Slave To Righteousness

[Guest Biblicist]

Romans 7

7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.

11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do

[tsth]

Romans 7

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Romans 6 again:

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 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. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But 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. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. 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.

Dear Biblicist,

Which are you going to obey?

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

The questions asked are in response to the Scriptures posted.

Do I speak for God? Or can we take His Word exactly for what It says? I believe that we can. So, to be angry at me, because I do not clarify what is already clearly stated, is quite unfair. Why won't you accept God's Word, rather than my "opinion"?

What is it that is so unclear? What passage in particular is so confusing? I just don't see it.

Is it being a slave to righteousness, that is not understood?

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

So does that mean I am not capable of sinning anymore?

Or does it mean that if I do sin, at all, that I am not really saved?

Here is the answer:

It means that you have been given opportunity to follow Christ Jesus and take hold of the fullness of His Holy Spirit dwelling in you, to overcome EVERY obstacle.

It means that you CANNOT continue in the willful sin lifestyle, knowing full well what the outcome will be. God is just. He tells us the truth about how we should live. He does not lie.

I know that you want me to say that to continue in willful sin is OK. But then I would be lying to you, and I will not go against what the Scriptures say.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Here is what Jesus told those who would not receive the message of "righteousness":

Matthew 21:28 "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 29 "'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. 31 "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Guest Biblicist]

I know that you want me to say that to continue in willful sin is OK. But then I would be lying to you, and I will not go against what the Scriptures say.

I would love to know what made you come to that conclusion?

[Guest Biblicist]

Romans 7

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Romans 6 again:

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 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. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But 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. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. 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.

Dear Biblicist,

Which are you going to obey?

In His Love,

Suzanne

Apparently both. . . If you hadn't taken Romans 7 out of context you would see that.

22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

We are human and we will struggle to sin till the day we die. Anyone who says they have "arrived" at a point where they don't sin is simply lying to themselves.

If you really want to talk about a part of this chapter that sets us free then verse 14 should be highlighted. We are slaves to the law if that is all we try to do, obey the law. But we are free from the Law, because we are under Grace. Nothing we do can help us or hinder us from God's Grace. We can't obey the law, just as Paul outlines in chapter 7. We are stuck trying daily to obey the law that Satan uses against us to cause us to stumble.

Let go of the law and simply give your life over to Jesus then obeying the law will come naturally. "My yolk is easy and my burden is light."

This also translates, I might add, into forgetting about what people do and instead focusing on where their heart is. Where your treasure is there your heart will be also.

[Guest Biblicist]

Romans 5:20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I just love Romans!

[tsth]

You didn't address any of the other passages?

How about 2 Peter or 1 John 3 or Matthew 21??? Why did you not comment on those?

You see, if I comment, I am contentious, and IF I DON'T, I'm contentious. Which will satisfy?

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

So what do you want me to say????

That we can blatantly walk in both sin and righteousness? IS this the true mark of believers?

Would you answer my question now.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

Again, I ask, do we believe the following?

2 Timothy 2:19 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."

What happened here in regard to law and one who professes to know Christ Jesus?

Matthew 7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Can you practice lawlessness and "know" Jesus???

Which is it?

In His Love,

Suzanne