don’t want to do but now it has been put on the inside and we have desire to do the things that God commands.

A system of Bible study

Author Background

Theme of the Book

Plan of the Book

Context

Words

Grammar

Unity of Scripture

Bible Survey

For further study: (Observation)

#1 - The word for slave in the Greek (doulos)

This word doulos occurs 10 times in Romans and 9 times in Romans 6:15-23

#2 - The use of indicative verbs in Romans 6:16, 17 and 18

Romans 6:16 Romans 6:17 Romans 6:18

Know you were you became slaves

Present you became obedient

You are you were committed

Obey

#2 - The use of indicative verbs in Romans 6:19

I am speaking

Presented your members

NOW PAUL SWITCHED TO THE IMPERATIVE

Present your members

The reason you can present your members as slaves of righteousness is because now you are freed from sin

#3 - the past tense use of were slaves to sin

Romans 6:17 - “you were slaves of sin”

Romans 6:18 - “having been freed from sin”

Romans 6:19 - “as you presented your members to impurity”

Romans 6:20 - “when you were slaves of sin”

#4 - This is stated in absolute terms:

You are either a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness

Cross reference Matthew 7:13-14

#5 - In Romans 6:17 we are dealing with a regeneration of the mind (teaching), will (obedient), and emotions (heart)

#6 - Romans 6:17 - you were delivered (passive voice) over to the gospel and then you became obedient from the heart

Cross reference Acts 16:14, Ezekiel 36:24-27

#7 - Help to understand what “free will” really means

Non-Christian is free to do as he wants but not free to do as he ought (Romans 6:20)

Christian is free to do as he ought but not free to do as he wants (Romans 6:22)

Observation #1 -

A study of the word slave or doulos in the Greek

Principle #1A slave thinks in terms of stewardship and not ownership

Principle #2A slave does not expect to be served but instead is one who serves

Principle #3A slave should not expect to be treated better than there’re master

Principle #4A slave finds true delight in their master

Principle #5A slave ultimately understands his purpose

Principle #6A slave is subject to exclusive ownership because he has been bought with a price

Principle #7A slave is marked by the fact that he is completely and constantly available and obedient to the master

Principle #8A slave is subject to one alien will and therefore serves with a single devotion which is only to please the master

Principle #9A slave has a complete reliance and dependence upon the master for everything

Principle #10A slave has all their discipline and reward from their master

The word for kurios in the Greek (lord) and doulos in the Greek (slave) are interconnected to one another.

If there is a slave owner then there must be a slave and if there is a slave then there must be an owner.

Everyone on planet earth is a slave to either the world or a slave to Christ.

Observation #2

Paul’s use of the indicative verbs in Romans 6:16, 17, 18 and 19 and then an imperative

Remember until the indicative of the reality is laid firmly in the foundation of the mind it will not transform properly unto the application for the feet!

This is the exact same pattern that we see in the first section of Romans 6:1-14

Observation #3

What did it look like to be a slave to sin?

Titus 3:3, Ephesians 2:1-3, Colossians 3:5-7, Romans 8:5-8

This describes what you were rescued from and now you are a slave to righteousness

Observation #4

This is where we see the absolutes of Scripture

In Adam In Christ

Sin Righteousness

Condemnation Justification

Death Life

Flesh Spirit

World Heavenly

In Adam In Christ

Curse Blessing

Bondage Liberty

Sin reigns Grace reigns

Slaves to sin Slaves to righteousness

Observation #5

In Romans 6:17 we are dealing with a regeneration of the mind (teaching), will (obedient), and emotions (heart)

There are what we call false conversions:

The mindOne could be where there is intellectual interest in the doctrines of the Bible. Actually in the last 30-40 years there has been a renewed interest in the study of Bible doctrine.And you can have people who sit around and debate fine points of doctrine.

A summary of Romans 6:17

When you become a Christian here is basically what happens:God takes you in His hands, and He hands you over to the gospel and puts you in its mold.And you then begin to be patterned into the gospel.Then you pop out as a new creation who is a slave to righteousness instead of a slave to sin.

And you like it, you are glad that you have a new heart, mind and act upon it with your will.

The emotionsOn the other hand you have whole churches that are built around emotionalism. They get on some kind of high every meeting. It becomes all centered around the emotions and they don’t want any doctrine.When you look at their lives there is really no change.

The willThen you have people who emphasize doing good, which is called the gospel of social justice.It becomes a giant ego boost for those who are leading because it doesn’t have to do with an inside transformed life.

The mind is transformed in the process of conversion:Because before we have verses like “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; Rom. 3:11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,

Ephesians 4:17-18Eph. 4:17 ¶ So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, Eph. 4:18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;

John 8:31 ¶ So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

The emotions are also involved:Zech. 12:10 ¶ “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

There needs to be emotion that is rendered when a person gets before God.WeepingJoyPeacePraise

Philippines 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

The will is involved:Luke 15:17 “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! Luke 15:18 ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;

If you know the true facts of the gospel but those facts are not changing you then you are not seeing it properly.

Matt. 7:21 ¶ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

Matthew 21:28-31