Choosing Righteousness: Freedom from Sin's Grip

Devotional

Day 1: Worship as a Glimpse of Eternity

Worship is not just a routine part of a believer's life; it is a profound experience that offers a taste of the eternal worship that will take place in heaven. When gathered in communal worship, there is a sense of the divine presence that transcends the ordinary and lifts the spirit into a realm where the love and grace of Jesus Christ are palpably felt. This foretaste of heaven is a reminder of the ultimate reality that awaits, where the presence of God will be fully revealed and His worthiness will be proclaimed without end. The emotional response to worship here on earth is a mere shadow of the unending praise that will be offered at the feet of Jesus in eternity. [01:16]

Revelation 4:8-11 (ESV)
"And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!' And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.'"

Reflection: How does your experience of worship reflect the eternal worship you will offer in heaven, and what can you do to deepen that connection?

Day 2: Righteousness as Our Responsibility

Righteousness is not an abstract concept but a tangible reality made accessible through Christ's sacrifice. As believers, it is not enough to passively acknowledge this gift; it is a responsibility to actively choose righteousness over sin every day. This daily choice is an exercise of the will, aligning actions with the righteousness granted in Christ. It is a conscious decision to live out the transformation that has taken place within, to embody the grace that has been received, and to reflect the character of Jesus in every aspect of life. [26:26]

Romans 6:12-14 (ESV)
"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 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. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."

Reflection: What is one specific way you can choose righteousness over sin in your daily life, and how can you hold yourself accountable to that choice?

Day 3: Freedom Through Submission to Christ

The concept of freedom is often misunderstood. True freedom is not the absence of constraints but the choice of what to submit oneself to. As believers, the vices that once held sway are no longer the masters; instead, the choice to submit to Christ brings liberation. Recognizing that vices are a result of personal choices empowers believers to make different decisions. By choosing to submit to Christ rather than to temptations, freedom from the ensnaring past is found. [27:40]

2 Peter 2:19 (ESV)
"They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved."

Reflection: What vice or temptation are you currently submitting to, and what practical steps can you take to submit that area of your life to Christ instead?

Day 4: Knowing Jesus, the Key to Sanctification

Knowing Jesus is not merely an intellectual assent to His existence but a deep, personal, and intimate relationship that transforms the believer from the inside out. It is through this relationship that one moves from salvation into sanctification—a journey of growing in understanding and application of His truth. This knowledge of Jesus is transformative, leading to a life that reflects His love and righteousness. It is a daily pursuit that requires commitment and a desire to know Him more deeply. [13:39]

Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV)
"So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Reflection: In what ways can you pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus today, and how can that pursuit change your response to sin and temptation?

Day 5: Belief in Freedom Transforms Our Walk

Belief is the bridge between knowledge and action. To live out the truth of freedom in Christ, one must move from knowing about this freedom to truly believing in it. This belief changes how a believer responds to sin and temptation. When the truth of Christ's freedom is believed, it empowers the believer to reject the lies of sin and confidently walk in the newness of life offered by Jesus. This belief is not passive; it is active and manifests in the choices made each day. [31:29]

Galatians 5:1 (ESV)
"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."

Reflection: How does your belief in Christ's freedom influence your daily decisions, and what is one lie of sin you need to reject today in order to walk more fully in His freedom?

Sermon Summary

In our worship, we are given a glimpse of the heavenly experience that awaits us, where we will be in the full presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. The overwhelming love, grace, and mercy that led Him to the cross will be magnified, and we will proclaim His worthiness eternally. As we gather as a church family, we are reminded of the importance of communal worship and the joy it brings to our hearts.

Tonight, we delve into Romans 6, addressing the vices that seem to have a stronghold on us. We often find ourselves in a cycle of sin, doing what we do not want to do and failing to do what we should. The pressing question is not why we struggle, but how we can break free from these chains.

The answer lies in the truth that we have a choice in what we give ourselves to—righteousness or unrighteousness. Christ, through His sacrificial death, made righteousness available to us. Once we are in Him, righteousness becomes our responsibility. We must choose to present ourselves to righteousness rather than to sin.

Paul teaches us that we become slaves to what we submit ourselves to. For those who are no longer under sin's dominion, we are free. The vices that enslave us are those we choose to submit to. This hard truth places the responsibility on us, for in those moments of temptation, we often choose vice over Christ.

To break the grip of vice, we must first and foremost know Jesus—His salvation and His sanctification. It is a daily pursuit of knowing Him more deeply. In marriage, as in our relationship with sin, there is no dominion where there is no submission. We are called to lead, not to lord over, and sin has no authority over us. We have been set free to control our actions and to present ourselves as instruments of righteousness.

The truth is, we must know Jesus to experience freedom from sin's grip. We must believe in the love God has for us and in the freedom He has granted us. We must become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which we have been committed. We are no longer slaves to sin but have become slaves to righteousness, leading to sanctification.

Key Takeaways

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Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 6:1-14 (ESV) — - "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 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. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."

2. John 8:31-32 (ESV)
- "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"

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Observation Questions

What does Paul mean when he says we are "baptized into Christ Jesus" and "baptized into his death"? (Romans 6:3)
According to Romans 6:6, what is the purpose of our old self being crucified with Christ?
How does Paul describe the relationship between sin and believers in Romans 6:14?
What does Jesus promise will happen if we abide in His word according to John 8:31-32? [03:17]

Interpretation Questions

What does it mean to "walk in newness of life" as described in Romans 6:4? How does this new life contrast with our old life?
How does understanding that we are "dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:11) change our approach to daily temptations and struggles?
In what ways does knowing the truth set us free from the grip of vice, as mentioned in John 8:31-32? [03:17]
How does the concept of being "slaves to righteousness" (Romans 6:18) influence our daily decisions and actions?

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you felt overwhelmed by a particular vice or sin. How can the truth that you are "dead to sin and alive to God" help you in similar situations in the future? [05:11]
What practical steps can you take to "present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life" in your daily life? [05:45]
How can you cultivate a deeper, more personal relationship with Jesus to experience the freedom from sin's grip? Consider specific actions you can take this week. [08:41]
Identify a specific area in your life where you have been choosing vice over Christ. What changes can you make to submit to Christ in that area instead? [27:40]
How can you remind yourself daily of the truth that sin has no dominion over you? What are some practical ways to reinforce this truth in your life? [17:48]
Think of a situation where you need to believe in the freedom Christ has given you rather than just knowing it. How can you move from knowledge to belief in this area? [31:29]
How can you support and encourage others in your small group to walk in the newness of life and to choose righteousness over sin? What specific actions can you take to help each other in this journey? [10:14]

Sermon Clips

- "The truth is, if we're going to see the grip of a vice broken, we've got to know Jesus. And I mean know Jesus first and foremost, you got to know his salvation." [08:41] (Download | )

- "To know Jesus is to know a newness of life... It's in the daily that things really begin to take shape in your life and understanding who Christ is." [15:28] (Download | )

- "The truth is you have been liberated from sin... you've got to know this truth that you have been liberated from sin." [16:40] (Download | )

- "The truth is, we become slaves of what we submit ourselves to. For those who are no longer under the dominion of sin, we're free." [27:40] (Download | )

- "Some of us need to move past knowing Jesus, we need to believe Jesus... you really need to start believing this." [31:29] (Download | )

- "The truth is, in Christ, your old self is crucified... you have been set free and sin has no dominion over you. That is absolute truth." [17:48] (Download | )

- "Righteousness is a responsibility... once you entered into Him, Christ now says righteousness is your responsibility." [26:26] (Download | )

- "The truth is that Vice that thing that grips you, it really has no grip at all. So why do we tolerate it when it latches on to us?" [18:26] (Download | )

- "We decide and we fail to see sometimes that righteousness is a responsibility... you choose what you will give yourself to." [26:26] (Download | )

- "It's either Christ or its Vice... we chose to present ourselves to Vice, we chose to give ourselves to that immorality." [27:40] (Download | )

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