Romans 6:12-14 "Instruments of Righteoussness"

Brett Revlett

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Introduction:

Life in grace is an on-going demonstration of God’s handiwork in Christ being manifested in and through our lives.

Like a craftsman may custom build a piece of furniture. It will display all the beauty in the design and work of the builder but it will still have a purpose.

Remember two weeks ago when we saw that God identified us with Christ. And that we died with Him.

And then we saw that Paul’s logic extrapolated from that truth was that we should consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God.

From a spiritual standpoint we have a whole new identity and purpose in the world. And that is why there is a principle that we are to live by as the covenant people of God. Look back at your text to verse 12:

I. The Principle (12).

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

Probably the key word here in this principle is the word, “reign.” In the original language this term denotes, “to exercise authority at a royal level” (BAGD).

It is the idea of sin exercising dominion over us as believers. This is the very thing that we are being commanded to not do. We are not to allow our sinful impulses to exercise reign and dominion over our lives.

Christian this principle automatically creates internal conflict in our lives as believers. You may have noticed that the old man does not die easy.

Sin comes so natural for us. Sin is the one thing I don’t have to practice at to be good at doing it. I recently told someone everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening.

This is undeniable in our human existence. But this is not something that we are to embrace as believers as a tension that we just live with and ignore the internal implications.

I know this because the verse is a command to not give in to the reign and dominion of sin. Don’t wave the white flag in the battle of your sanctification. There is actually a presentation that we are to make. Look at verse 13:

II. The Presentation (13).

13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

The battle in this tension is between two potential presentations. The word “present” in this context literally means to put at someone else’s disposal. To give oneself to do what something or someone else wants (BAGD).

The first possible presentation is seen in the first half of verse 13. It is the presentation of your members to sin’s dominion as instruments of unrighteousness.

Members here is referencing aspects of your body and the actions that are carried out through the body.

But there is an imperative prohibition tied to this and it is something that the Christian is not to do.

We don’t resolve the tension between sin and righteousness by giving into sin or creating a belief where sin is thought to be OK because it is so naturally common and grace is so powerful.

You may not think it but such action would show that sin is more powerful than controlling our actions than grace is. But in reality the opposite is true.

The second possible presentation is presenting yourselves along with your members to God, as one who has been made alive by Him, through the transforming power of the gospel.

Christian we have been redeemed by God, at least in part to do good works in this world as fruit of our transformation to His honor and glory in Christ Jesus.

We are instruments of righteousness in His hands showing forth lives that have been transformed by the power of the gospel.

Kind of like in ancient Europe when Kings ruled over lands and regions. You were under the dominion of whatever King who ruled over the real estate you were standing on.

And they would use titles like, royal sovereign or royal majesty to denote their rule.

When you have been brought from death to life from a spiritual perspective Christian you have crossed over the border into a new Kingdom and you are under a new dominion and rule.

This is the land of the eternal Kingdom where the King of Kings and the Lord of lords rules and reigns supreme. We have a new position. Look at verse 14:

III. The Position (14).

14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

You see the gospel is not just an insurance policy to secure your place in heaven. The gospel is the power of God for not just our salvation but for our transformation as well.

A gospel that doesn’t show forth some measure of the power of transformation is a false gospel. It is nothing more but the extension of vain humanity that Paul warned us about in 2 Timothy 3:4-5 as he describes religious people in the last days as being, “treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

Their love for pleasure over God causes them to fashion a gospel that emphasizes external appearance over the internal power of transformation of grace through the gospel.

“Under grace” places you in a whole new dominion. Christian you are under the rule and dominion of King Jesus.

Conclusion

Christian have you spent time this week crossing back over in the forbidden land from which you came?

Your King calls you home today. In all the glory of His sovereign majesty and goodness of His grace He calls you home to be with Him.

And the magnitude and glory of this is huge. For your King invites you home but to feast with Him at His table table.

And our pride under the old system of law says to us that we are a traitor for going back to our old land.

But your true King had His eye on your the whole time and He beckons us home to Him out of His benevolent grace.

But you need a bath before you come to His table. And He provides all you and I need for this. Confess your sin and He is faithful to cleanse you of all your unrighteousness.

Unbeliever you need the gospel. You live under the dominion of darkness and you need to be transformed. believe unto your salvation.