warm-up

Have you ever tried to put a puzzle together? How was the experience?

Is there someone that you trust no matter what? Share a story about him or her.

What does freedom mean to you?

word

¹⁵What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! . . . ²²But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. Romans 6:15,22

(Read also Romans 6:15–23.)

When people sin under the law, it leads to death. But through faith in Christ, believers already dead to sin are no longer under the law. We are now in a new life under grace. This does not mean we can now do everything that was considered a sin under the law. Paul reminds the church in Rome that dying to sin means we are set free from it. This freedom also has a purpose: a life of sanctification leading to eternal life. What does this mean for us?

1
We become slaves of God.

¹⁷But 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, ¹⁸and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:17,18

When people have not yet put their faith in Christ, they give themselves over to sin. As a result, they become slaves of sin. A slave is someone who is under the control of someone else—his or her master—and has no choice but to obey the master. In the same way, apart from Christ, people are under the power and control of sin and they cannot help but sin. This ultimately leads to death or eternal separation from God. However, when we become obedient to the teaching that we should put our faith in Jesus Christ’s work for our righteousness, we become slaves of righteousness. We cannot help but live our lives following God and reflecting His righteousness. Share how your faith in Christ has led to a new desire to follow Him.

2
We are being sanctified.

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. Romans 6:22

The result or fruit of having died to sin and becoming slaves of God is our sanctification. Sanctification means that different aspects of our life become more and more set apart to God and we become more and more Christlike in our thoughts, words, and behavior. This is God’s work in us as we yield and submit to Him. In what ways has your life changed since you trusted in Christ?

3
We will experience eternal life.

²²But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:22,23

(Read also John 17:3.)

Eternal life is about knowing God and the life that He wants us to have (John 17:3). This is something that we start experiencing in this life when we put our faith in Christ. However, the passage above refers to what we will experience after this life. This is the ultimate goal of our sanctification: perfection and complete Christlikeness when Jesus Christ returns to resurrect us bodily. We will be completely free from the presence of sin, death, pain, and suffering. We will experience a perfect face-to-face relationship with God for all eternity. This is not the result of obeying commandments, but is the free gift of God that we receive through faith in Jesus Christ. How does knowing that we will experience eternal life keep us from sinning even when we are not under the law?

application

Would you like to put your faith in Christ and experience the sanctification that comes with new life in Him? Ask someone to pray with you to receive God’s gift of eternal life and for you to become more like Him as each day passes.

Through Christ, we are freed from slavery under sin. What is an action or mindset you still need to yield and entrust to God in order to experience His transforming grace?

Do you have family and friends who are not yet following Christ in faith? How can you declare and demonstrate the gospel to them this week?

prayer

Thank God for the new life under grace that He has given you. Pray that you will learn and understand even more of His grace in the coming week.

Pray that you will consistently present yourself as obedient to Christ. Thank Him for making a way for you to experience righteousness through Him.

Ask God for opportunities to live out your obedience to Him in a way that will demonstrate His goodness to your family and friends.

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Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)
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