Walk with Me

SCRIPTURE:  Romans 6:15-23         Read the passage

BIO:  My name is John Speer and I have been married to a wonderful woman named Donna for 38 years. We have two children, both with wonderful spouses, who have given us four delightful grandchildren. We have been members at FPCO for 36 years. I am in the construction business with my son James.

Through the years I have been a deacon, elder, served on various church committees, volunteered in the children’s and youth departments and been involved in numerous small groups.

KEY VERSE:  Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

CENTRAL TRUTH:  We are free to choose between two masters, sin or obedience to Christ. What we can’t change is the consequences of our choice, death or eternal life.

DEVOTIONAL:  Paul is making his point to the Roman church that it is impossible to be neutral as a Christian. Every person has a master, either God or himself (sin). A Christian is not someone who cannot sin, but is no longer a slave to sin. This portion of Romans is about santification – the change God makes in our lives as we grow in the faith. As we grow in our knowledge of and relationship with God, the easier it is to choose him as our Master.

This is a situation that all of us face from time to time. Sin is fun. Sometimes we run up against temptations. We have that feeling "Why not give in? After all, I’m not going to hell because of this. My salvation comes from Christ, not from me. I can be forgiven so why not sin?"

Paul answers that question. He asks, "shall we sin?" His answer is: No. If you sin deliberately, you must face what sin will do to you. Paul says sin will make you a slave; make you ashamed of your actions.

Jesus said in John 8:34 that "he who commits sin is the slave of sin." A slave is someone who is not in ultimate control of his own actions. Have you noticed how a sin creeps into your life and spreads before you know it. You tell a lie and then have to tell another one to cover the first. Your sin often affects the attitude of others. Did you ever wake up in the morning feeling a little grouchy and snap at your wife or husband. Then they snap back, and soon everyone in the house is reflecting your attitude. You choose to do something a little shady in your business because things are slow and you need the income, and soon you see your employees doing the same thing. This is the slavery of sin, a habit that becomes hard to break and that spreads like a disease.

Paul asks a pertinent question: When you lived for yourself , what were the results in your life "What benefit did you reap at the time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death." Even though you become a Christian, God will not protect you from the results of your own actions. Galatians 6:7-8 says: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." It would certainly be a surprise if you planted corn and pumpkins came up. It is a natural law to reap what we sow. Every action has results. If you plant to please yourself, you will eventually reap a crop of emptiness (even if you get some short term pleasure from it). If you plant to please God, you will reap the blessings He can provide (freedom from sin) and everlasting life.

QUESTION 1:  To obey wholeheartly means to give yourself fully to God, to love him, to choose him as your Master. How do you rate your obedience to God’s commands?

QUESTION 2:  We are free to choose between two masters, ourselves and God. Which choice have you made?

QUESTION 3:  This portion of the book of Romans deals with santification – the change God makes in our lives as we grow in the faith. What change have you seen in your life since making God your Master?