Free to serve God sounds like a
paradox.
Only God is totally free. There
is no such thing as absolute freedom for anyone
other than God. No human being is absolutely free to
do anything and everything he may want to do. Every
individual is limited by or enslaved by someone or
something. No one is autonomous.
We are either slaves in bondage
to sin or servants of Jesus Christ. However, to be a
slave of Jesus Christ is to enjoy true freedom.
This is why the apostle Paul
argues in Romans 6:15-18 that it is impossible for
true Christians to continue in sin (6:1, 15). We
have been set free from the power and bondage of sin
to become the instruments of righteousness. “We are
no longer slaves to sin” (vv. 6-7).
Salvation by grace does not
lead to a life of sin (6:1-2). It does exactly the
opposite. Our identification with Christ gives us
the goal to live a life that will please Him and
glorify His life. We are saved by grace that we
“might walk in newness of life” (v. 4). The
implication of the verb is that we will “walk about,
meaning our habitual character will be pleasing to
God. We will live with Him in our daily life (v. 8).
The life of grace leads to righteousness (6:11-14).
Since salvation by grace does
not lead to sin, but freedom to live in the power of
Christ, Paul goes on to argue that the Law as a
means to righteousness is not possible. Freedom from
the Law does not lead to sin either. The Christian
who is saved by grace has been freed from the Law.
“For sin shall not be master
over you, for you are not under law but under grace”
(Rom. 6:14). We are saved by grace to become slaves
to righteousness.
What is the passion of your
life? What do you live for? What motivates your
daily life? What is the goal you are constantly
moving toward? Whose slave are you?
Christians must constantly
guard against two extremes. We can easily fall into
the error of legalism. The Law cannot produce God’s
righteousness in anyone. It can only point its
finger and bring condemnation. It can put forth its
demands, but it cannot give us power to meet those
demands. I have never met a legalist who lived up to
all of the demands of the Law, much less their own
legalism.
The only means of being
empowered to produce God’s kind of righteousness is
the freedom in Christ through a vital union with
Him. Jesus Christ living within us empowers us to do
what the Law requires. Salvation by grace in Christ
alone leads to the righteousness God requires.
The other error is
antinomianism—against the law. These individuals
think that grace gives them freedom from the law to
do anything they please. “Now that I am saved I can
live anyway I want.” Grace is not a license to “sin
it up” (vv. 15-23). Salvation by grace does not give
us the freedom to go on sinning as legalists
suppose. It does just the opposite; it gives us
freedom and power to serve God and please Him in the
strength He gives.
Sin enslaves us, but Christ
sets us free from sin’s bondage so we can please
God. If you submit to sinful passions, you will
become a slave to sinful passions, and you will not
be able to break the bondage. That is true of all
the sins listed in Galatians 5:19-21.
Sin leads to death—spiritually,
physically, and eternally. The second death leads to
an eternal separation from God in hell.
Thanks be to God who has set us
free from sin’s slavery through the atonement of
Jesus Christ. We “have been set free from sin and
have become slaves to righteousness” (v. 18).
Our true freedom is found in
Christ alone (v. 22). The same saving grace that
freed us from sin enslaves us to God. This slavery,
however, brings freedom—true freedom—to become all
that God created us to be.
If we choose sin, the result is
a life of bondage. If we choose Christ, we are set
free to serve God in righteousness. Anything less
than a life of righteousness is a life of slavery to
sin which always results in eternal death. If we
have been freed from sin by the grace of God, we
will serve Him in righteousness.
“It was for freedom that Christ
set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not
be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians
5:1).
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
Anyone is free to use this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold under any circumstances whatsoever without the author's written consent.
Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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