How Does a Christian Actually Live Free From Sin’s Control?
Romans 6:14-23
July 30, 2023
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I. Introduction and Review (Romans 6:6,11,13)
A. Three Simple Words in this chapter: Know, Reckon and Yield
1. Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
2. Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
3. Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
4. KNOW + RECKON + YIELD = VICTORY OVER SINS!
a. MIND – KNOW that you are now free
b. HEART – RECKON it to be true enough to believe with all your heart
c. BODY – And then YIELD to the right way of living, free from sin’s control, and instead, free to do the right things now!
d. You will not be free from sin’s presence, or its pull until you reach heaven…
e. But you can be free from its penalty, and from its POWER over your life, right now, if you have humbled yourself before God and believed that Jesus died for YOUR sins!
B. Summary
1. Know…
a. Know for a FACT, to be sure about, to be certain, to understand
b. …the old man, the old you is crucified, dead and buried, with Christ
c. “KNOW” is a word every Bible believer needs to enjoy
1) This Bible is NOT mysterious, or guesswork. We Bible believers KNOW quite a bit more than people think!
2) And, we don’t just believe some things, we KNOW them to be true!
3) The words of Scripture, the prophecies, the history, the promises are TESTED, EXAMINED, PROVEN – not fully understood, but found true!
d. So, You have got to know…
1) You are a sinner (Romans 3:10) There is none righteous, no, not one.
2) God became a human to take your place under judgment and condemnation, by living a perfect life, and dying in our place (John 3:17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
3) And because Jesus rose up again from the tomb, He has given every believer a brand new life that never ends! Eternal life!
a) 1John 5:11-13 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
b) Jesus has made eternal life available to absolutely everyone on this planet!
4) Don’t leave any of it to some priest, or to the pastor, or to “the theologians”…
5) You need to KNOW these things, study them out, understand it all as best as you can!
e. But, knowing all this does you no good until you reckon it all to be true for you
f. You have got to BELIEVE it is true for YOU!
2. Reckon yourselves …
a. Count, add up, think for yourselves, regard yourselves as, credit, consider, claim for yourselves, realize for yourselves, hold onto for yourselves …
b. … dead to sin (dead to its power over you)
c. A lot of Christians know a lot of facts, but they don't believe them.
d. So, RECKONING is not just at work of the mind but of the heart because it's the heart that affects or controls the mouth, And your hands and your feet, and your thoughts and your attitudes.
1) A sinful, dark heart, makes for very dark thoughts and dark words.
2) An angry heart makes for angry hands, angry fists.
3) You must be born again where you get a new heart, which is salvation, to be able to walk away from anger and wrath, and lust, and fornication, and hatred, and bitterness!
e. So reckoning is very important because, as long as you believe sin and temptation has power over you, you'll give into it.
f. So, in simple words, to reckon means
1) To understand, agree with and believe in with all your heart what God has written!
2) Conforming our minds to the truths of Scripture
3) Taking on the shape that God intended, not what we do naturally
4) EXAMPLE OF CLAY
g. What are we to reckon?
1) Paul never says that sin is dead.
2) Instead, he tells us to consider ourselves dead to sin. There is a huge difference.
3) Reckon that when Jesus died and rose again, so did you!
4) You are not just saved from sin’s punishment but also from its POWER over you!
5) You need to believe you are living a brand new life now, that will never end!
3. Yield our members…
a. Give into, to obey, Giving into another force, authority, pull than yourself, or what you normally obey, to let someone else tell you what to do
b. …as instruments of righteousness – for good
4. These three truths, add up to victory over the dominion of ANY sin in your life
a. Smoking Pornography Anger and bitterness
b. Laziness – THAT is a sin Lying, exaggerating
c. Apathy Heresy Fornication and lust
d. Thievery Drugs All your past
e. None of it should be controlling your life and emotions and decisions now!
C. Yielding What and How? (Romans 6:13,14)
1. We started to explore this truth two weeks ago
2. Romans 6:13,14 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
3. Review… To Yield means to give into, to obey someone other than yourself
a. Giving into another force, authority
b. You do it on the highway: yielding to bigger vehicles, oncoming traffic, Garda
c. Letting someone else go ahead of you, be more important than you, let someone else tell you what to do
4. Yielding what? The “members” of our body
a. Your tongue (James 3:5)
b. Your hands (Matthew 5:30)
c. Your eyes, your mouth, ears, fingers, feet, your sex drive
d. No longer yielding them to sinful things
e. But to God
f. Letting them be used as instruments/tools of righteousness
5. We all used to yield our members as tools of the devil
a. Mouth used to be used to say such filthy things, cruel things
b. Hands used to steal, and hurt other people
c. Feet were swift to run to where we could sin
d. Eyes full of adultery and pornography
e. Mind full of wicked imaginations and dark pleasures
f. Sex drive set on taking advantage of every opportunity
6. The members of your body should now be used as instruments of righteousness
a. The mouth, saying encouraging words, helpful words, truth
b. The voice praising God instead of complaining
c. The hands working hard, building things for God
d. The feet going everywhere, taking the Gospel where people have never heard
e. The eyes, seeking for opportunities to show compassion, and support
f. The marriage bed reserved for when you are MARRIED!
D. The key is to learn to sense the Holy Spirit, and yield to Him, and to what God’s words say (more next week)
II. Message – Yielding, Part 2
A. We Are Under the Dominion of Grace Now (Romans 6:14)
1. Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
2. “Dominion” means, Authority, control, power, rule
3. The Bible clearly says, a Christian has been FREED from the dominion of sin
4. Sin is NOT to have any control, rule over you or me now that we have been born again
5. Because we are not under the power of the Law, but under the rule of GRACE
a. The Law is there to catch you when you do wrong – it never gave you any power to resist sin
b. The Law caught Nita and I while I was driving in the Netherlands… going just 6km
c. God’s Law does an excellent job of pointing out failure, but it cannot empower one to keep from failing.
d. Grace is there to fix you when you do wrong
B. Grace is Not Freedom TO Sin (Romans 6:15)
1. Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
2. You need to know the POWER of God’s GRACE!
a. Grace SAVED us (Ephesians 2:8,9) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
b. Enables us to easily reject ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live godly lives in this present world! (Titus 2:11-12) For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world
c. SUSTAINS us when we are weak (2Cor 12:9)
d. That is Christianity – we live godly lives, not sinful lives now because of GRACE
3. Grace is NOT the freedom to do as we please anymore
4. But to do as God pleases – as God designed…
a. Yielding your body to God, giving into His will, letting Him tell you what to do each day, and using every finger, every word, every footstep for God’s glory and honour, instead of your own
b. Does anyone do that anymore?
5. THAT is real freedom! Freedom FROM stupidity, From guilt, From scars and painful memories, and From the slavery of sin
C. Your Master/Boss is Revealed by Who You Serve (Romans 6:17,18)
1. Romans 6:16,17 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
2. The Great Truth of Yielding, is Serving!
a. We will either Yield to sinful desires – to their pull
b. Or Yield to God – to His pull on you
c. Beware. When your flesh, your natural desires are tempted to sin, and you obey your desires, you are become the servant / the slave of your desires
d. And sin will always take you further than you wanted to go!
e. But if you start yielding to the Holy Spirit of God (next week), you will start to enjoy where God takes you!
3. Start Yielding to God (instead of to your friends, and your own lusts)
a. Stop acting like you know the Bible and start yielding to it – doing what it says
b. That means, overruling your own feelings, your opinions, and just doing what God says is the right thing
c. Do you want to win against sinful habits and desires?
1) KNOW what Jesus Christ has done for you, and acomplished
2) RECKON it to be true and real and powerful
3) YIELD to the will of God now, like a servant does to his/her master
d. Yielding is a servant’s way of life, doing what their Master wants done, not what they want done
e. EXAMPLE: John 13:13,14 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
1) The disciples would have gladly washed Jesus’ feet, but NOT each other’s!
2) So, do everything as if we are doing it to Jesus! Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men
3) Serving Him. Looking for every opportunity to do what HE would do!
f. Wives – yield because it is God’s way to win your home
1) Ephesians 5:22-24 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
2) 1Peter 3:1-4 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
g. Husbands and men
1) Yield to the will of God for your life and your family, instead of doing your own will all of the time
2) Start doing what the Bible says yourself
3) Start acting and reacting like JESUS did!
4) 1Corinthians 7:32,33 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
h. Employees
1) Ephesians 6:5,6 Servants [EMPLOYEES], be obedient to them that are your masters [EMPLOYERS]according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart
2) Quit complaining at work
3) And start serving, start doing what they ask you to do
4) Treat your employer like they are the Lord Jesus Christ – yep!
i. If you feel free to murmur and complain and argue and quit jobs constantly, then you are still a slave to some sin and will never know the joy of yielding that leads to freedom from sin, and results in God’s promotions!
4. We Christians now have a choice about what we do with our lives, whom we serve
a. Although we were once slaves to sin, we are now able to devote ourselves to righteousness and service to God.
b. Following Jesus Christ enables us to serve God, and live free from sin’s grip, which leads to sanctification and ultimately to eternal life.
c. Let me repeat that!
5. Choose Wisely
D. Bible Examples – Three Scriptures, and we are done…
1. Daniel 3:14-28
a. Daniel 3:14,15 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
b. Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
c. Daniel 3:19-23 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
d. Daniel 3:24-27 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
e. Daniel 3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
f. Look at the power Nebuchadnezzar had!
g. These three young men would NOT yield to the power of a king because…
h. They had already yielded their BODIES (their hands and feet and mouths and very lives) to God!
i. It makes the Christian life a lot easier, just yielding to God!
2. Exodus 8:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
a. As long as the Jewish people were slaves under the dominion of Pharaoh, they could not serve God
b. So God breaks the power of Pharaoh, and frees His people, the Jewish people, and sets them free, to serve Him!
c. Wow! The same is true for US! Satan’s power has been broken by the cross!
3. Romans 12:1,2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
a. Offering what you have to God to be used to do right things, godly, good things
b. People have offered their time, their talents to the world, and become its slave
c. God’s people need to yield their entire lives to God, and become HIS servant!
III. Conclusion - Why Should We Care? (Romans 6:23)
A. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
B. Sin still has its consequences
1. Consider the long-term consequences of our decisions – the wages, earned results of all our sin will always be… DEATH
2. An early death for the Christian
3. And an eternal death for the unsaved
C. Sin still wants to enslave you – rob you of your freedom, soil you, ruin your marriage, your home, your fellowship with God and with other Christians!
D. But a whole life (not just a bit of it on a Sunday) lived for Jesus results in the best life
1. No longer constantly patching up the ruin from stupid sinful actions
2. No longer experiencing the consequences of giving in to sinful lusts
3. But instead, enjoying my family, my wife, husband, kids, grandchildren
4. AND enjoying the will of God – no matter how hard it may be!
E. Let the gift of God change you, not leave you the same way you have always been