(Rom 6:17) “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”  Salvation and actively living for the Lord is a matter of the heart. Jesus said as much. In the parable of the sower, the one who brought forth fruit had a “good heart” Have you a good heart? 

(Rom 6:17) “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” Doctrine: nowhere is it ever taught in Scripture that we have the freedom to sin or to put self before God. The Bible teaches the sacrifice of self for the plan of God through His Church.

Rom 6:16 “ Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”  Made free through salvation, our heart now has a choice – obey God or obey our old nature. God as Master rewards with good things. Sin as the Master rewards with the worse – death. What choose ye? 

(Rom 6:15)  “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”  Our soul’s destiny being secured does not mean we have been freed to sin. We have been freed to live above sin, to live as we should before our Holy God.

(Rom 6:14) “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Law states a penalty for sin. Since Jesus paid that penalty I am no longer under its power of destruction. God gave forth to my soul “grace”: favor not deserved.

(Rom 6:13) “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.”   When I look back upon my life before salvation, I am ashamed. I am so glad the person I once was is dead. “Lord help me to long to live before You in such a way as to please You.“

(Rom 6:13) “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.”  “Yield yourselves unto God” indicates the Lord’s desire to direct your (yes, your) life. The reason we fail so often is because we are not seeking to be led by the Lord now – this minute.

(Rom 6:11) “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  In other words, live as best you can to holiness, putting the Lord, His work, and His Word first in thought and deed. Self and its lust should be constantly put aside. 

(Rom 6:10) “For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.”   We are to “live unto God” also. It is sad that most professing Believers seem to live for self instead of God. As Pastor I have often wondered about those who only come to Morning Worship. How can one possess the Holy Spirit and not be prompted to grow through the teaching of God’s Word?

(Rom 6:10) “For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.”  As Jesus lived the life we should have lived and thus became our sacrifice for sin, dying in our place so that we could live in His, so He lived unto God the Father and thus should we live. Do you live with pleasing Him in mind?