Slave To Righteousness

[Guest shiloh357]

Romans 6:18

Before you were a Christian you were a slave, in bondage to sin. Even when you did not want to sin, you were unable to do otherwise (Rom. 7:15-24). When God saved you, He freed you from sin, but you remained a slave. Now, rather than being bound to sin, you are bound to righteousness. In every area of your life you are obligated to do what honors God.

There are some who believe that when Christ sets them free, they are free to do whatever they want. That is not so. The apostle Paul realized that when he began following Christ he became a "bondservant" of Christ, and his life was no longer his own (Rom. 1:1). Now, rather than being enslaved to sin, he was enslaved to God and His righteousness. When people mistreated him, he had forfeited the right to respond from his natural feelings but was compelled to offer a righteous response. When he was tempted, he was no longer free to succumb to his feelings. Paul could not enter the workplace and act selfishly. He understood that, as a slave of righteousness, he was obligated to live a holy life, honoring his Master.

Righteous living is not an option for a Christian. Nor is it something we must try to do over time. It is an obligation, mandatory for every child of God. Our freedom in Christ is not freedom to do what we want. It is freedom to live righteously, something we could not do when we were in bondage to sin. Now that we are free to live righteously, we must allow the Holy Spirit to produce in us a holy, sanctified life (1 John 3:7).

Actually, this is pretty good stuff. I would like develop this a bit more, though.

It is important to note the difference the Scripture makes in dealing with SINS (what we do) and SIN (what we were in bondage to prior to salvation)

Romans 1:1 - 5:11 deals with SINS

Romans 5:12 - 8:39 dealis with bondage to SIN

In Rom. 1:1 - 5:11, Paul, twice (3:25 and 5:9) emphasises the blood of Jesus and forgiveness for what we do. He emphasises that the works of the law (Heb. mitzvot - good deeds) will not justify us before God. He emphasises the futility of works as it pertains to our standing before God.

In Rom. 5:12 - 8:39, Paul is dealing with man's bondage to sin. He begins by explaining how man's sinful condition was passed down from Adam and now infects each person from birth, what is often called "Original sin." In dealing with man's sin condition or what I call the "sin principle" Paul points to the remedy, namely cross. In Rom. 6:6, he introduces the idea of our crucifixion with Christ. Paul now emphasises our union with Christ in his death. We are told 6:11 to reckon ourselves dead to sin (the sin condition) and alive unto God.

I stated in another thread that the Christian life is both objective and subjective and this is borne out in the natural divisions that occur in the 1st eight chapters of the book of Romans. 1:1 - 5:11 deals with the subjective side (what we do) and 5:11-8:39 deals with the objective side (what we are).

Paul then makes an interesting statement:

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

(Romans 6:12-14)

According to Paul, One is either in union with Adam or Christ. One is either a servant of sin or yielded unto God as an instrument of righteousness. One is either under the law or under grace.

"In Adam," "servant of sin", and "under law" are three ways of saying the same thing. It means you stand before God as a condemned sinner. Sin only has dominion over you if you are under the law.

"In Christ," "instrument of righteousness," and "under grace" are three ways describing one as a believer, as a new creation in Christ. Being born again, you now stand under grace. Your position and status have changed. You have been taken out of Adam and are now in union with Christ. As such, you stand before God under grace. This is what we call "positional justification."

It does not mean that you won't sin. We continue to war againt the flesh, but we do so from the point of victory. Our good deeds are not an attempt at behavioral reform, but are the natural product of who we are in Christ. Our good deeds should spring from a loving desire to glorify God from the heart, not some futile, carnal attempt to hang on to our salvation.

[tsth]

According to the verses you site, tsth, no one who is saved sins. Or is capable of sin.

Since I sin I must not be saved, according to the verses you posted.

Unless you are taking the verses out of context to prove your point. . .

tsth, you remind me a lot of my younger sister.

Dear Biblicist,

Would you care to clarify which verses you're speaking of? And how (I) used them out of context? Because, I'm not finding it? You see, I think your complaint is not with me, but with the Scriptures of God. Unless you can verify which verses, and how they were used out of context? Please cut and paste, so that I can see what it was I posted that you are contending with.

Thanks.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

(It occurs to me that I need to clarify that the OP was from a daily devotion of mine. It is from Henry Blackaby. It was not intended to imply that it was written by me, I just didn't want someone to think I had written it personally, even though I am in full agreement with it.)

From Romans 6:13............... and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

also seemingly correlates in meaning with the verse from the other thread:

2 Tim 2:19-21

19 Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." 20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

Slaves to Righteousness will Pursue Righteousness

1 Timothy 6:11

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

2Timothy 2:22

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

Hebrews 5:13

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

2 Peter 2:21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

Romans 1:32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 2:13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

Romans 8:4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

1 John 3:7

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

1John 3:12

Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Guest shiloh357]

Slaves to Righteousness will Pursue Righteousness

1 Timothy 6:11

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

2Timothy 2:22

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

Hebrews 5:13

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

2 Peter 2:21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

Romans 1:32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 2:13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

Romans 8:4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

In His Love,

Suzanne

Yeah, now see, I would not do this. Anyone can string verses together like lights on a Christmas tree and make the Bible say whatever they want it to say. Not all of these verses are addressing the same subject matter and they way you have arranged them makes it appear that justification comes by works. Just in the verses from Romans you present are three different lines of thought, and to make them appear as parallel is inaccurate on your part.

The problem is not with the Scriptures, but the way you are handling them.

[tsth]

Yeah, now see, I would not do this. Anyone can string verses together like lights on a Christmas tree and make the Bible say whatever they want it to say. Not all of these verses are addressing the same subject matter and they way you have arranged them makes it appear that justification comes by works. Just in the verses from Romans you present are three different lines of thought, and to make them appear as parallel is inaccurate on your part.

The problem is not with the Scriptures, but the way you are handling them.

So, why don't you go ahead and post exactly what you find wrong shiloh? You can make statements of how wrong it is, but unless you verify it, it really is just you making a claim.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

1 Cor. 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Scarletprayers]

Yeah, now see, I would not do this. Anyone can string verses together like lights on a Christmas tree and make the Bible say whatever they want it to say. Not all of these verses are addressing the same subject matter and they way you have arranged them makes it appear that justification comes by works. Just in the verses from Romans you present are three different lines of thought, and to make them appear as parallel is inaccurate on your part.

The problem is not with the Scriptures, but the way you are handling them.

So, why don't you go ahead and post exactly what you find wrong shiloh? You can make statements of how wrong it is, but unless you verify it, it really is just you making a claim.

In His Love,

Suzanne

He did explain it................

[st. Worm]

1 Cor. 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

In His Love,

Suzanne

No offense Suzanne, but you really are starting to remind me of every bad Hollywood caricature of a Christian I see on television and the movies, oblivious to everything around them, smugly quoting the Bible and them strutting off as if they have really done something great. For what its worth.

sw