Please turn in your Bibles this morning to Romans chapter 6 as we look at how we have been set free from sin, for the Bible declares that sin should no longer lord over our lives. We know the information regarding this, we just need to apply it to our lives and many times we don’t.  Listen to this story and you will see what I mean. The story goes like this:

            In the fourteenth century two brothers fought for the right to rule over a dukedom in what is now Belgium.  The elder brother’s name was Raynald, but he was commonly called “Crassus,” a Latin nickname meaning “fat,” for he was horribly obese.  After a heated battle, Raynald’s younger brother Edward led a successful revolt against him and assumed the title of Duke over his lands.  But instead of killing Raynald, Edward devised a curious imprisonment. He had a room in the castle built around “Crassus,” a room with only one door.  The door was not locked, the windows were not barred, and Edward promised Raynald that he could regain his land and his title any time that he wanted to. All he would have to do is leave the room of his imprisonment. The obstacle to freedom was not in the doors or the windows, but with Raynald himself.

            Being grossly overweight, he could not fit through the door, even though it was of near-normal size.  All Raynald needed to do was diet down to a smaller size, then walk out a free man, with all he had before his fall.  However, his younger brother kept sending him an assortment of tasty foods, and Raynald’s desire to be free never won out over his desire to eat.  Some would accuse Duke Edward of being cruel to his older brother, but he would simply reply, “My brother is not a prisoner.  He may leave when he so wills.”  But Raynald stayed in that room for ten years, until Edward himself was killed in battle.

            What an accurate picture showing the experience of many Christians!  Jesus has set them forever free legally, and they may walk in that freedom from sin whenever they choose.  But since they keep yielding their bodily appetites to the service of sin, they live a life of defeat, discouragement and imprisonment.

                                                - David Guzik, Romans 6

            What a powerful illustration for us and one I hope stirs each heart here this morning to walk in the freedom we have in Christ. Here in Romans chapter 6 Paul begins his third major division of his letter to the Romans.  Paul started out with the condemnation of man in Romans 1:18-3:20, showing how all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, none are righteous, no, not even one!  Then Paul moves on to show us how we are justified in Christ, how we are declared innocent, righteous before God because of our faith in Jesus, being saved by grace through faith in Jesus and not by the Law through works, in Romans 3:21-5:21.  Now we are in the third of five major divisions, and this section, from Romans chapter 6 through Romans chapter 8 is a section that deals with our sanctification.  That by the power of God’s Spirit working in our lives we can have a walk that is pleasing in His sight – we have been set free in Christ!

            For those of you this morning who are struggling with sin, seem to be enslaved to sin, please listen carefully to this study, God doesn’t want you to remain in that condition.  For the rest of you, give me a break!  I truly believe this is an area that each of us struggle with and if you don’t, then deal with your pride because it is bigger than you think!  We all, from time to time are in bondage to sin and yet, as we are going to see, sin should no longer rule over our lives.  It doesn’t mean sin is gone, it just means we are controlled by another, by God instead of sin.  So with that as our background information, lets begin reading in Romans chapter 6, starting in verse 4 and see what the Lord has for us this morning!

            Once we are saved, once we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, then we have died with Christ, spiritually speaking, and we have been raised with Jesus from the dead, spiritually speaking.  Paul is talking about the body of flesh that controls our minds.  You see, when man was created he was an inferior triune being; spirit, mind and body. But as soon as man sinned, his spirit was dead to God and his body was in control of his mind, he was now a body, mind and spirit being.  But here Paul says that the flesh, the body has been put to death and the spirit was revived, our mind is not controlled by our flesh, the body appetites, but by our spirit which is in tune with God! And thus, God is making us into His image, setting us apart for His use, the sanctification process, growing in the Lord.

            Of this sanctification process, John tells us “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”  I John 3:2-3.  You see, God is shaping us down here to fit in up there, in heaven.  It is a lifelong process, but God will complete what He has started in each of us.  I like the way that John the Baptist put it as he said regarding Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  John 3:30.  More of Him, more of Jesus in our life and less of the flesh nature seen in our lives, the sanctification process that begins the moment we get saved!

            Now in these verses we have read this morning, there are at least four areas regarding sin’s place in our lives.  And as we look at these four areas be looking at what is to be ruling in our lives, what we are to be doing instead of what often we see ruling in our lives, what we are not to be doing. Look at the contrast and you will easily see what is best for your life.

1.  SIN IS DONE AWAY WITH – ROMANS 6:4-6

            Because all that Christ has done for us, sin is now out of business, it is closed down, it is rendered in-operative in our lives!  You see, sin should not rule over our lives any longer because that nature has been crucified with Christ, put to death and now our lives are controlled by our spirit. The result is instead of being in business with sin; we are in business with the Lord. We are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to God!

            Then why in the world do we still struggle in this area? Because we still have fleshly desires, the flesh still tries to resurrect itself and control our lives instead of the spirit.  Remember before Cain killed, murdered his brother Abel, the Lord spoke to Cain and said, “. . . ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.’”  Genesis 4:6-7.

            In other words, the Lord was telling Cain that sin is outside his door trying to get in, trying to rule over his life, don’t let it in!  But Cain, for whatever reason, maybe just to take a peek, opened the door and before he knew it sin, the flesh was controlling his life and he couldn’t close the door and before he knew it, he had murdered his brother!  The key, don’t open the door to sin. We have caller ID’s now so we don’t have to answer the phone if the person on the other end we don’t want to talk to and yet, when it comes to sin, we answer it!  Don’t be a fool, hang up, don’t open the door, for its desire is to control your life, to destroy you!

            What can we do when sin knocks at our door?  What can we do about it when theses things arise in our life?  Don’t yield to them, don’t open the door, don’t be put under its control – it is out of business and don’t open it up again!

            What are these works of the flesh that we are not to yield ourselves to?  Paul tells us in Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  Not too pretty of a picture and yet how often are we tempted by them?  Don’t make yourself a slave to them!

            Now, why can’t God do something about these things in our life?  Can’t He just snap His fingers or speak forth His Word and presto – they are gone? Why does it take so long for God to help us gain victory over sin?  First of all God has done something about this, He sent His Son to pay in full the penalty for our sins and He has set us free from the power of sin in our lives! It is out of business!

            Then why do we still have these thoughts?  Why do I still sin?  Before I answer that, have any of you ever been a lifeguard before?  I never was, maybe because I can’t swim to well, that might have something to do with it. It would look bad if I went to apply for the position of lifeguard wearing Mickey Mouse water wings!  Anyway, one of the things that instructors will tell those that are training to be lifeguards is when you go to rescue someone, if they are flaying their arms, thrashing in the water, don’t grab them or they will grab you and you will both go down!  Just wait until they give up, they surrender, and then you can safely rescue them.

            The same is true in our own lives, we want sin out, we don’t want to be slaves to sin, but we also don’t want to surrender them to God and let go!  We think we can do it on our own and we begin to sink in sin.  God is patient, He will wait until we let go of those things that have us in bondage, He will let us wrestle with Him like Jacob did, his name means heal-catcher, until he finally gave up and then God gave to Jacob a new name.  No longer was he heal-catcher, conniver, schemer, but now it would be Israel, or governed by God! You see, until we are ready to let go, we will remain in bondage to sin!

            Remember the story in Luke chapter 6 when the Scribes and the Pharisees brought a man who had a withered hand into the synagogue on the Sabbath, not that they were hoping God would heal him, not at all.  They brought this man into the synagogue on the Sabbath because they knew Jesus would be there and they knew that Jesus would have compassion on this man and heal him and then they would expose Jesus as a fraud, doing work on the Sabbath, breaking the Law.  How sad, they were more concerned for their false ideas than the health of this man.  Well, in Luke 6:8-11 we are told, “But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Arise and stand here.’ And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?’   And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.”

            Here was a man whose hand was withered, he couldn’t use it, he couldn’t move it, he couldn’t stretch it out. But Jesus tells him to stretch out his hand and instead of making excuses why he couldn’t, instead of getting mad, he obeys the Lord and his hand is healed!

            What is the Lord telling you to do regarding sin in your life this morning?  What is the Lord telling you to do regarding sin that has you in bondage?  What is the Lord telling you to do regarding sin that has you so frustrated because you can’t get rid of it from your life?  Maybe it is a drinking problem and the Lord is telling you to give it to Him, let it go.  Or maybe it is pornography that has you in bondage and the Lord is telling you to give it to Him, let it go.  Or maybe it is a gambling problem, or lying, or cheating, drugs, or whatever it is, give it to the Lord, for He is not going to pry it out of your hands, out of your life, but He will take it from you if you give it to Him. And once you give it to Him, don’t try to take it back, sin is out of business if you would only keep the door shut!

2.  FREED FROM SIN – ROMANS 6:7-10

            Paul tells us that we have been freed from sin if we have died to the flesh!  The word “freed” in the Greek is DIKAIOO (dik-ah-yo’-o) and it speaks of rendering or declaring a person just or innocent. You are now innocent from sin and thus, don’t live any longer in that condition, walk in Christ!  Sometimes you hear people say of someone who is very sick that “They have one foot in the grave!”  Obviously they are speaking figuratively because I have never seen anyone who was sick have one foot in the grave and the other foot out!  In a spiritual sense, it shouldn’t be that way at all, but we do allow it, one foot in the world and the other foot upon the Rock, upon Jesus.  If you do that, how easy is it going to be to walk?  It is going to be very difficult to walk, impossible as your feet are spread apart, going in two different directions!  You can’t walk in sin and in Christ, it just doesn’t work!

            Paul, in II Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  And in Galatians 2:20 Paul tells us, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  You see, the old life has been put to death and we are now alive in Christ, thus, walk in Him.  Don’t let the old life resurrect itself, with all of its evil passions – crucify the flesh and walk in Christ!  Live your life unto God, keep Him as the focus of your life, fill your mind with the things of God.

            Again, we struggle with the things that get into our minds and then are manifested into our actions.  Between television, music, the radio, the movies and-so-on, we are bombarded with many ungodly things that fill our minds and get us thinking and acting in ways we should not!  The solution is simple, Paul tells us what to do in Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.  The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”  As the old computer saying goes, “Garbage in, garbage out!”  What you fill your mind with will come flowing out of your life, will be manifested in the things that you do!

3.  PUT INTO OUR ACCOUNT THAT SIN IS DEAD – ROMANS 6:11-13

            The problem is, in these bodies of flesh our spirit and soul dwells in, we still struggle, we still sin, but Paul says we are to reckon or put into our account by faith that we are dead to sin and alive in Christ. One day, in the new bodies that the Lord is preparing for us, we will receive them when we go to be with Him, the flesh will be done away with and there will be no chance that it will resurrected itself. Paul spoke of this in Romans 8:19-23 where he said, “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” 

            Not only do we await this redemption of our bodies, but all of creation does because all of creation has been affected by sin!  But today we don’t have to let sin reign in these bodies, it all depends on who is on the throne of our hearts!  Let the Lord be on the throne and don’t use your body as an instrument or a weapon to destroy you.  Know how to control your body and that is done by the Spirit of God working through your spirit, controlling your mind and thus controlling your actions!

            Paul, in Galatians 5:16-17 said, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”  There is a war going on, don’t surrender to the flesh, crucify it, crucify the flesh, and surrender to God, be led by the Holy Spirit, walk in the Spirit and you will not give room for the flesh to get in the way.  And the result of surrendering to the Holy Spirit, what is born in our lives as we do are not the works of the flesh but the fruit of the Spirit as Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22-25, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

            Today there is such a struggle with sex and pornography in our nation and even in the church.  But listen to what Paul said we need to do as we continue to walk with the Lord, be led by Him, “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.  For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.  For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.  Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”  I Thessalonians 4:1-8.

            Paul is exhorting us to grow in the Lord and that growth is seen in how we conduct ourselves, what has control over our lives, what has control over our bodies, the Lord or the flesh?  There is a battle but don’t give up, by faith place into your account death to sin and be alive in Christ, allow the Lord to rule and reign on the throne of your heart and use your body as an instrument of righteousness not of unrighteousness!  Know how to posses the body that God has given to you!

4.  SIN SHALL NO LONGER HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU – ROMANS 6:14

            Paul is telling us that sin should no longer have dominion over us, rule over us, lord over us, exercise authority over us because we are no longer under the Law which condemns us, but we are under grace which gives to us life!  You see, if we were still under the Law it would be impossible to keep sin from exercising authority over us, but we are under grace, unmerited favor given to us by God, saved by grace through faith and not by the Law through works!  Thus, sin no longer has dominion over us; it no longer can reign over us, because God is!  It is as Paul said in Galatians 5:18, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”  Again Paul said in Romans 7:4, “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another — to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.” And lastly in Romans 8:12-14 Paul said, “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors — not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

            Let me illustrate this for you with the following story:

            When as a young teenager Stuart Briscoe was drafted into the Royal Marines during the Korean War, he came under the control of a particularly imposing regimental sergeant major who strode around the barracks leaving a train of tough men quaking in their boots.  Briscoe did not realize how dominant this man had become in his life until the day he was released from the Marines.  Clutching his papers in one hand, he was luxuriating in his newfound freedom to the extent of putting the other hand in his pocket, slouching a little, and whistling – sins so heinous that if they had been observed by the sergeant major, they would have landed him in big trouble!  Then Briscoe saw him striding toward him. On an impulse he sprang into the posture of a Marine until he realized that he had died to him. He was not dead, and neither was the sergeant major. But as far as the sergeant major’s domination of his life was concerned, it was all a matter of history.  So Briscoe did some reckoning, decided not to yield to the man’s tyranny, and demonstrated that fact by refusing to swing his arms high and march as if on parade and keep his back at ramrod stiffness.  Instead he presented his feet, hands, and back to his newfound freedom as a former Marine – and the sergeant major could not do a thing about it!

            Let us continue considering ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

                                                - R. Kent Hughes, Romans 6, p. 127

            Here it is folks; SIN IS DONE AWAY WITH, WE ARE FREED FROM SIN, WE HAVE PUT INTO OUR ACCOUNT THAT SIN IS DEAD, AND THUS, SIN SHALL NO LONGER HAVE DOMINION OVER OR REIGN IN OUR LIVES!  That is what God has for us, do you believe it?  Will you put it into practice in your life?  Jesus said in John 8:34-36, “. . . ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.’”

            It is not a maybe, or even a might be or should be, but you shall be free indeed if Jesus is Lord of your life or if He isn’t, you will be a slave to sin. The choice is yours.  Don’t let the desires of the flesh, sin, lord over your life; desire to be free in Christ! And I will say this, the more you sin, the easier it will be the next time until you have become a slave to something you just thought you would try once, then twice and then it is a habit in your life that you can’t break free from!  It is not the Law that gives us this freedom; it is grace as Denny put it, “It is not restraint but inspiration that liberates from sin; not Mount Sinai but Mount Calvary which makes saints.”

            Remember the story that we opened up with this morning, the story of the brother who was a prisoner of his bodily appetites, he couldn’t escape through the door because the flesh bloated his life and all he had to do was to stop taking that garbage into his life and he could have been set free, but he didn’t, the flesh was too strong and he remained as a slave to sin, a prisoner because of his bodily appetites!  And we read “What an accurate picture showing the experience of many Christians!  Jesus has set them forever free legally, and they may walk in that freedom from sin whenever they choose.  But since they keep yielding their bodily appetites to the service of sin, they live a life of defeat, discouragement and imprisonment.”

            Let me leave you this morning with these words of Paul as he closes chapter 6 of Romans and says, “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:22-23.  Don’t let the enemy entice you with the diet of sins he has for you, they will only imprison you, you will not be free!  May you leave here this morning free in Christ, not in bondage to sin, and from your life will flow fruits of holiness unto God – it is a free gift that God has for you if you would receive it into your life!