Sanctification - Yielding Ourselves As Bondmen
Romans Chapter 6: Sanctification, Yielding Ourselves as Bondmen
The Importance of Grace in Sanctification
Grace is the key to sanctification, the process of being made holy. Without grace, it would be impossible for us to live a life pleasing to God. Our union with Christ, including our identification with His death, burial, and resurrection, is the foundation of sanctification. We must live in the reality of these eternal facts and respond to God's grace by yielding ourselves to Him.
The Response of Yielding
Sanctification requires our cooperation. We must actively yield ourselves to God and allow Him to work in our lives. This involves both objective knowledge of the facts of our union with Christ and subjective, conscious knowledge of His sanctifying work in our experience. Yielding to God leads to strength and growth in our Christian walk.
We Are All Bondmen
All mankind are slaves to something, whether it be sin, the law, or God. As believers, we have been set free from sin and the law, but we are called to willingly become bondmen of Jesus Christ. This means surrendering our lives to Him and allowing Him to be Lord of all. Only then can we experience true freedom and holiness.
Two Paths
We have two choices: to obey sin and unrighteousness or to obey God in Christ. One path leads to death and loss, while the other leads to eternal life and blessing. The path of sanctification involves choosing to surrender to God and allowing Him to transform us into His image. This is the path of true freedom and joy.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
