WEBVTT 00:00:00.580 --> 00:00:03.900 I'm going to invite you to Romans chapter six is where we're at today. 00:00:03.900 --> 00:00:05.290 Romans chapter six. 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:06.560 What we're studying together. 00:00:06.560 --> 00:00:09.100 Just going we're going through the book of Romans verse by verse. 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:14.200 And Paul, at this point in the book of Romans, he's discussing God's grace with us. 00:00:14.460 --> 00:00:21.780 And he wants the church to thrive in God's grace, to understand that really the purpose of God's grace and it 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:29.360 finds its position in really discovering our position in Christ because of what God's grace has done for us. 00:00:29.460 --> 00:00:33.280 God has pursued us with his life and has given his life for us. 00:00:33.580 --> 00:00:40.620 In fact, if you've studied along in the book of Romans, if I just gave you kind of a crude quick synopsis of what Romans has been about, the first 18 00:00:40.620 --> 00:00:42.320 verses of Romans is the thesis. 00:00:42.660 --> 00:00:49.900 So the first 17 verses of Romans, I should say, is the thesis where he tells us in the culmination of those first 17 verses in verse 17, that 00:00:49.900 --> 00:00:55.500 God's gospel has been proclaimed to us and the righteousness of God has been revealed so that just can live by faith. 00:00:55.960 --> 00:01:02.590 So it's this beautiful place of freedom in Christ, the gospel, the good news, the declaration of a of a king who has conquered and set his people free. 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:07.500 And now we can live in that righteousness and the just walk by faith and that relationship with God. 00:01:07.860 --> 00:01:14.940 But then he reminds us in verse 18 of chapter one, all the way to chapter three, verse 26, that all of us need 00:01:14.940 --> 00:01:17.260 this grace because we're under the wrath of God. 00:01:17.300 --> 00:01:18.650 It doesn't matter who you are. 00:01:18.900 --> 00:01:21.860 And Paul, really, he categorized people under three. 00:01:22.240 --> 00:01:23.440 Three categories. 00:01:23.440 --> 00:01:24.700 He described the irreligious. 00:01:26.460 --> 00:01:28.620 He described the moral and he described the religious. 00:01:28.620 --> 00:01:30.250 He says it doesn't matter who you are. 00:01:30.420 --> 00:01:31.520 Everyone needs God's grace. 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:39.520 And then in chapter three, verse verses 27 into chapter five, verse 21, the end of Chapter five, he shows 00:01:39.520 --> 00:01:43.120 us how God has given his life for us, the grace of God. 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:44.640 God has pursued us. 00:01:44.780 --> 00:01:46.650 God has rescued us from something. 00:01:46.840 --> 00:01:48.000 That's what God's grace is about. 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:54.920 It's about coming here to rescue us from something which is sin, Satan and death, and to rescue us for something that God made you for a purpose. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:59.960 It's not just a get out of hell free card, but God desires something for your life, right? 00:01:59.960 --> 00:02:07.060 And in chapter six and seven and eight, then he's going to talk about what that looks like, how we should respond as God has given his life for 00:02:07.060 --> 00:02:10.759 us, how we then in turn, should give our life for him. 00:02:11.060 --> 00:02:13.890 Grace is a gift and what you do with it matters. 00:02:14.720 --> 00:02:16.320 It matters for your life. 00:02:16.320 --> 00:02:18.000 It matters for your friends and family. 00:02:18.020 --> 00:02:18.930 It makes a difference. 00:02:18.980 --> 00:02:20.580 Look, the reality is God doesn't need you. 00:02:21.480 --> 00:02:22.500 God does not need you. 00:02:22.500 --> 00:02:24.360 He's completely sufficient within himself. 00:02:24.420 --> 00:02:31.060 That's really what when people say define God, that's typically the basis for which I begin with in defining God. 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:33.400 If you've ever tried to define God, you ever thought about that? 00:02:33.440 --> 00:02:34.260 How would I define God? 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:37.310 Is there enough paper to write down this definition? 00:02:37.820 --> 00:02:42.420 But I like to say it very simplistic like this, at least in a basic understanding of God. 00:02:42.420 --> 00:02:45.740 God is the only being who finds the purpose for his existence within himself. 00:02:45.740 --> 00:02:48.760 Everything else finds the purpose of his existence outside of itself. 00:02:49.140 --> 00:02:50.440 Meaning you weren't created for you. 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:53.460 But God in himself is completely sustainable in His own nature. 00:02:53.480 --> 00:02:53.740 He doesn't. 00:02:53.940 --> 00:02:54.720 He doesn't have need. 00:02:56.380 --> 00:02:58.990 But thank God by his grace, he didn't give up on us. 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:02.360 He pursued us, gave his life for us. 00:03:02.440 --> 00:03:03.640 He didn't have to do that. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:04.800 But grace is a gift. 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:06.080 And what you do with it matters. 00:03:06.580 --> 00:03:13.680 And this becomes the basis for what Paul is saying to us in Romans chapter six, verse 15 to 23. 00:03:13.720 --> 00:03:18.360 So we're going to we're going to look at this and Paul's going to frame the discussion in verse 15. 00:03:18.380 --> 00:03:19.330 He's going to ask a question. 00:03:19.380 --> 00:03:22.680 It's a very similar question to what he asked at the beginning of Chapter six. 00:03:23.100 --> 00:03:24.020 But he's going to ask a question. 00:03:24.740 --> 00:03:29.580 And in fact, if you look at this section, verse 15 to 23, you can even look at this with your eyes real quick. 00:03:29.620 --> 00:03:32.560 But verse 15, he asks a question, verse 16. 00:03:32.600 --> 00:03:35.600 He asks a question, verse 21. 00:03:35.720 --> 00:03:35.760 He then asks another question. 00:03:35.820 --> 00:03:42.120 This becomes sort of the basis for the framework that Paul he's going to ask these questions and he's going to share with us these thoughts related to grace. 00:03:42.180 --> 00:03:47.460 In fact, we're going to talk about two ideas as it relates to grace and to see how it applies to our life. 00:03:47.500 --> 00:03:52.780 Two thoughts to consider that, how we should respond in light of God's grace in our lives. 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:56.320 And so this is how Paul frames the discussion in Romans chapter six, verse 15. 00:03:56.320 --> 00:03:58.740 He says, What then are we to sin? 00:03:58.740 --> 00:04:01.420 Because we are not under the law, but under grace? 00:04:01.640 --> 00:04:03.360 By no means. 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:10.420 Paul asks this question very similarly in chapter six, verse one, Remember he said this kind of the same idea. 00:04:10.420 --> 00:04:11.700 He said, What shall we say then? 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:14.640 Are we to continue to sin That grace may abound? 00:04:14.640 --> 00:04:15.370 By no means. 00:04:16.279 --> 00:04:23.340 The reason Paul is framing these two questions is sort of like Paul and in his minds coming up with the rebuttal of everything that people might argue 00:04:23.340 --> 00:04:30.200 against the position he shared with us in Christ, the greatness of what God has done for us because of His grace. 00:04:30.880 --> 00:04:38.100 And He gave us this scandalous statement at the end of chapter five, verse 20, when he when he talked about God's grace, which led him to throw 00:04:38.100 --> 00:04:45.220 these two questions at us in verse 20, he said, Now the law came into to increase the trespass, but where sin 00:04:45.220 --> 00:04:47.520 increased, grace abounded all the more. 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:54.920 I remember the idea here was Paul was saying look and saying specifically to religious people, religious people, you think you think your religious law sets you 00:04:54.920 --> 00:04:55.340 free. 00:04:55.520 --> 00:04:57.330 Religious law does not set you free. 00:04:57.580 --> 00:05:04.940 Religious law shows you where you fail and it shows where your sin is increasing because you're aware of what God's holy standard is and 00:05:04.940 --> 00:05:06.260 you can't measure up to it. 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:08.240 You're not comparing yourself to someone else. 00:05:08.520 --> 00:05:10.780 Your comparison is to the perfection of God. 00:05:10.820 --> 00:05:16.060 And when you look at God's standard and you realize you can't achieve God's standard in and of yourself, there's a problem. 00:05:16.100 --> 00:05:17.140 Your sin increases. 00:05:17.160 --> 00:05:18.660 You realize how broken you are. 00:05:19.160 --> 00:05:20.880 Religion does not set you free. 00:05:21.200 --> 00:05:22.120 That's what Paul is saying. 00:05:22.380 --> 00:05:24.220 But then he gives us this great hope. 00:05:24.340 --> 00:05:29.720 He says, where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, saying to us, It doesn't matter. 00:05:29.940 --> 00:05:33.620 It doesn't matter how deep your sin goes, God's grace goes deeper still. 00:05:34.060 --> 00:05:37.260 There is no one in this world so far gone that God's grace can't reach them. 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:39.430 God's grace is transforming. 00:05:39.460 --> 00:05:41.440 And that's the reason Jesus gave his life for us. 00:05:41.520 --> 00:05:43.760 Because Jesus paid it all for you. 00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:46.620 And Jesus can is more than enough. 00:05:46.660 --> 00:05:49.620 And offering his life for you that you can find freedom in him. 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:55.920 And so when Paul then thinks about the rebuttal, people may have to God's grace and how scandalous this statement might be. 00:05:55.960 --> 00:05:57.460 He then poses these two questions. 00:05:57.480 --> 00:06:04.150 And when he poses these two questions in Chapter six, I think Paul has in mind two types of people, or maybe we could argue three again. 00:06:04.660 --> 00:06:06.820 But Paul at least has two types of people. 00:06:06.860 --> 00:06:13.340 He has this idea of the irreligious or maybe this moral group that just think, as long as you're good, that's all that matters, right? 00:06:13.660 --> 00:06:17.810 I just we just kind of try or we just do what we want and God's grace will cover it. 00:06:18.700 --> 00:06:25.820 Then he then he talks about in verse 15, he then asks the question from a religious framework, because the religious people would 00:06:25.820 --> 00:06:28.840 say to them, say to the apostle Paul, why are we living all these laws? 00:06:29.080 --> 00:06:32.920 Like, why are we trying to obey the Jewish Old Testament, the Tanakh? 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:34.120 Why does this matter to us? 00:06:35.500 --> 00:06:42.100 And Paul then poses that question, What then are we to just go and sin and just forget about what God has written? 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:44.300 It says by no means. 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:47.980 It's not about doing whatever you want because of God's grace. 00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:55.000 It's to recognize that God's grace rescues us from something, and God's grace rescues us for something. 00:06:55.060 --> 00:06:56.800 That God's grace is a gift. 00:06:57.060 --> 00:06:59.100 And what you do with it matters. 00:07:00.840 --> 00:07:03.680 Grace does not give us an excuse to sin. 00:07:05.540 --> 00:07:08.280 But it does give us a purpose to live. 00:07:09.660 --> 00:07:10.960 And a reason to obey. 00:07:12.740 --> 00:07:15.540 God's grace puts us in a beautiful position with him. 00:07:15.760 --> 00:07:20.460 And Paul wants us to consider two aspects of God's grace this morning. 00:07:21.140 --> 00:07:26.600 Number one, in your notes that first blink is this Consider the freedom of grace. 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:31.280 Paul wants us to consider the freedom of grace. 00:07:31.640 --> 00:07:33.780 And in verse 16, it reads like this. 00:07:33.800 --> 00:07:41.100 He says, Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as 00:07:41.100 --> 00:07:44.860 obedient slaves, you, your slaves are the one whom you obey. 00:07:45.960 --> 00:07:51.480 Either of sin which leads to death or of obedience which leads to righteousness. 00:07:53.120 --> 00:08:00.400 Now, hopefully you caught the irony of what I just said, because Paul, Paul's going to actually going to use the word freedom in verse 18, which is where we get this idea, was Paul's 00:08:00.620 --> 00:08:07.740 asking this question here in verse 16, do you not know Paul is talking about here in light of God's grace, do you not 00:08:07.740 --> 00:08:10.760 know what this means for you and how you can live your life? 00:08:10.960 --> 00:08:11.740 He's posing this question. 00:08:12.540 --> 00:08:13.200 And so here we are. 00:08:13.200 --> 00:08:19.520 We're going to talk now about freedom, but we're talking about freedom through through the illustration of slavery. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:20.620 Isn't that isn't that ironic? 00:08:21.220 --> 00:08:24.170 Like, Paul wants us to know the freedom that God's grace brings. 00:08:24.200 --> 00:08:27.700 And that's going to be the theme that he harps on as we get further into these verses. 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:35.100 But he is doing it through the idea of slavery, which is a very sensitive subject, isn't it, to be 00:08:35.100 --> 00:08:36.840 able to talk about with you this morning. 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:44.320 And in fact, just to remind you of how sensitive this subject is, Paul, in this first line, I just want to break it down in two 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:45.240 sections here for us. 00:08:45.520 --> 00:08:53.200 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves here, Paul is talking about slavery and some 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:55.850 translators when they come to this phrase slavery. 00:08:56.960 --> 00:08:57.820 It's interesting. 00:08:57.820 --> 00:09:02.300 Rather than choose to use the word slavery, which I think is what the Greek text says, it's Doulos. 00:09:02.340 --> 00:09:03.940 It certainly means slave. 00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:07.400 Some translators choose to use the word servant. 00:09:08.180 --> 00:09:12.480 If you read from the King James, you'll see that word, that's the way they translate it in the King James. 00:09:12.740 --> 00:09:14.100 They translate this word servant. 00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:16.840 But it certainly is the word doulos, which means slave. 00:09:18.520 --> 00:09:18.620 Now. 00:09:18.760 --> 00:09:19.640 Now, why would they do that? 00:09:20.980 --> 00:09:28.080 Well, I think the intentions behind this debate as to whether or not you would translate Douglass as servant or slave, is seen 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:32.280 in the kind of the idea that was would be created in your mind through through what Paul is saying. 00:09:32.300 --> 00:09:33.600 Let me just say this real quick. 00:09:33.880 --> 00:09:36.520 As I talk about slavery, slavery is wrong. 00:09:36.540 --> 00:09:40.440 And whatever fashion or form it's coming in, we're going to stand against slavery. 00:09:40.640 --> 00:09:40.780 Okay. 00:09:41.180 --> 00:09:45.660 But it's important for us to understand what is Paul saying in this text by talking about slavery? 00:09:45.680 --> 00:09:52.940 I mean, you think in terms of Rome, where Paul is writing this letter, some people estimate within the city of Rome, upwards of maybe 50% of the population 00:09:52.940 --> 00:09:53.890 could have been slaves. 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:55.740 When the Christian church began. 00:09:56.180 --> 00:10:00.700 Its movement was a grassroots movement and it was very popular among slave people. 00:10:00.860 --> 00:10:05.820 Women often would gravitate towards Christianity because they found worth and value in that Jesus. 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:11.220 When women were treated as property, Jesus came in and he showed the worth and dignity and value of women. 00:10:11.300 --> 00:10:15.420 So you see a lot of women coming to Christ, you see a lot of slaves coming to Christ for the same purpose. 00:10:16.420 --> 00:10:23.820 So Paul is writing a letter like this knowing that his letter is going to be read by individuals who may find themselves as slaves, especially 00:10:23.820 --> 00:10:25.000 in the city of Rome. 00:10:26.160 --> 00:10:33.180 But what's interesting in this is the distinction of why some translators would choose to use the word servant rather than slave is 00:10:33.180 --> 00:10:39.020 because of the way that Paul expresses this form of slavery and this passage of Scripture in America. 00:10:39.140 --> 00:10:46.280 When we hear the term slave, we often just assume one type of slavery that's chattel slavery, which is 00:10:46.280 --> 00:10:50.620 taking a people group and forcing them against their will to be a slave. 00:10:50.620 --> 00:10:54.560 And you sell them as property, you don't even treat them as a person. 00:10:54.560 --> 00:11:02.400 But what's what's interesting in this verse is that when Paul is referring to slavery here, one of the distinctions he gives us is that at 00:11:02.400 --> 00:11:05.590 the beginning of verse he says this You present yourselves. 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:09.780 You present yourselves. 00:11:11.660 --> 00:11:15.640 What Paul is identifying here is this is a decision of your will. 00:11:18.280 --> 00:11:20.160 This is a willingness in your heart. 00:11:22.640 --> 00:11:27.180 What you will surrender your life to. 00:11:29.040 --> 00:11:35.350 This idea of presenting Paul saying he's saying to all of us, look, everyone in this room has a choice. 00:11:37.020 --> 00:11:38.900 Of what your life is going to be about. 00:11:41.020 --> 00:11:43.260 You can't always control the cards you're dealt. 00:11:45.420 --> 00:11:47.400 But you can decide how you're going to play it. 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:52.980 When Paul's writing to perhaps a group of slaves in Rome. 00:11:55.480 --> 00:12:02.180 Paul wants them to recognize that they can still use their lives for the glory of God because of the grace of God. 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:05.800 Sometimes we like to make excuses for things. 00:12:06.700 --> 00:12:10.030 But Paul is saying, how about rather we make a change in things? 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:13.180 What's your life going to be about? 00:12:15.180 --> 00:12:18.480 When things are all said and done, how will people describe you? 00:12:20.420 --> 00:12:21.580 What will define you? 00:12:23.280 --> 00:12:24.880 Who will people say you are? 00:12:26.420 --> 00:12:31.560 You know, in life, when people pass away, we often don't describe the kinds of things a person did in their job. 00:12:33.020 --> 00:12:36.980 But rather what they meant to us by how we experienced them in relationship. 00:12:39.580 --> 00:12:40.480 And Paul is coming. 00:12:40.560 --> 00:12:45.300 This place of asking that question is what is your heart really surrendered to? 00:12:47.660 --> 00:12:50.120 How have you presented your life? 00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:57.640 I think maybe for us today in our culture and time, one of the best ways that we could perhaps illustrate this type of servitude 00:12:57.640 --> 00:13:03.160 or even slavery that Paul is describing here would be someone who might give give of their service to the military. 00:13:04.740 --> 00:13:05.000 And you. 00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:08.080 You intentionally surrender yourself to an authority. 00:13:09.760 --> 00:13:12.860 And in return you get the opportunity to defend and fight for freedom. 00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:16.060 And there are certain things that are provided for you. 00:13:17.640 --> 00:13:22.400 And I think this is the idea that Paul is casting in our minds. 00:13:22.420 --> 00:13:29.900 And I'll talk a little bit more about slavery in the verses I had, especially as you get to verse 19, because he tells us why he's illustrating this or using 00:13:29.900 --> 00:13:31.600 this as an illustration for us. 00:13:32.260 --> 00:13:38.740 But Paul wants to awaken our hearts to understand something that something in life will be master over you. 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:39.880 And you ask the question, why? 00:13:40.100 --> 00:13:42.080 Why would someone want to be a servant like this? 00:13:42.120 --> 00:13:44.920 Why would someone want to completely dedicate their life like this? 00:13:44.940 --> 00:13:49.920 And his response is saying to us like, something will be master over you. 00:13:49.940 --> 00:13:51.080 It's impossible not to. 00:13:53.960 --> 00:13:57.080 The reason it's impossible is because you're a worship being. 00:13:59.480 --> 00:14:00.760 God made you to worship. 00:14:03.300 --> 00:14:08.740 And you will you will look for things in this world to give you worth and value and meaning. 00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:16.120 And when we do that, we often find ourselves in worship of whatever it is that we hope helps us feel important. 00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:18.900 Are we? 00:14:19.220 --> 00:14:26.440 We might put it in our performance to make us feel like we matter or a person that makes us feel like we matter or a position 00:14:26.440 --> 00:14:27.600 or a power or a place. 00:14:28.300 --> 00:14:31.440 But just please help me feel significant, right? 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:37.080 And being a worship being we look for something to just attribute to us identity. 00:14:38.880 --> 00:14:39.460 Now value. 00:14:41.140 --> 00:14:42.240 It's impossible. 00:14:44.260 --> 00:14:45.540 Not to serve something. 00:14:47.160 --> 00:14:50.520 And some may argue, well, I'm the slave of anything. 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:52.280 I'm my own master. 00:14:53.080 --> 00:14:53.460 Right. 00:14:53.460 --> 00:14:55.560 And I would say to you this morning, we'll prove it. 00:14:57.340 --> 00:14:57.800 This week. 00:14:58.020 --> 00:14:58.580 Do me a favor. 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:00.410 If you think you're just the master of everything. 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:02.220 Nothing has any authority over. 00:15:02.220 --> 00:15:02.320 You. 00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:04.980 Go this week and try not to sin. 00:15:06.380 --> 00:15:07.980 See how successful you can be. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:08.100 Right? 00:15:08.640 --> 00:15:10.000 Just perfection. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:14.700 Live a week of perfection and really see how much of a master you really are over all things. 00:15:15.700 --> 00:15:16.960 And you and I know it's not possible. 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:22.420 Your heart will be given over to something. 00:15:24.160 --> 00:15:26.780 And if you want to know what's the master over you, it's. 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:27.880 It's easy to find. 00:15:27.960 --> 00:15:28.240 Just look. 00:15:28.460 --> 00:15:32.140 Look where you spend your time, your money, your resources. 00:15:33.980 --> 00:15:39.700 It starts to identify for you where you receive significance. 00:15:40.020 --> 00:15:43.640 And this is what Paul is identifying in this passage. 00:15:43.760 --> 00:15:51.020 And he says in the second half of this verse, you are slaves of the one whom you obey either of sin, which leads to death 00:15:51.540 --> 00:15:54.510 or of obedience, which leads to righteousness. 00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:03.180 It's interesting for all of us in this room when we come to words like obedience, how we respond to that. 00:16:04.420 --> 00:16:10.240 Some of you, as soon as you hear the word obedience, it doesn't matter what might be the next thing out of my mouth. 00:16:10.300 --> 00:16:13.820 You hear the word obedience and you just instantly say, I'm taking the opposite of that. 00:16:14.040 --> 00:16:14.140 Right. 00:16:14.660 --> 00:16:16.720 And you've maybe been like that since. 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:18.240 Since a child. 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:19.620 Oppositional defiance, right? 00:16:20.020 --> 00:16:21.840 Your parents probably referred to you. 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:22.230 At least mine. 00:16:22.380 --> 00:16:23.360 Mine did. 00:16:23.540 --> 00:16:24.600 You're stubborn, right? 00:16:25.300 --> 00:16:26.920 You're going to be a great lawyer one day. 00:16:27.780 --> 00:16:28.680 You can argue a lot. 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:29.560 My mom. 00:16:29.560 --> 00:16:35.500 And being that kind of kid finds a lot of humor in the fact that sometimes she looks at my kids and she says, they're just like you. 00:16:35.700 --> 00:16:38.140 You know, like it's like her prayer was answered. 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:39.300 Lord, humble him. 00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:43.040 Let him have a kid one day just like him. 00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:44.460 But. 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:45.390 But we get rebellious. 00:16:47.100 --> 00:16:47.830 One way to respond. 00:16:48.340 --> 00:16:50.280 The other way you get religious. 00:16:52.200 --> 00:16:56.480 You see the word obedience and you're going to prove how great you are by the things you do. 00:16:57.240 --> 00:16:58.070 And so we perform. 00:16:58.680 --> 00:16:59.180 It's about us. 00:16:59.180 --> 00:17:06.859 But do you know the interesting thing and whether you're a person that tends to hear the word of beatings and get rebellious or hear the word obedience and you get religious, the 00:17:06.859 --> 00:17:09.300 focus of both of those paths are you. 00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:10.700 It's you. 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:15.060 If you're rebellious, it's all about you. 00:17:15.060 --> 00:17:16.569 If you're religious, it's all about your performance. 00:17:16.900 --> 00:17:19.240 And in the end, what drives both of those is pride. 00:17:21.630 --> 00:17:23.160 You know, there's also a third option. 00:17:25.280 --> 00:17:30.760 And I think the idea of what Paul's communicating here plays out beautifully in the prodigal son. 00:17:30.780 --> 00:17:35.890 If you know the story, this is Rembrandt's version of the prodigal son he painted in the 17th century. 00:17:36.680 --> 00:17:41.960 But Rembrandt, when he painted the prodigal son, he certainly illustrates the idea of the rebellious and the religious. 00:17:42.020 --> 00:17:46.060 You see there the father holding the prodigal son who's returned. 00:17:46.080 --> 00:17:51.560 If you know how the story goes in Luke 15, there were the father had two sons, right? 00:17:51.560 --> 00:17:53.340 We refer to the story as the prodigal son. 00:17:53.360 --> 00:17:54.770 But the point isn't really the son. 00:17:54.920 --> 00:17:55.270 It's about the father. 00:17:56.120 --> 00:17:58.130 It's the prodigal father, really, the son. 00:17:58.780 --> 00:17:59.840 One son becomes rebellious. 00:18:00.060 --> 00:18:00.970 He knows what the father wants. 00:18:01.220 --> 00:18:02.500 He doesn't care what the father wants. 00:18:02.700 --> 00:18:05.320 He wants what he wants because no one's master over him. 00:18:05.520 --> 00:18:06.580 He thinks he's in charge. 00:18:06.580 --> 00:18:08.900 And he goes into the world and he finds out he's really the master of nothing. 00:18:10.120 --> 00:18:11.280 And he squanders everything. 00:18:12.620 --> 00:18:14.810 And then the other part of the story is about the religious son. 00:18:15.120 --> 00:18:15.220 Right? 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:20.920 And when the prodigal son returns, the religious son just folds his arm. 00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:22.140 You see, it illustrated in this picture. 00:18:22.180 --> 00:18:23.710 He just looks down at his brother. 00:18:24.340 --> 00:18:25.960 He has no idea what Grace is. 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:32.070 You have the religious performance, then you have the rebellious performance. 00:18:32.520 --> 00:18:32.640 But then. 00:18:34.920 --> 00:18:36.800 But then the prodigal son finds grace. 00:18:39.100 --> 00:18:39.790 How does he find Grace? 00:18:41.420 --> 00:18:42.540 He returns to the father. 00:18:44.360 --> 00:18:44.990 And what does he discover? 00:18:47.040 --> 00:18:49.150 The father had been waiting for him to return. 00:18:49.260 --> 00:18:51.690 And when he does, he throws a great celebration. 00:18:55.640 --> 00:18:59.180 The point isn't about religion or hating religion. 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:03.220 The point is it is about rebellion or hating rebellion. 00:19:03.340 --> 00:19:05.700 The point is about a relationship. 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:09.740 And that's God's heart for us. 00:19:09.800 --> 00:19:13.560 This idea of obedience that leads to righteousness is not just it's not about performance. 00:19:16.900 --> 00:19:20.300 It's about a heart driven to want to be close to God. 00:19:20.380 --> 00:19:23.740 I don't wake up every morning and say, Man, how can I be more religious? 00:19:26.520 --> 00:19:31.800 Our heart's desire when we wake up in this morning, in the morning should be, How can I get near to God? 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:35.000 How can I walk with Jesus? 00:19:36.460 --> 00:19:37.870 How can I enjoy his presence? 00:19:40.080 --> 00:19:40.800 That's what Grace is delivered to us. 00:19:40.800 --> 00:19:41.120 Because grace is a gift. 00:19:41.180 --> 00:19:43.440 In fact, in verse 17, that's where Paul goes. 00:19:45.140 --> 00:19:46.180 But thanks be to God. 00:19:47.540 --> 00:19:49.860 That you who were once slaves of sin. 00:19:51.360 --> 00:19:51.900 Have become. 00:19:51.900 --> 00:19:52.380 Look at this. 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:54.500 Obedient from the heart. 00:19:56.180 --> 00:19:58.460 To the standard of teaching to which you were committed. 00:19:59.580 --> 00:20:04.000 I tell you, that important phrase in this section is that idea of from the heart. 00:20:06.120 --> 00:20:06.520 From the heart. 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:09.840 That's not primarily interested in your obedience. 00:20:10.120 --> 00:20:11.930 God is primarily interested in your heart. 00:20:12.940 --> 00:20:15.960 Because God knows if he gets your heart, he'll change your life. 00:20:16.800 --> 00:20:17.320 It's not obedience. 00:20:17.640 --> 00:20:21.490 For the sake of obedience, you can obey your rules all day long and not have a relationship. 00:20:23.720 --> 00:20:25.460 What God wants is your life. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:35.270 And this grace becomes that gift of freedom for us too, to be able to experience that which is then what he says in verse 18, 00:20:35.940 --> 00:20:38.260 having been set free from sin. 00:20:39.540 --> 00:20:41.070 You have become slaves of righteousness. 00:20:42.320 --> 00:20:45.100 And what Paul is painting is like, there's really you're going to have a master. 00:20:45.180 --> 00:20:46.400 It doesn't matter in life. 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:47.680 You're going to have a master because you're a worshiping. 00:20:49.080 --> 00:20:55.520 But it's more of a question of what is master over you because one leads to death and the other leads to life. 00:20:56.300 --> 00:20:58.560 And in Christ, Christ has come to deliver you. 00:20:58.580 --> 00:21:01.720 And he is a he is a good master that cares over over your life. 00:21:01.820 --> 00:21:04.410 And he has set you free from the sin that destroys your soul. 00:21:05.600 --> 00:21:09.900 Some people, when they hear the word freedom, they assume freedom means free to do whatever you want. 00:21:10.840 --> 00:21:11.620 And that is not freedom. 00:21:12.420 --> 00:21:12.980 That's anarchy. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:14.960 Freedom doesn't mean free. 00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:16.380 Free to do whatever you want. 00:21:16.380 --> 00:21:21.280 You're not free until you're truly able to live for the purpose for which you were created. 00:21:23.560 --> 00:21:26.650 The idea of freedom is walking that path for which you were designed. 00:21:27.100 --> 00:21:33.420 Every created thing has a purpose and you aren't truly free until you live in that purpose. 00:21:34.520 --> 00:21:35.640 It's like a car on a road. 00:21:35.980 --> 00:21:37.840 It's free, but a car in a ditch. 00:21:38.200 --> 00:21:40.600 It is not a boat in the water. 00:21:40.600 --> 00:21:42.570 It is free, but a boat on an icy lake. 00:21:42.600 --> 00:21:43.310 That is not freedom. 00:21:44.260 --> 00:21:45.640 A fish in the water is free. 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:46.560 A fish on land. 00:21:46.560 --> 00:21:47.240 That is not freedom. 00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:50.360 You were created for the Lord. 00:21:51.320 --> 00:21:55.640 Living any other life than in pursuit of relationship with God is not freedom. 00:21:55.640 --> 00:21:56.120 It's death. 00:21:57.360 --> 00:22:04.700 Freedom is only free when you live for the purpose for which you were designed and you were made as a worship being to connect to God both now and for all of eternity. 00:22:05.900 --> 00:22:12.100 And the only reason you're able to experience that freedom has nothing to do with rebellion or religion, but rather relationship in Christ. 00:22:14.020 --> 00:22:16.740 And Paul is saying, Do you not see the gift of grace? 00:22:17.800 --> 00:22:18.820 Why go on sinning? 00:22:20.320 --> 00:22:22.480 When what God has given you is so precious. 00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:30.530 You think all the religions in this world are people trying to pursue to just avail to God to show that they're worthy enough? 00:22:32.340 --> 00:22:37.940 But in Christianity, especially this time of season, what we're reminded of is God became vulnerable. 00:22:39.340 --> 00:22:39.760 As a baby. 00:22:41.320 --> 00:22:45.480 To a very young mother in a position of poverty under a king who wanted to kill him. 00:22:46.180 --> 00:22:47.760 Having to run away to Egypt. 00:22:48.980 --> 00:22:49.280 Why? 00:22:50.900 --> 00:22:51.420 To set you free. 00:22:54.280 --> 00:22:58.410 God became vulnerable for us so that we could become vulnerable to him. 00:22:59.700 --> 00:23:00.750 And he is a good master. 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:03.600 Caring for. 00:23:05.100 --> 00:23:05.860 For our soul. 00:23:06.700 --> 00:23:08.760 And then in verse 19, he says this. 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:13.280 I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. 00:23:13.620 --> 00:23:16.170 He's saying, This is why I choose this example when I talk about slavery. 00:23:16.320 --> 00:23:18.820 That's a that's a shocking term to use. 00:23:19.540 --> 00:23:26.260 But sometimes our soul becomes so dead that we need words like that to awaken us to what God calls us to. 00:23:26.460 --> 00:23:33.900 For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to the lawless lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so 00:23:33.900 --> 00:23:38.980 now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 00:23:40.620 --> 00:23:45.880 Ironic to talk about freedom and slavery in the same terms or in the same verses, Right? 00:23:45.900 --> 00:23:53.340 But when you start to study scripture, you see that the idea of slavery and being redeemed from slavery, it's 00:23:53.340 --> 00:23:58.580 the Bible is full of those motifs representing spiritual death and spiritual life. 00:24:00.560 --> 00:24:02.730 In fact, I would argue that that's how the Bible starts. 00:24:04.500 --> 00:24:07.780 In the Book of Genesis is written to a group of slaves. 00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:11.860 They were in slavery in Egypt. 00:24:13.860 --> 00:24:18.040 And do you know the kind of things that can happen to someone being treated that way? 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:26.140 Chattel slavery, just property treated like a tool and just abused and used until you're done and then find someone 00:24:26.140 --> 00:24:26.600 else. 00:24:29.420 --> 00:24:31.740 And then when you read the book of Genesis, God does something incredible. 00:24:32.040 --> 00:24:35.940 He refers to all human beings as being created in the image of God. 00:24:37.840 --> 00:24:44.840 Which is very unique because in Israel's day, there are only a few people that were referenced as being in the image of 00:24:44.840 --> 00:24:46.230 God, and that would be people like Pharaoh. 00:24:47.500 --> 00:24:50.100 They were considered almost like deity in the flesh. 00:24:50.700 --> 00:24:51.900 They bore the image of God. 00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:56.440 But to refer to just the common people and especially slaves. 00:24:59.240 --> 00:25:00.900 As being made in the image of God. 00:25:02.120 --> 00:25:06.930 With the understanding that the purpose of that is to connect to your creator, your king, your savior. 00:25:08.540 --> 00:25:11.260 That's an incredible position to have. 00:25:11.460 --> 00:25:15.140 That God would elevate us uniquely as his creatures. 00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:16.470 Creatures made for. 00:25:16.760 --> 00:25:17.270 For his purpose. 00:25:17.640 --> 00:25:19.880 To know him and to walk with him. 00:25:20.080 --> 00:25:20.180 And. 00:25:20.180 --> 00:25:23.550 And Jesus even used that similar language when he looked at our lives spiritually. 00:25:25.040 --> 00:25:29.770 And he said that he came to ransom us, which is a term used to buy a slave out of a slave market. 00:25:30.740 --> 00:25:37.840 And Jesus gave his life and on the cross and said, paid in full, it is sufficient or it is enough that Jesus Jesus accomplished what he 00:25:37.840 --> 00:25:39.940 needed to accomplish in order to set us free. 00:25:39.960 --> 00:25:43.300 That we could have that relationship and live in light of that for all of eternity. 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:52.240 And Paul, knowing those motifs then reflects on that because he recognizes in Romans he's writing to a group of Christians that may find themselves 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:53.960 physically as slaves. 00:25:55.320 --> 00:25:57.480 But he also says it to our heart and recognizing. 00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:05.680 Their lives can be mastered by something else and it will destroy our soul lest we find a new life in Christ. 00:26:09.080 --> 00:26:10.620 And walk in that glory. 00:26:10.920 --> 00:26:18.160 And he says to us that righteousness leading to that sanctification, that being set apart by the Lord for his 00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:23.580 purposes and his glory and he reminds us of the response or the opposite of that. 00:26:23.580 --> 00:26:29.980 When he, when he says this in this verse, he says lawlessness leading to more lawlessness. 00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:34.900 So rebellious people, sometimes they think they're in charge of their lives. 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:36.900 Because they think. 00:26:37.960 --> 00:26:39.180 Are the authority of life. 00:26:40.620 --> 00:26:47.660 They forget that they are under authority and they start living like they are the authority and they define the point of life 00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:51.570 about making them happy and whatever it is they want because they set the rules, they're in charge. 00:26:54.480 --> 00:27:01.080 And Paul saying that kind of life of lawlessness, not recognizing that you're under authority, but you think that you're really in authority. 00:27:02.540 --> 00:27:05.260 All it leads to is not goodness on the back end. 00:27:06.360 --> 00:27:07.000 It's not an improvement. 00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:09.650 But rather it's more lawlessness. 00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:14.760 Maybe the sobering thought to this would be to say this about our own country. 00:27:16.620 --> 00:27:18.860 Unless our country has a revival. 00:27:20.260 --> 00:27:21.860 And hearts turn back to Jesus. 00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:24.980 The path that we are on is not better. 00:27:26.600 --> 00:27:34.180 Lawlessness leads to more lawlessness because we stop recognizing who was really in charge and 00:27:34.180 --> 00:27:35.500 we started to believe it was ourselves. 00:27:38.280 --> 00:27:39.400 So then Paul says this. 00:27:40.600 --> 00:27:42.850 Point number two in your notes and this is a little faster here. 00:27:44.440 --> 00:27:47.080 Consider the fruit of grace. 00:27:48.780 --> 00:27:49.680 Consider the fruit of grace. 00:27:50.080 --> 00:27:57.540 And he asks another question in verse 21 here, but he really in verse 20 and 21, he's going to talk about this idea of rebellion to 00:27:57.540 --> 00:28:00.720 the idea of walking with Christ in verses 22 and 23. 00:28:00.760 --> 00:28:07.340 You'll see these two positions here, but verse, verse 20, he goes on, he says, For when you were slaves of sin. 00:28:08.700 --> 00:28:11.400 You were free in regards to righteousness. 00:28:13.140 --> 00:28:15.080 Meaning slaves to sin. 00:28:15.080 --> 00:28:16.060 You belong to sin. 00:28:16.080 --> 00:28:18.520 You didn't have you weren't having to follow Jesus. 00:28:18.520 --> 00:28:19.460 You didn't have that kind of life. 00:28:19.660 --> 00:28:26.570 But he says this verse 21, But what fruit were you getting at the time from the things of which you are now ashamed? 00:28:27.600 --> 00:28:29.460 For the end of those things is death. 00:28:30.920 --> 00:28:34.840 What Paul is really saying to us, maybe in a very more concise way. 00:28:34.840 --> 00:28:39.380 I could say this How is life without Christ really working out for you? 00:28:40.780 --> 00:28:42.300 It's working out well. 00:28:44.460 --> 00:28:46.180 What's life without Christ really bringing you? 00:28:48.920 --> 00:28:50.360 Do you feel like you really have ultimate purpose? 00:28:52.180 --> 00:28:55.390 Are you really satisfied with where things are going without Jesus? 00:28:56.880 --> 00:29:01.460 And he reminds us in this, in this passage that when your master is sin. 00:29:02.600 --> 00:29:09.340 You get the master's wages, whatever you serve, whatever the master promises to pay you, the master will deliver that. 00:29:10.260 --> 00:29:15.460 And in this passage, what the master promises to pay is death through sin. 00:29:16.460 --> 00:29:23.600 But then he reminds us in verse 22, he says, But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit 00:29:23.600 --> 00:29:27.680 you get leads to sanctification and its end eternal life. 00:29:28.100 --> 00:29:31.300 And look at this verse 23 for the wages of sin is death. 00:29:31.620 --> 00:29:36.260 But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:40.260 Notice the way he describes this gift. 00:29:42.420 --> 00:29:44.180 Not religion, not performance. 00:29:45.760 --> 00:29:47.980 But rather it's free. 00:29:49.780 --> 00:29:49.980 It's free. 00:29:52.180 --> 00:29:54.160 Jesus didn't give this to you because of who you are. 00:29:54.360 --> 00:29:56.120 Jesus gave this to you because of who he is. 00:29:58.700 --> 00:29:59.520 Here's a good master. 00:30:01.540 --> 00:30:08.660 Desiring to free your soul for the purpose of living for its divine design, which is to know Him and 00:30:08.700 --> 00:30:11.630 to live for his glory to the blessing of others. 00:30:11.940 --> 00:30:15.950 If you look in verse 23, he very well contrasts these two positions. 00:30:16.100 --> 00:30:18.660 Again, he talks about the two masters sending God. 00:30:18.660 --> 00:30:21.700 He talks about the two methods, wages or free gift. 00:30:21.700 --> 00:30:24.460 He talks about the aftermath, death or eternal life. 00:30:26.770 --> 00:30:29.070 And the purpose of it all. 00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:31.680 Is to provoke our heart. 00:30:31.880 --> 00:30:33.280 To live for the purpose of his grace. 00:30:35.640 --> 00:30:42.940 Understand that the gift of grace isn't just to free us from something, but to free us for something and to compel our hearts to 00:30:42.940 --> 00:30:43.160 surrender. 00:30:46.180 --> 00:30:47.420 What defines you? 00:30:49.420 --> 00:30:51.920 What kind of person would people say you are? 00:30:53.910 --> 00:30:54.680 What do you live for? 00:30:57.840 --> 00:31:05.100 I think some people look at this passage and they say, I heard it last week in a commentary that what Paul really wants to encourage 00:31:05.160 --> 00:31:06.780 us from is to stop Jesus flirting. 00:31:08.920 --> 00:31:13.510 Unless we look at Jesus, we say, he's kind of good and we sort of just dip our toe in the water, but we don't really give her heart. 00:31:16.040 --> 00:31:17.480 I'll share something with you, too. 00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:24.560 To close here, a couple of illustrations, but you look at these numbers and for most of you don't know what this represents, and this really won't matter to you at the end of 00:31:24.560 --> 00:31:24.920 the day. 00:31:24.920 --> 00:31:28.770 And I don't encourage you to look this up because you'll find it goes to a weird place. 00:31:28.820 --> 00:31:33.420 But these are coordinates and these coordinates are to the middle of nowhere, Kentucky. 00:31:35.280 --> 00:31:37.820 But for me, these points are important. 00:31:39.280 --> 00:31:41.180 Because this is the place of my life. 00:31:42.400 --> 00:31:47.800 Or I finally died to myself and I said to Jesus, Lord, it's your life. 00:31:48.760 --> 00:31:51.330 Whatever you want, wherever you want to take it. 00:31:51.580 --> 00:31:52.320 I am just all in. 00:31:53.940 --> 00:31:55.660 For me, this is a place that I often reflect on. 00:31:57.940 --> 00:32:01.110 God, this is where I gave it all to you, never to take it away again. 00:32:02.080 --> 00:32:02.340 This is yours. 00:32:04.050 --> 00:32:05.960 Now, I know this is special to me. 00:32:05.960 --> 00:32:06.620 Maybe one day. 00:32:06.900 --> 00:32:11.380 I've always thought I don't know what tattoo I might get one day, but if I ever get one, maybe it would be this. 00:32:11.400 --> 00:32:11.680 I don't know. 00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:12.160 That'd be kind of cool. 00:32:12.300 --> 00:32:14.200 I walk around and I tell people they'll look at that. 00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:15.090 They'd be like, Why have you got weird numbers? 00:32:15.220 --> 00:32:17.760 And I can tell them about Jesus, but. 00:32:19.700 --> 00:32:20.430 But these coordinates. 00:32:22.180 --> 00:32:23.600 These coordinates represent this room. 00:32:25.960 --> 00:32:27.410 And this could be a place. 00:32:28.740 --> 00:32:30.320 Where your heart finally says, I quit. 00:32:32.100 --> 00:32:33.420 I quit on my rebellion. 00:32:34.580 --> 00:32:35.260 I quit on religion. 00:32:36.800 --> 00:32:37.620 I just want Jesus. 00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:43.320 I want to give my life to him and to see where it goes. 00:32:44.580 --> 00:32:45.700 He is a good master. 00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:48.000 I mean, that's what his grace says. 00:32:49.160 --> 00:32:56.800 His grace is the indication for us of just how far this king is willing to go, that we could experience the goodness of life in him. 00:32:58.140 --> 00:33:03.600 When I think about the idea of that surrender, I think for many people that have given their lives to Christ. 00:33:05.760 --> 00:33:07.740 They often have no idea where that would go. 00:33:08.660 --> 00:33:15.400 But they're willing to go with Jesus because they know in the end it's not about a place, it's not about a destination. 00:33:15.600 --> 00:33:16.280 It's about a person. 00:33:17.160 --> 00:33:19.800 And if you walk with Jesus, you're where you need to be. 00:33:20.440 --> 00:33:27.600 And think about the thoughts of a famous missionary like Amy Carmichael in the top left, Amy Carmichael. 00:33:27.640 --> 00:33:29.010 She originally tried to go to Japan. 00:33:30.300 --> 00:33:34.900 Before she ended up being that famous missionary in India, or Adoniram Judson. 00:33:34.900 --> 00:33:39.980 He tried to go to India before God eventually led him to Burma, where he saw incredible work there. 00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:42.180 Or David Livingstone, the top right there. 00:33:42.180 --> 00:33:42.500 Mr. 00:33:42.620 --> 00:33:43.440 Samuel Clemens. 00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:46.690 He is David Livingstone, not Samuel Clemens, but the top right. 00:33:46.760 --> 00:33:54.020 He wanted to go to China, but because of a war, he ended up going to Africa and lives throughout the continent 00:33:54.120 --> 00:33:56.310 were transformed by the work that he did there. 00:33:58.160 --> 00:33:59.940 You can't always control the cards you're dealt. 00:34:01.220 --> 00:34:02.720 But you can't control how you respond. 00:34:03.340 --> 00:34:04.700 And David Livingston even said this. 00:34:04.780 --> 00:34:08.980 He said, I will go anywhere provided it be forward. 00:34:10.500 --> 00:34:16.820 And can I tell you, if you walk in grace, that direction will always be forward. 00:34:18.080 --> 00:34:18.900 Jesus. 00:34:18.900 --> 00:34:19.360 Is this enough? 00:34:20.560 --> 00:34:27.719 His grace is a gift and we have the privilege to surrender to him and finally live 00:34:27.719 --> 00:34:28.480 in that freedom.