Romans 6:15 to 6:19

In addition to the material that follows, we had an extensive discussion of the means God uses in salvation and the privilege of evangelism in obedience to God.

Since we have a perfect justification in Christ what is our view of sin? God needs to give us a right view so that we can live before Him as pleasing children.

Romans 6:15-16
What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Here Paul keeps drawing the line that our freedom from the chains of sin is not to be viewed as an excuse to stubble back into sin. Our relationship to sin changes but we are to be actively engaged in the struggle against sin in our life. The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith makes the following statement about Christians who continue in persistent and serious sin:

Nevertheless, they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins (a) and, for a time, continue therein (b) whereby they incur God’s displeasure (c) and grieve His Holy Spirit (d) come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts (e) have their hearts hardened (f) and their consciences wounded (g) hurt and scandalize others (h) and bring temporal judgments upon themselves (i). (a) Matt. 26:70, 72, 74; (b) Ps. 51:14; (c) Isa. 64:5, 7,9; 2 Sam. 11:27; (d) Eph. 4:30; (e) Ps. 51:8, 10, 12. Rev. 2:4; Song 5:2–4, 6; (f) Isa. 63:17; Mark 6:52; 16:14; (g) Ps. 32:3–4; 51:8; (h) 2 Sam. 12:14; (i) Ps. 89:31–32; 1 Cor. 11:32.

One of the key points is that we can fail to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. This failure can go beyond the common sins that so easily latch on to us like leaches and includes grievous sins that bring down ministries and scandalize the Body of Christ. We must not present ourselves as servants to sin. We are called to fight against our old sin nature after salvation.

Romans 6:17-19
But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

In is now possible as a result of the Holy Spirit in our lives for our obedience to come from the heart. Once we had hearts that were spiritually dead so keep in mind that God has enabled your obedience by His initial and continuing work of Grace. If we focus on becoming slaves of righteousness in the same way we were slaves to sin then we will progress toward sanctification. The reason I said that we should be slaves of righteousness in the same way as we were slaves to sin is because we need to allow our choices and desires to come under the Lordship of Christ. We take advantage of the Means of Grace and allow God to change our desires.