Orphans: Romans 5 & 6 Part 2

Then Paul addresses a common question, a question that reveals how dark our souls are, how much we love sin and how little we love God:

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” (6:1)

If Christ has died or all our sins, is it better to keep sinning sot that a larger debt will be paid? Or, as I think of it, is it okay to keep the things that formally made us feel guilty but now have been paid for by Christ?

I see it this way: often times before we know God we do enjoy certain things. Although sex and money don’t satisfy (That is, sex without marital intimacy) they are enjoyable things. There are little things that are enjoyable that we could do free of guilt now that Christ’s death has paid for them.

That would, for one thing, spit on the cross. There is a man, a rich man, who comes to Christ somewhere in the gospels and asks what he must do to have eternal life and Jesus tells him to give up his wealth. The man walks away sad, which we read and think is silly - the man is talking to Jesus! Shouldn't he just give up everything? We of course, do the same thing. We hold on to the junk in our lives: the sin, the darkness, and we say it's hard to give up because we kind of enjoy it. It’s like we have a twinkie and God is offering us a feast. We say, “I like the twinkie.” I like twinkies, but you cannot live on them, and they do not satisfy.

We are so shortsighted! We lower our expectations of happiness to something so low when God is offering so much more! Another food metaphor, it's like God is offering us that feast and we keep going to McDonald's because it's cheap and it's okay. No! Go to the feast!

To return to the problem Paul is addressing I need to be honest. Sometimes I want to sin and I think ahead, I talk myself into the sin, knowing God will forgive me. How sick is that? To say, "Well, I can repent later." But that's what we're talking about, to say, "Thanks for the blank check, Jesus, I'll try to have a good time and rack up a real bill for you to pay." But Paul points out:

“But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed?” (6:21)

There’s a lot of things wrong with the mentality I just talked about (you aren’t pursuing God first, you don’t respect His righteousness, you aren’t being obedient to Him, you’re definitely grieving the Spirit) but Paul points out that at the very least – if you look at it from a personal gain, selfish point of view – what are you going to get out your sin? Nothing!

“For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit that you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (6:21-23)

And, in Christ’s words:

“And this is eternal life, that they know you [God] the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

And:

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Do you want joy? You need Jesus, you need to be obedient to God, you need to be His slave. The joy you find in him will have no comparison in the world. Isaiah writes:

“Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.” (Isaiah 55:2)

The stuff you’re eating is crap and will treat you as such. Turn to Jesus! That’s what every person needs…to repent and humble themselves at the cross of Christ and find complete and everlasting joy in Him.

Thank You, Father, that You feed Your children and give them real food and real drink. Thank You for all the richness of knowing You, thank You that the fatherless can call you Father. AMEN.