Romans 6:14-16

Romans 6:14-16

14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,c you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Transcript

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Hello, this is doctor Bill Branks, author of Love the Word. Our text for today is Romans six verses fourteen to sixteen. It reads 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, see you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness. We don't know why, but some people seem to always be critical. Perhaps they live in a world where they feel substandard and inept, with no redeeming qualities. Maybe they feel they can't do anything well, so they feel better when they bring others down to their perceived level. Others just like to flaunt their own abilities. They are better at something, and they enjoy putting that on display. When I was in high school, I had an art teacher who was an excellent artist, as you expect. As a tenth grade aspiring artist, I was happy to take the class. When he drew, it was always pretty amazing. Rather than instructing, I noticed that whenever a student drew, the teacher would criticize their work, redraw what they had attempted, and do a much better job with barely a word. There was no encouragement, no hints on improving, he just displayed his excellent work, and we lowly students ended up miserable, knowing few, if any, of us could do what he did. I didn't think much of his technique, but in an odd way he reminds me of the law. The law stands for perfection. It is a standard that no one can meet. To us it just sits there in its arrogance, daring mere humans to measure up. There is no grace, flexibility, or room for negotiation. It is not patient with us, nor does it attempt to make us better. It just shows us our shortcomings and never lifts a finger to make us better. We had no choice but to be under the dominion of the law because there was no grace. But now Christ offers grace, and he keeps the harsh law for us. Christ does for us what the law cannot. He satisfies it. He meets its standard. He neutralizes its dominance. We are free. Grace replaces dominion forever, but in our short-sighted little minds we are quick to test the limits of that grace. Grace means freedom from sin, not freedom to sin. Domination of the law is replaced by a need for discipline to dwell in the fulfillment, enjoy Christ's freeing grace brings while being diligent not to allow that freedom to lead us back to sin. When we present ourselves to sin as obedient slaves, we are far more enslaved than if it were a forced enslavement. A slave who is a slave against his will always seeks freedom. A slave who is a slave voluntarily is a slave forever. We are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness. Why do I have to be a slave at all? The hard reality is we are prisoners or servants. Humans are not at the top. We do not, have not, and cannot self govern well. We are a weak species, vulnerable to destruction at all times. We are dishonorable prisoners of our own corruption, which leads to death, or we can be servants of the most high God, which leads to righteousness. He is a gracious, loving, and sacrificial Lord who desires to bless his children. The freedom, forgiveness, and eternal, glorious life that he offers is a position of honorable servitude, only the wise and humble will seek.