Romans 6--Mastered By Sin or By Righteousness?

The dilemma, as summarized from Romans 5: Adam sinned. His progeny are born with a sin nature; i.e., human nature has a bent toward sinning. God hates sin. All people, born sinners, are subject to God's judgment for their sin and are doomed to hell. No one can deliver himself or anyone else out of this predicament.

Then came Jesus! Jesus was without sin; thus, in a position to stand in the sinner's place of judgment before God. God was satisfied. He raised Jesus from the dead. Those that receive Jesus as Lord and Master are given eternal life and a new nature that has a bent toward holiness. Good News!

Romans 6 explains further: For the believer the old sin nature no longer has the power to make him sin. However, the believer can still choose to sin. For a believer to continue in his sinful ways is unpleasing to God.

The believer has been given a new nature that is capable of living in purity and righteousness. The believer can and should choose to live in this righteousness that has been made available to him through the death and resurrection of Christ.

All people are born into a slavery of sorts. Because of the human sin nature, people are born slaves to sin. Believers receive a new, righteous nature, but they are still slaves--slaves to righteousness.

The unsaved person has no choice but to sin. The saved person has a choice: he may either continue to act in accordance with his old sin nature or he may serve his new master--righteousness. For the believer to continue in sin dishonors God. A person who just cannot get free of a sinful habit is either unsaved, ignorant of this freedom from sin granted to believers, or in a back-slidden rebellion against God.