Today, a basic review of gospel truth :
[Romans 6:11-16 NASB95] 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin [as] instruments of unrighteousness; but 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone [as] slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
Notice the battle for the mind (soul/thinking) is critical for the believer if he is to experience victory through LIFE in Christ.
Consider.… I understand this is a mathematical term in the original language, as in reckoning. Reckon yourself dead to sin. Math doesn’t allow cheating or equivocation. 2 + 2 is four every time! So reckon death to sin to be just so in your life, and life in Christ to be so as well.
Then, notice the active verbs and take action. Do not let.… this indicates giving permission to sin to reign/rule your body. It does not have to, and has no authority to do so outside of your thinking it does. So, Do not present your members.
Verse 14 is a clear statement of fact. Sin SHALL NOT BE MASTER OVER YOU. It may come to you in temptation and struggle, but grace in Christ has made Him Lord and Master in its place. The law, rote religion, rule and regulation, will not bring you victory for it has no power of authority to do so. It can only give you sin consciousness and bring guilt. Focusing on the grace of God in Jesus in paying the penalty of sin frees one from guilt carried by the law. The focusing on, and feeding from, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil brought death Focusing on grace, and intimate relationship with He who is the tree of life brings life, release, and peace. A new LORD and Master is available with authority to rule in your body by the Spirit. Present yourself and your members to Him for obedience in line with the righteousness He has provided by grace.
[Romans 6:19-23 NASB95] 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in [further] lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
As Bob Dylan said. You Gotta Serve Somebody…. You can work (notice it is work/labor) for sin and reap the wages of death. Or you can be willingly enslaved to God finding sanctification and eternal life. And, that comes not as wages, getting what you deserve, but as a BENEFIT! And, it is a FREE GIFT.
Choose this day whom you will serve. (Joshua 24:14-15) The difference between us and Israel in Joshua’s time is that they were having to do righteous acts to become obedient or manifest obedience and find favor under the law. Joshua even warned them they would not be able to do it before a Holy God.
[Joshua 24:19 NASB95] 19 Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins.
We, in Christ, have been given righteousness, that we might learn obedience through His patient work of sanctification in our soul – mind, will, emotions. Sanctification is a complete work in the spirit, mind, and body done by God Himself by Holy Spirit using the word of God.
[1Thessalonians 5:23 NASB95] 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you ENTIRELY; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved COMPLETE, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[John 17:17 NASB95] 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
[Ephesians 5:26 NASB95] 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
Romans 6:22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
[Romans 5:17-21 NASB95] 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The good news is indeed Good News!