Rom. 6:19-23 – Break Free from Sin’s Illusion of Freedom

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

God’s desire is for you to live free from the burden, guilt, and shame that sinful living brings, but do you desire to live free from sin?

Introduction

I want to continue this series of sermons focusing on life, living, and purpose this week by sharing scripture with all of you from Romans 6.

Romans 6 is a chapter where we see Paul focus intently on life and living free.  In this chapter, Paul points out that God’s intention when He created mankind was for mankind to live free.  Just last week, many celebrated Independence Day and their “freedom”, yet that freedom is something that is constantly brought into question, with many wondering whether or not any of us truly are free.  

Now, I have no intention of preaching what some may consider a political message this week, but I will be preaching about true freedom compared to man’s idea of freedom.  Now, to preach about truly living free, I want to share Romans 6:16, 20- 23. 

In my sermon this week, I want to focus on:

1. The illusion of freedom.
2. How to break free from the illusion.

Freedom – A Child’s Dream

While man may think highly of his idea of freedom and that which he has tried to establish, I would tell all of you that man’s idea of freedom is nothing but a child’s dream.  Now, let me explain what I mean by that before any of you begin to believe that Pastor has lost his mind.

If I were to ask, ‘What is freedom?’ what would your response be?  Think that over for a quick second.

Now, if you were to ask children what their idea of freedom is, they would say that freedom is doing whatever they want, whenever they want, and not get into any trouble.  For example, a child would say that if they were free, they wouldn’t have to go to school, could stay up as long as they want, play whenever they want, and eat whenever and whatever they want.

If you were to ask a teenager what their idea of freedom is, they would tell you that freedom would be getting away from their parents’ house to do whatever they want.  Just remember the freedom you wanted when you were a teenager!

Guess what?  As adults, the idea of true freedom is still that dream of being able to live however you wish to live.  We have dreams of being able to get away, to break free and live free from it all!

The Illusion of Freedom

Our dream of freedom reveals a rather harsh truth that many do their best to ignore.  Deep down on the inside, we recognize that man’s idea of freedom, and that which he has tried to establish, is just an illusion; it is apart from reality.  Let me explain the illusion to all of you so that we can then see the reality of man’s freedom.

Man’s freedom is an illusion because we are bound by ‘the system’.  You see, there is a consequence to every choice that you make that will not just affect yourself, but it will affect those who are around you.  So, with your freedom, there is a sense that you must live responsibly, right?

We are all bound by consequence and responsibility!  Parents have a responsibility they live with to their children.  Spouses have a responsibility they live with to care and be faithful to each other.  We also have a responsibility where we must care for ourselves so that we can be there for those whom we love.

In that same system, because we have to live so responsibly to care for ourselves and loved ones, we are bound to having to labor for food and to keep a roof over our heads.

Then, because we have to interact with the outside world, we are bound by laws which are supposed to help govern everyone.  So, as much as we love to sing about our freedoms, we are surrounded by laws and regulations.  Some seem to forget that one is only “free” if they live within the laws of the land.  As the old saying goes, “If you do the crime, prepare to do the time.”

The Reality of Man’s Freedom

The reality about man’s freedom is that his idea of freedom, and the freedom he has tried to establish, are nothing to be proud of.  Throughout Scripture, we see that the Lord frowns with much displeasure at how man chooses to use the free will He gave him.  

Genesis 4:10-12 shows us God’s displeasure with man using the free will God has given to be set against and kill his brother.  Genesis 6:5-7 shows us God’s displeasure in how man’s every intent was only evil with the free will He had given to him.

By the days of the prophet Isaiah, the Lord spoke through the prophet with great displeasure for how, after all of the kings and kingdoms, there was no justice in man’s established freedom.  The Lord not only said that He saw there was no justice, but He also saw that there was no peace, and again, God was not pleased.

By the time of Christ, Scripture shows us that Jesus instructed man not to judge, as man’s judgment was flawed.  Man chose to judge with a condemning heart, a hear for destruction, rather than a heart that esteems. 

With the freedom that He has given to us, God will one day ask what we chose to do with it.  God will one day ask whether or not we chose to care for the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and those in prison with the freedom He gave to us.  God will one day ask whether or not we chose to do what was fair and just with the freedom He gave to us.  

One day, the Lord will ask whether or not we chose to be greedy and selfish like the certain rich fool that Jesus spoke of in a parable (Luke 12:16-21).  

One day, the Lord will ask whether or not we chose to use the freedom He gave us to be like the rich man in Jesus’s parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31).  That certain rich and royal man wouldn’t give the beggar named Lazarus a crumb off his table!

You see, God compares man’s efforts at freedom to His freedom, and He reveals the incredibly harsh truth about man’s flawed freedom.  Man’s freedom is filled with violence and the shedding of blood.  Consider how many wars have been, and still are, fought and lost, in the name of freedom.

Man’s freedom is filled with anger, envy, covetousness, apathy, and greed.  Man’s freedom is filled with injustice, where those of great stature get away with the crimes they have done.  Man’s freedom is filled with bias and prejudice that esteems a few will bringing pain and suffering to much more.  Moreover, there is no peace in man’s idea of freedom!

Living Under Sin’s Authority

At the center of man’s flawed freedom is a choice that mankind has been making since the beginning.  You see, there are two authorities one will choose between living under in their lifetime, and again, this choice has been presented to mankind since the beginning.  

Man’s history as sin’s slave

In the garden, God presented Adam with the choice by giving him His instructions and free will.  God told Adam that he could eat from any tree in the garden except from the tree in the midst of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17).  The choice that God presented to Adam was the choice of obedience or disobedience.

At Mount Sinai, God presented the children of Israel with a choice by desiring to enter into a covenant with them and give them His life.  The children of Israel were given the choice of choosing to keep God’s law and their covenant with Him or not.  Again, the choice they were given was the choice of obedience or disobedience.

At the cross, God gave the world His only begotten Son who shed blood to atone for the sins of mankind.  At the cross, God presented the world with a choice made in His only begotten Son.  One could choose to live under the authority of grace and righteousness, or one could choose to live under the authority of unrighteousness, the authority of sin.

As Paul stated in Romans 6:16, “To whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey.”  

From the very beginning, man has chosen himself, his authority, and therefore, man has chosen sin.   Many have lived, and still live today, under the impression that they have more freedom by choosing to disregard God and His instructions.

The fruit of being sin’s slave

Yet, Paul posed incredibly important points in Romans 6:21-23 that I wish to share with all of you who are under the impression that you are living free today.  

Paul asked the question:  What fruit did you have when you chose to live as a slave of sin, free in regard to righteousness?  Now, Paul asked that question to the repentant sinner.  However, this also works as a question for the unrepentant sinner:  What fruit do you have to share from living as a slave of sin?

As Paul stated, the wages (or fruit) of sin, being free from righteousness, is shame and death.  Shame in that there is no good that comes from sinful living, and the thing is that sinners know there is no good in sinful living.  You see, many sinners are too afraid to go before the Lord because of the shame they have in living sinfully. 

The fruit of sin is also death in that sinful living presses down and squeezes the life and joy out of the soul.  When there is no life and joy left in the soul, how can the soul bear any fruit with life (seeds)?  As I said in last week’s sermon, a dead soul is like a shrub in the wilderness that is set to bake and burn in the heat of the sweltering sun.

Does living free from righteousness, which is to say living free from God, sound like living in true freedom?  

True Freedom Being a Slave of God

Let’s talk about true freedom.  Paul said that true freedom is found when one is free from sin as a slave of God.  Now, you may ask, how can one be considered free when still being called a slave of God?

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus pointed out that the difference-maker between living under sin’s authority and under God’s grace is the burden.  

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  We, everyone, are heavy laden, or weighed down, because sin is an overbearing authority.  Sin burdens us because we know that we can do and be better, but sin will offer you no escape to be the best version of yourself.  Again, sin will weigh and press down on your soul until the point that it will squeeze the life out of it.

Christ’s offer is to free your soul from the heavy boot of sin.  You see, Christ’s desires for you to become your best version, and what He will do is help you to become your best version.  

Christ said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  To be your best version, Christ encourages you to live under Him as He will not squeeze the life out of your soul.  Christ desires to treat your soul with nothing but love and care; He takes away the shame, the guilt, and the burden of sin.

Christ said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  There is grace and mercy when you live under the authority of Christ.  When you live under grace and mercy, an escape from your sin, your soul will breathe and be at peace.  The soul being able to live and breathe, not be so weighed down by sin’s rule, is true freedom.

As Paul said, the wages of freedom, living under God’s grace, lead one to have fruit to holiness and everlasting life.

Break Free from Sin

God did not create us for us to live under the boot of sin.  We were not created to live as a slave to a system that crushes and destroys the soul.  We were not created to live in a system that will not bring about peace.   

We know this to be the truth because God gave His only begotten Son to free us from sin’s oppression!  To break free from sin’s oppression, all one must do is come to Christ.  Christ has already done the heavy lifting for us by laying down His life to break sin’s chains!  In giving His life, Christ tore down the veil of sin and revealed the need for us to immediately flee from death.

True freedom is found when one stops listening to sin’s call and answers God’s call.  Jesus said that those who heed His word will know the truth, and shall be made free.  

Breaking free from sin, I want you to understand, is a choice – it is always a choice!  With our chains already broken by Christ, I encourage you today to make the choice to run to freedom by taking the path Christ has set.  I run with all I can because I am tired of sin and its oppressive grasp.  So, I run all I can to be with the Lord and to dwell under His grace and mercy, so that I may be dwell with Him for everlasting life.