| Romans 6 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?1 2 God forbid. How shall we, who are dead to sin, live any longer in it?2 [Paul is speaking to those who are dead to, free from, sin. Look at verse 6:18 below: having been set free from sin, you became the slaves of righteousness. He is speaking to very mature Christians, who have suffered on the cross to be done with sin; but they can still fall to temptation if they are not watchful because they have not received the second step of perfection: to be born of God and unable to sin again because the Father protects them. 1 John 3:9, 1 John 5:18, John 10:29. See the footnote below for more.] 3 Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [To be baptized into Jesus Christ is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, Mat 3:11-12, is a baptism of unquenchable fire, which completely burns up all the remaining sin and evil desires (the chaff) in a purged man's heart (the threshing floor), preserving God's change to life of God in a man's heart, (wheat into the barn), leaving a cleansed, purified individual. This baptism occurs after a man has crucified his selfish, sinful nature on the inward cross of self-denial. This baptism by fire, the baptism of death, is the one baptism needed: one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Eph 4:5.] 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death; so as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [Like the resurrection of Lazarus, after you undergo the baptism of death, the Lord calls you by name to "come forth" and be raised with Him into a newness of life in the kingdom, but to still walk the earth with Christ guiding your every word and deed. Burial, baptism into death, being raised with Him, and newness of life are not to be imagined, assumed, presumed, or thought to be imputed: Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Cor 5:17. In regard to the baptism of death before newness of life, the Word of the Lord within spoke: "There is a dying. One actually dies to enter the camp. You are raised to a new life, not just an imitation; He is one with us and ever-present. These are not paths of glory traveled lightly. The new life is as radically different as a man who has lived underground his whole life, suddenly coming above ground to see the sun, the sky, the plants, the animals, the wind, the stars." For detail on the baptism of fire and death, see the footnote to Matthew 3:11-12 on this site.] 5 For if we become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection. [The Romans had died on the inward cross of self-denial, to be free of sin; and they are resurrected, (raised), with Christ to become an entirely new creature.] 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified that the body of sin might be destroyed, so that we no longer be slaves to sin. [Christendom, with no knowledge of how to carry a cross, presumes that they have been crucified with Christ by imputation, which is make-believe Christianity. You must mortify your sinful nature on the inward cross of self denial so that you are freed of sin.] 7 For he who is dead [having crucified their lusts and affections on the inward cross of self-denial], is freed from sin. [But if you are still sinning, you are not freed from sin: "Truly, Truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin." John 8:34.] 8 Now if we [our selfish nature of lusts and pride — sin], die with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. 9 Knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead will not die again; death no longer has power over him. 10 For in that he died, he died to sin once for all; but in that he lives, he lives to God. 11 Likewise account yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Do not allow sin to reign as king in your mortal body, that you would yield to its desires and serve its lusts and evil passions. [The Romans had been freed from sin, but they could still fall to temptation if they were not watchful; they had a perfection like Adam and Eve. They were yet to advance to the union with Christ as a son of God to be protected from ever sinning again.] 13 Neither yield your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but yield yourselves to God, as those that are raised alive from the dead, and your members for instruments to be used for righteousness by God.3 [You lose your life at the conclusion of your crucifixion, with many many acts of commanded repentance, several trials with suffering, and then the baptism of fire, which is the baptism of death. From the Word of the Lord within: "There is a dying. One actually dies to enter the camp. You are raised to a new life, not just an imitation; He is one with us and ever-present." When raised, God will guide your thoughts, words, and works. We are then a fit instrument for his hand to show the world the love of God, to shake the nations, and to hold out the word of life. Walking under the Spirit's total control, we walk as Jesus walked, and we do works of righteousness as Jesus worked righteousness; then, and only then, are we righteous. Little children, let no man deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. 1 John 3:7] 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you; for you are not under the law, but under grace.4 [Until you are totally led by the Spirit, the moral laws are your schoolmaster. To be led by the Spirit is hearing what the Word from within your heart commands and then obeying. Paul said in Gal 5:18, if (and when) you are led (prompted, ordered, commanded) by the Spirit, you are not under the law.] 15 What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Do you not know that to whom you yield yourselves as slaves to obey, you are the slaves of whom you obey; whether of sin that leads to death, or of obedience that leads to righteousness?5 [Obedience leads to being righteous. Without obedience, listening to and obeying the Word of God in your heart, you are a slave to sin. Jesus strongly confirms this: Truly, Truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. John 8:34. We through the Spirit, by faith, patiently wait for the hope of righteousness. Gal 5:5] 17 But thanks be to God that though you were previously the slaves of sin, you have obeyed from the heart the fullness of teaching given to you.6 [They obeyed the teachings of repentance and denying their will on the inward cross as they walked in the steps of faith to become free of sin; their faith was operational, not just the lip service of the hypocrites.] 18 Having then been set free from sin, you became the slaves of righteousness.7 [He is speaking to very mature Christians, who have suffered on the cross to be free with sin; but they can still fall to temptation if they are not watchful because they have not received the second step of perfection: to be born of God and unable to sin again because the Father protects them. 1 John 3:9, 1 John 5:18, John 10:29. A slave of righteousness does only what he is ordered to do and says only what he hears from the Spirit immediately before speaking.] 19 I speak in terms of men because of the weakness of your flesh. As you previously yielded your body to the slavery of uncleanness and from wickedness to wickedness; so now yield your body to the slavery of righteousness that results in holiness.8 [The slavery of righteousness is to only speak and act in obedience to the commands you hear spoken by the Holy Spirit.] 20 For when you were the slaves of sin, you were free from the rule of righteousness. 21 What fruit [benefit] did you have in those things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and having become slaves to God, you have the fruit [reward] of holiness, and at the end, everlasting life.9 [To be a slave to God does not mean you go to Bible College or Seminary; that would be totally counter productive. To be a slave to God is to follow the Spirit's continual guidance and commands that you hear and see — but to your supreme joy of sharing in his works of love. Every word and every action is virtuous and perfect because God prompts them; you are doing his will on earth as it is done in heaven by the angels, as you remain in whatever is your current, honest occupation. See this verse's footnote for a more detailed explanation.] 23 For the wages of sin are death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. [The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart (so you may obey it); that is, the word of faith, which we preach. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Christ speaking to you from within your heart). Rom 10:8,17. To receive the gift of eternal life is to have heard many words spoken from Christ within your heart, which words you hear are engrafted in your heart, James 1:21; and which words you hear him speak to you are life-giving, John 6:63; which life that is given is Jesus, who is the life; thereby forming Christ in you, Gal 4:19; until Christ is fully formed and actually raised in you to be your true Lord in thought, word, and deed. To receive Christ, the eternal life of God, is as Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." Gal 2:20. This is the life that Adam lost in his fall in the garden, when he was cut off from the tree of life; men then became dead to the life of God. You enter paradise to once again eat from the tree of life, being translated into the Kingdom of Heaven while on earth. Union and eternal life come with the second step of perfection, described in detail in the Footnote to Gal 5:24. All this is to be experienced, not presumed in high notions.] Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | |||||||||
1 Shall we sin, so that grace may abound. God Forbid!
Grace is one of the most misused words in the entire world, perhaps with the most disastrous consequences.
Grace is not instant and is not salvation, as widely believed.
From the Word of the Lord within, regarding instant salvation by grace: "It is twisted, pernicious lies, a fatal flaw that turns aside the just."
Grace is a teaching process of repentance from lusts to godly living in purity, bringing salvation and seeing God.
What Christendom calls grace is a license to sin. Grace is correctly defined by the Apostle Paul in Titus 2:11-14:
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts,
and how to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world,
as we receive the blessed fulfillment of our hope, even the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity [lawless deeds,sin],
and purify for himself a people who are his very own, zealous for good works. Titus 2:11-14.
(Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness; for sin is lawlessness. 1 John 3:4)
One who still sins might mistakenly argue they are redeemed from every lawless deed, but not that grace has purified them!
For when the true grace has purified you from all iniquity, you see God because the pure in heart see God. Mat 5:8.
From the Word of the Lord within: "Where there is obedience, there is righteousness; without it, you have World War II."
Even Adolph Hitler said Jesus was his Lord and Savior.
Does anyone believe Hitler, saying Jesus was his Lord, made him his Lord? I pray not. Saying does not make it so.
Does anyone believe Hitler was a sinner saved by grace? I pray not. To be saved, is to be purified by grace. Tit 2:14.
Gentle reader, do not despair. Once you understand how to receive true grace, you can be made sinless by the power of God. But, it is not instant, and requires you to seek with all your heart, to wait in humble silence, to listen, hear, and obey — repetitively, persisting until the end. You can have the joy of hearing your savior speak to you, teach you, help you, and love you. At the end, you will see your savior appear within you, as he joins in union with you — you can have fellowship with the Father and the son — you can have peace, joy, love, gentleness, kindness — and share in the divine nature — all the wonderful promises of God are available in this life on earth, and then forever. Read John 14 and John 17 to understand the true promises of Jesus, the real hope that can release the power of God to purify your heart and soul.
But you must first be purified in this life; for of this you can be sure: No sexually immoral, or impure, or covetous person, who is an is idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with vain words. For because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Eph 5:5-6. The false gospel of grace is empty words, purposed to deceive you — to convince you to do nothing, remaining in your sins, so your soul is destroyed.
2 God forbid. How shall we, who are dead to sin, live any longer in it? Take notice! Paul is speaking to those who are dead to sin. He is speaking to very mature Christians, who have suffered on the cross to be done with sin. He speaks to those whose old man has been crucified on the cross — died, been buried with him, and raised with him — free from sin by the grace of God, to be one with Christ and to have become slaves to God and with holiness. This chapter is read by many, who use it to justify their pretended assumption of being crucified, dead, buried, and raised with him, — free from sin, etc. This is the basis of make-believe Christianity, so prevalent in the world today — but so terribly wrong, and full of disastrous lies!
His exhortations are to not slip back into the deceitfulness of lusts and sin. George Fox wrote of a two-stage perfection through the grace of Christ: 1st) to be raised up to the perfection of Adam and Eve in paradise, but still capable of falling to temptation, and 2nd) to be raised up to union with Christ Jesus, an everlasting perfection, which is incapable of falling to sin or temptation. Stephen Crisp, another eminent early Quaker, writes further of this two-step perfection:
For you know while the vessel is filled with wrath, envy, or with unrighteousness of any kind, such are not yet fit for the glory of God to shine forth in. When that is removed out by judgment; and Zion is set free from oppression, then the creature returns to God a pure vessel in the righteousness that was before the fall. So a man or woman may come to Adam's state that he was in before he fell, which was without sin. Against such the judgment of God does not go forth, but they have peace with God, and fellowship in what is pure, before sin and transgression were. Those who come to this state, may be entangled again, as was Eve. If they do not watch, they may be entangled again; but if such are faithful to the power that redeemed them from the sin, and in the power resist the temptation, then such receive the seal of eternal life in Christ Jesus, who never fell, though he was tempted, and so they come to an establishment in Him who never changes.
Isaac Penington partially explains why preparation is necessary before entering the union in his writing, The Holy Truth and People Defended :
"For there is a state of discipleship, by which a man hardly knows a settlement, so much as how to watch with Christ rightly and constantly; but it is a great matter to be able to dwell and abide with Him [Christ]. None can do this, but he that can dwell with devouring fire and everlasting burnings for the pure word of life is a fire, and he that sits down in the heavenly place in him, must sit down in that fire."
For significant more details on the two steps of perfection, see the Footnote to Gal 5:24.
3 yield yourselves to God, as those that are raised alive from the dead, and your members for instruments to be used for righteousness by God. In order of importance the below explains this very revealing verse:
your members to be used for righteousness by God
This shows that righteousness is to do works under the direction of God, just as Jesus did the same. Jesus only spoke, judged, and did as He was prompted and ordered by God; to practice righteousness we also must be able to only speak what we hear Him order us to say and only do what we are ordered to do by God. This ability only comes after we have crucified our selfish spirit, as sin has been destroyed by the Spirit through bearing the inward cross of self-denial; then we are walking the same way He walked and in the world as He was with perfection, purity, and holiness. Then our works are perfect, virtuous, and righteous because they are ordered and energized by God; until then, any works we have done are dead works because we are dead to the life of God. The first works that God will order are works of repentance, which lead to our salvation; and even those works are God-directed for it is God who brings forth in you, both the desire, and the work according to his good pleasure. Phil 2:12-13]
raised alive from the dead,
This is not being raised from the grave after a normal physical death. This refers to the final step in your crucifixion where your undergo the baptism of fire and death, buried with Christ, (but not buried in this dimension), and then called forth from the grave by Christ to be raised to a new life and raised to heaven with Christ; but you still walk the earth too, as Christ guides your every word to be spoken and every deed to be done.
This is further testimony to the fact that while alive on earth Jesus can be resurrected in us, and we can be raised into the heavens together with Him. From the Word of the Lord within:
- "Do not be misled; you must enter the kingdom while on earth.
- Seek first the kingdom, and all else will be provided — provided you stay on course.
- You can live in heaven and still walk the earth.
- I will come again to the elect; I will be a crown to lead and guide them.
- Happy are they who serve God in His kingdom.
- You are raised to a new life, not just an imitation; He is one with us and ever-present."
yield yourselves to God
How can you yield yourself to God unless you are hearing what he commands from you? We must expose ourselves to his commands; then we must obey what he commands, and obey completely. To hear and obey is to yield.
From the Word of the Lord within:
"Whatever God commands, whether it be dying on the cross, we obey; however financially strait, however it affects our reputation, however ruinous."
"Jesus did not die so you can continue to sin. I would just as soon have avoided that horrible death. I did it to show you the extent of obedience required for your own salvation."
Each person's cross will stretch them to yield beyond what they think is their limit.
4 Lets examine the meaning of for you are not under the law, but under grace. When you have been crucified and become free from sin by the grace of God, (as described above), you will receive the fruit of the spirit, which is love, faith, joy, peace, gentleness, patience, etc. Now you are walking in love, against which there is no law. But Christendom twists this scripture to its destruction, erroneously concluding: "we are free from the law because we are under grace; therefore there is no condemnation for our continuing to sin." Peter warned us about this kind of dangerous misinterpretation, saying even as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as he does in all his letters, speaking in them of these things. There are some things in his letters that are hard to understand, which those who are unlearned and unstable wrest [twist] to their own destruction, as they also do the other scriptures. Therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also, being led away by the error of the wicked, fall away from your own steadfastness. 2 Peter 3:15-19. Now think! What would be the error of the wicked? The wicked would not be preaching against wickedness and telling you that God will not tolerate sin; no, the wicked would be preaching that sin is OK, excused, paid for, and overlooked by God.
Christendom believes their god excuses whatever sins they commit because they believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and Christendom condemns all who do not believe; Christendom has imagined a horrible, arbitrary, evil, unjust god. Their imagined, unjust god results in the people of the earth blaspheming Christ and God. From the Word of the Lord within: "Jesus did not die so you can continue to sin. It is not enough to believe in Jesus; we must believe what He says and then act on it. Do you agree with any who in their arrogance have stated that God excuses evil in believers? It's not fair, but they don't care. God is just beyond measure."
True, works of the law count for nothing. Works of the law are the cereal offering, the lamb offering, the bull offering, washings, not eating certain foods, circumcision, tithing, sabbaths, celebration of days, festivals, etc.; these are dead works of the law, decided when to be done by the carnal mind and will of man.
But what about the moral commandments of the Law: love your neighbor as you love yourself; don't steal; don't commit adultery; don't lie; don't covet; don't murder; and honor your father and mother? Clearly to observe these commandments is not works of the law; a work is not to not murder today, or to not commit adultery tonight, or to not lie this afternoon, or to love your neighbor today, or take an hour to love God, etc. These commandments are the moral core of the Mosaic law, which is a part of in the inner law that is written on every man's heart, whose conscience bears witness, while their thoughts accuse or excuse them, and by which God will judge them. Rom 2:8-16; these commandments have not been annulled by faith in Jesus or grace and must be kept in mind by any who wish to please God.
Until you lose your life by crucifying your sinful nature, your carnal mind, and your evil spirit, you are still under the law; until then you are still walking in restricted flesh; until then the law is your schoolmaster. Until Christ replaces your nature, mind, and spirit with His so that your fleshly nature is dead, you are under the law. When Christ controls your thoughts, words, and deeds, then the law no longer has dominion over you because the selfish "you" has died. Even those who know no law have the inner law on their hearts by which a man is judged and which has dominion over him until the death.
Paul said: glory, honor, and peace, are to every man who works good. Rom 2:10
Paul said: To those who by perseverance in good works, seek for glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. Rom 2:7
Paul makes it very plain that if you do not obey the moral core of the law, you have no salvation and no inheritance in the Kingdom of God:
So, based on reading the above scriptures, one of two things is in error, either: 1) the theory of the operation of grace, or 2) the Bible is totally unreliable. It is the theory of grace instantly granting you salvation and a free pass to continue in sin that is the error; the Bible is accurate and true. Grace is a teaching process that leads to freedom from all sin and purity. Tit 2:11-14.
You cannot be saved and justified by trying to observe the commandments or by doing works of the law. Salvation and justification come by faith that purifies your heart and soul through his grace. It is impossible to completely love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, or to love you neighbor equally as you love yourself until the power of God actually circumcises your heart from all selfishness and evil. But trying to observe these moral commandments, turning from evil as best we can, is a prerequisite to sincerely seeking God and his salvation; in the beginning you can't control your mind yet, you can't totally control your mouth yet, but you can control your hands and feet from running to and grasping evil. If you think you are saved, simply because you believe Jesus is the Son of God, was resurrected from the dead, etc., or because you were also baptized in water, then you have a form of godliness without the power of God to cleanse you, purify you, circumcise your heart, and make you holy; which when completed, the love of God is perfected in you and you fulfill the law.
Until we can hear the Spirit of God teach by grace to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and how to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world, the inner law on the heart of every man, which includes moral core of the outward law, reminds us of our shortcomings and motivates us to go to God for his changing grace.
Paul said in Gal 5:18, he says: if (and when) you are led (prompted, ordered, commanded) by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Until then, the law is your schoolmaster: the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Gal 3:24-25. Until we are under control of the Spirit of God, the inner law on the heart of every man, which includes moral core of the outward law, is our schoolmaster, reminding us of our shortcomings. Eventually the law must be fulfilled in us; Christ must change us to become like himself so we too fulfill the Law. We must pass through the time of impurity, seeking purity, with the law sounding our deficiencies and transgressions to our sorrow, which motivates us to seek divine help to change. If we ignore the law and its requirements for moral conduct, reminding us to find God's help to be rid of sin, we are hopelessly locked into sin, with the condemnation of the Lord sure to follow. So we walk in restraint of the inward law on all hearts, which includes some of the outward moral laws, until we are led by the listened-to and heard commands from the Lord.
A mature Christian is filled with love and fulfills, even exceeds, the moral core of the law, continually walking in obedience to God's commands that he hears. From the Word of the Lord within: "There are no laws when you are under complete control of the spirit; you walk in love in obedience as prompted — you don't walk in restricted flesh. Until you can witness receiving faith from Christ, you are under the law." Faith that frees from the law comes with the receipt of the fruit of the Spirit, against which is no law. Gal 5:22-23.
Up to this time, as you are hearing the Spirit of Grace within convict you of sin and teach you about righteous living, you are in the Ministry of Condemnation, yet to receive the end of grace, still subject to the Law of Sin and Death, still walking after the flesh and carnal mind, yet to receive the Ministry of Life, yet to receive the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, yet to be in Christ, and yet to walk according to the Spirit's prompting of your thoughts, words, and deeds.
The end of grace is the revealing, the appearing in your heart, of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ:
5 you are the slaves of whom you obey; whether of sin that leads to death, or of obedience that leads to righteousness? Do you obey the desire to sin, or do you obey the commands of God. You are a slave to sin, or a slave to God. Jesus said: If you sin, you are a slave to sin. John 8:34. You do have control of your hands and feet; you can turn from evil; you can stop committing acts of sexual immorality. You can't stop your mind from sinning, you can't control your tongue from sinning, but you can control your feet and hands; and you can learn to control your eyes, by practicing looking away from what tempts you. The fear of God is to turn away from evil. If you don't stop sinning by reaching out with your hands to commit evil, and running to evil with your feet, you are not sincerely seeking God — you have failed to repent from the basics under your control. Obedience to what you understand, and what you are able, leads to righteousness. If you deliberately sin, when you could have chosen not to, then you are betraying your sincerity in seeking God; and you can expect to receive little to no help, until you show a true turning away from the evil of which you are able.
obedience that leads to righteousness. What obedience? In the beginning, obedience to the laws you know from your previous sect experience: don't steal, lie, covet, commit adultery; do for others as you would have them do for you; honor your mother and father; don't oppress others, share from your excess with those with those without the necessities of life, etc. Then, as you wait and listen to the Lord, you obey what he commands you to do; thus, from the Word of the Lord within: "little by little the will of God is progressed." You keep obeying his commands until he finally frees your from all sin, and then you are righteous; your obedience has then led you to become righteous by his grace. Until you have listened to the Holy Spirit teach you about sin and righteousness, you don't even know the sins you are committing, and you don't know what righteousness is. The natural man cannot accept the things of God and cannot see the depth of unrighteousness, which is sin.
The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, Rom 1:17; faith, revelation, more faith, revelation, more faith...etc. No man knows the Son but the Father, neither does any man know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal him. Mat 11:27. Because what may be known of God is revealed in them; Rom 1:19. Learning about God is not reading about God, not hearing someone talk about God, for God is known by revelation in your heart, where you hear him and see him teach you about sin, righteousness, and himself. Today's so-called Christians think they are righteous because they "believe in Jesus" or have been water baptized. There is an imputed righteousness that comes with the measure of faith received with the fruit of the Spirit, which is rewarded to those who have crucified their selfish, evil spirit on the inward cross of self-denial, but not before. Believing in Jesus is not the faith that imputes righteousness; see Footnote 2 of Romans 3 for the detail of imputed righteousness.
John warns us: Little children, let no man deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. 1 John 3:7. All unrighteousness is sin. 1 John 5:17. Jesus only spoke, judged, and did as He was prompted and ordered by God; to practice righteousness we also must be able to only speak what we hear Him order us to say and only do what we are ordered to do by God. This ability only comes after we have crucified our selfish spirit and sin has been destroyed by the Spirit through bearing the inward cross of self-denial; then we are walking the same way He walked and in the world as He was with perfection, purity, and holiness. We must be restored to the image of God that Adam lost in the Garden; to put on the newly created nature [of Christ], which is created in God's image of true righteousness and holiness. When we are righteous, everything we say and do is just, fair, morally correct, perfect, true, holy, virtuous, good, and pure. When we are righteous, everything we say and everything we do is right — righteousness.
6 you have obeyed from the heart the fullness of teaching given to you. Paul spent 2-3 years in each city teaching the fullness of all of Christ's commands and the way to salvation. Jesus told his disciples: go and teach all nations, ..; teaching them to observe all the things that I have commanded you. Mat 28:19-20. Note! Who is teaching you to observe all things that Jesus has commanded? Go look at his recorded commands, and then ask yourself when you last heard anyone telling to observe them, much less how to be able to comply with commands such as: Be perfect, as your Father in heaven in perfect. Paul taught the fullness of Christ's teachings to the members of the church, which took 2-3 years in each city.
7 Having then been set free from sin, you became the slaves of righteousness. Those who obeyed the teachings of the Spirit, [either delivered from their own hearts or from the lips of Paul], were freed from sin: Having then been set free from sin, you became the slaves of righteousness. Rom 6:18. Notice! Paul speaks of being set free from the slavery of sin. If you are still sinning, you are still a slave to sin. John 8:34. These Romans had reached the first stage of perfection, but they were still capable of falling to sin without watchfulness [see Footnote 2 above]; but since they are walking in the Light, as he is in the light, they have fellowship with in the light with one another, with Jesus, and with the Father — and walking in the light, should they sin, the blood of Jesus cleanses them from all sin. 1 John 1:7,9. Christendom, either ignores this verse completely, or reads this verse and presumes they are considered free from sin because they believe in Jesus, never bothering to consider the verse before that speaks you have obeyed from the heart the fullness of teaching given to you because they don't know what the teaching is; they are the false prophets in sheep's clothing that Jesus and Paul warned us about, whose religion is with no power and an empty shell of the genuine Christianity.
8as you previously yielded your body to the slavery of uncleanness and from wickedness to wickedness; so now yield your body to the slavery of righteousness that results in holiness. Paul is saying that all men are in slavery to uncleanness and wickedness; and to be a follower of Christ, you must yield your body to the slavery of righteousness, the end product of which is holiness. Have you yielded your body to the slavery of righteousness? Have you become holy? If not, you have not attained salvation nor entered the rest. If you are not holy, you cannot expect to hear anything at judgment except your banishment from heaven.
9 now being made free from sin, and having become slaves to God, you have the fruit [reward] of holiness, and at the end, everlasting life.
made free from sin:
Made free from sin is not make-believe or presumed or imputed; made free from sin not forgiveness; made free from sin is not just to be free from the guilt of sin.
Made free from sin is to be free from even the desire to sin. To be delivered from sin is what it means to be saved.
And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins. Mat 1:21
He who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God is revealed [in us], that he might destroy [in us] the works [sin] of the devil. 1 John 3:8
Through the spirit of God's conviction of your sins and it's removal of sin from your heart, you mortify the sin in you body.
Jesus told us he could free us from sin:
If you abide [continue] in [obedience to] my word [teachings and commands heard], then you are truly my disciples;
And [then] you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Truly, Truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you are truly free. John 8:31-32,34,36
And if you wait on God, watch, and listen, the Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth, John 16:13, to know the truth and become free — free of sin.
having become the slaves to God:
You are a slave to God when you follow the Spirit's continual guidance and commands — but to your supreme joy of sharing in his works of love.
To be a slave to God is to fulfill what you have prayed a thousand times: "your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
As the angels do His will in heaven, so do you do your Father's will on the earth.
You walk in total obedient love to the promptings of God, just like Jesus walked the earth. Jesus said:
- Of my own self, I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, John 5:30
- The Son can do nothing of Himself [by his own will], but only does what he sees the Father do. John 5:19
- But so that the world may know that I love the Father, I only do exactly as the Father has instructed me to do. John 14:31
- I have many things to say and to judge about you; but he who sent me is true,
and I speak to the world only those things that I have heard from him. John 8:26- For I do not speak from myself [not my own words], but the Father, who sent me, himself commands me what I should say and what I should speak.
And I know that [to obey] his command is life everlasting. Therefore, whatever I speak is just as the Father tells me to speak. John 12:49-50- He who speaks from himself [speaking his own words] seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of the One who sent him, that man is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him. John 7:18
Jesus confirms righteousness only exists in a man if:
1) he is sent to speak to specific person(s), and
2) he does not speak from himself, (his own words).To be a slave to God is to be a slave to virtue, wisdom, mercy, kindness, gentleness, patience, humility, and goodness — with eternal peace and joy.
Your joy is to know that every word you speak, every action you take, is perfect because you are following the perfect instructions of your perfect God.
Every action, every word is of love, is totally virtuous, serves your fellow man to the greatest degree possible, honors your creator, serves the creation, pleases your creator, and yields your supreme joy.God's grace and salvation are provided to create a people dedicated to good works:
That you might walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing in all things, being fruitful in every good work. Col 1:10
Paul said, "The purpose of grace.. to purify a peculiar people zealous for good works." Titus 2:11-14
Paul states God's purpose in salvation: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Eph 2:10
Now the God of peace... Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ. Heb 13:20-2
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Mat 5:16
For it is God who brings forth in you, both the desire, and the work according to his good pleasure. Phil 2:13
But he who practices truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be shown to have been produced [formed and powered] through God. John 3:21
your present reward is holiness,
You have never experienced happiness until you experience holiness. Richard Claridge, an outstanding early Quaker, profoundly wrote:
"The real happiness of man consists in being truly religious, or holy, in our measures, as God is holy; for holiness and happiness are so nearly related, that the one cannot be, or subsist, without the other. Holiness is happiness begun, and happiness is holiness in perfection."
and at the end, everlasting life:
If you remain watchful, you advance to the second stage of perfection, (See the footnote to Gal 5:24). You become a partaker of the divine nature, becoming born again in union with God, possessing Jesus Christ, the life of God, which everlasting life has no beginning or end. You come to the beginning and see to the beyond.
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