SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 6
MEMORY VERSE:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
DEAD TO SIN, ALIVE IN CHRIST (vs. 1-14)
When we go on sinning, we are abusing the grace of God. All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order to live a new life. If we have been united with Christ in his death, we will also be united with him in his resurrection. Our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with and that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
If we died with Christ, we will also live with him. Since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again’ death no longer has mastery over him, The death he died, he died to sin once for all’ but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mort body. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS (vs. 15-23)
A slave must obey his master. So when you are a slave to sin, it will lead you to death. But when you are a slave to righteousness, it will lead you to eternal life. If you offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever increasing wickedness, now you should offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
THOUGHTS:
People who do not understand the grace of God argue, “If God is gracious, then we should sin more so we receive more grace.” But those who really trust God will identify with Him by the Spirit in His death, burial and resurrection as pictured in baptism.; The old life is buried. We must walk in the newness of a resurrected life.
Although Jesus forgives our sins, we must not abuse his grace by continuing sinning. Remember one must reap the painful consequences of sin. The availability of God’s mercy must not become an excuse for careless living and moral laxness.
You are free to choose between two masters: Sin or Jesus Christ? The wages of sin is eternal death but the gift of Jesus Christ is eternal life. Take your choice now.
Our salvation is a gift of God, not something of our own doing. He saved us because of his mercy and love, not because of any good things that we have done. Therefore we should accept it with gratitude and thanks.