CoreIssue
02-03-2006, 10:01 AM
Quote:Slaves to Righteousness
15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Being able to sin does not mean we should sin.
Quote:16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--
In repentance we give ourselves totally to God. We become totally dependent upon him.
Quote:whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Everyone surrenders either to sin or God. There is no other option.
Our existence and future is subject to whom and what we surrender to.
Quote:17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.
We are all born with sin natures that make us slave to sinning. We cannot escape that on our own.
But we were taught that by faith we could escape this slavery. By surrendering by faith to God he would buy us from slavery to sin to be his own.
Quote:18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
One is either obedient to sin or righteousness. We have changed masters.
Quote:19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves.
The full depth and meaning of this is beyond true human understanding. It needs to be understood in known human conditions and understandings for us to even get a glimmer of the meanings contained.
Quote:Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
No one remains in the same condition they are in today. They will either grow more sinful or grow more righteous.
Quote:20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.
Righteousness convicts of sin. It will not allow it to go without notice or responsibility.
But sin will.
Quote:21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!
There is no gain from sin at the end. It results in eternal loss and separation from God and all the good he gives.
Quote:22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
While in the earthly realm righteousness often means loss in earthly terms but spiritually it is gain.
Those who gain it all in earthly terms suffer loss and punishment in eternity. Those who loose it all in earthly terms gain it all in eternity.
Quote:23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[2] Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is no inbetween. You either live for sin or righteousness through Christ.
15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Being able to sin does not mean we should sin.
Quote:16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--
In repentance we give ourselves totally to God. We become totally dependent upon him.
Quote:whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Everyone surrenders either to sin or God. There is no other option.
Our existence and future is subject to whom and what we surrender to.
Quote:17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.
We are all born with sin natures that make us slave to sinning. We cannot escape that on our own.
But we were taught that by faith we could escape this slavery. By surrendering by faith to God he would buy us from slavery to sin to be his own.
Quote:18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
One is either obedient to sin or righteousness. We have changed masters.
Quote:19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves.
The full depth and meaning of this is beyond true human understanding. It needs to be understood in known human conditions and understandings for us to even get a glimmer of the meanings contained.
Quote:Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
No one remains in the same condition they are in today. They will either grow more sinful or grow more righteous.
Quote:20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.
Righteousness convicts of sin. It will not allow it to go without notice or responsibility.
But sin will.
Quote:21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!
There is no gain from sin at the end. It results in eternal loss and separation from God and all the good he gives.
Quote:22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
While in the earthly realm righteousness often means loss in earthly terms but spiritually it is gain.
Those who gain it all in earthly terms suffer loss and punishment in eternity. Those who loose it all in earthly terms gain it all in eternity.
Quote:23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[2] Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is no inbetween. You either live for sin or righteousness through Christ.