Freedom and Its Temptations

MEMORY VERSE: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” —Galatians 5:25

ROMANS 6:15-23

THE whole world of mankind has been enslaved to sin and death. While humans generally see and experience the evil results of this enslavement, few indeed know the fundamental reason for it; namely, that it is due to a disregard for God’s law, and in many instances an out-and-out disobedience to it. This is the case with the original sin in the Garden of Eden.

Through the long centuries of human experience many efforts have been made, and by various types of religionists, to turn the people into the way of obedience; and while, without doubt, some good has thus been accomplished, the great mass of humanity continues on its way of disobedience. Doubtless one reason for this is that the philosophy of fear, instead of love, has almost always been used to bring and keep the people in the way of righteousness. This, at best, is a human philosophy. The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.”—Isa. 29:13

The Law given to the Israelites by Moses offered rewards for righteousness and prescribed certain punishments for disobedience; although there were no threats of eternal torture contained in the Law. But probably the idea of punishment for disobedience served to a degree as a determent to disobedience. In the Book of Romans Paul makes it plane that the Lord’s people are no longer under the Law, but under grace, so he raises the question, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 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?”—vss. 15,16

Verses 17 and 18 set forth a fundamental thought concerning freedom: “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. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” Heart obedience is the true secret to complete freedom in Christ. Heart obedience is a pure and voluntary obedience, an obedience which is prompted by the desire to do the Lord’s will, to obey his laws of righteousness.

It is this heart obedience which makes one free from slavery to sin, and to become the servant of righteousness. Heart obedience need not be induced by threats of punishment, but by the knowledge that God’s laws of righteousness are just and right, and that the only true way of life is through obedience to these laws.

Verse 19 reads, “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; even so now yield your members servants of righteousness unto holiness.” Paul then adds, “For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.”—vs. 21

Paul reaches a climax in his presentation in the last two verses of the lesson. We quote: “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” As indicated in our memory verse, heart obedience is living “in the Spirit.” In Galatians 6:8 Paul writes, “He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption: but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

Paul’s explanation that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” is very revealing. He speaks of the end result of sin as being “wages,” because those who in the end lose life will do so as a result of their own conduct. But no one can gain life through his own efforts. This is a gift of God through Jesus Christ, and those worthy of this gift are the ones who obey God in their hearts.

QUESTIONS

Can true righteousness be induced by fear?

Can one earn everlasting life by his own efforts?

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