Romans 6:16-20

1. Romans 6:16-20 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? 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. 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 unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

2. Read the Bible With the intent of being Changed! Part 2 How does change occur?

3. We Needed To Be Changed

4. We Were Without Hope • That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:12-13). • For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (Ephesians 5:8).

5. We Were Lost • Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. • For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1 Peter 2:24-25).

6. We Were Sinners • For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. • But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

7. Through Christ Blood • We were lost – we are saved • We were sinners – we are saints • We were sold unto sin – we are redeemed • We were servants to sin – we are servants of Christ • We were in bondage – we are now free • We were walking in the flesh – we now walk in the Spirit • We were hopeless – we are hopeful • We were faithless – we are faithful • We walked in darkness – we now walk in the light • We were guilty – we are pardoned • We were the old man of sin – now we are a new creation.

8. How Does The Change Occur? • Always Remember: • 1 Corinthians 2:8-13 • Ephesians 4:3-6 • The Word of God Changes Man

9. Because It Informs Us (Matt. 11:28-30) • This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, • Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. • But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: (Ephesians 4:17-21)

10. Nothing Else Can • Nothing can inform man of his sin against God. • Nothing can inform man of God’s indignation. • Nothing can inform man of God’s righteous requirements. • God’s word informs man of his guilt. • God’s word informs man of his sentence. • God’s word informs man of the means of pardon. • If one does not read the Bible he cannot change from his sin. • Your feelings or thoughts cannot provide the requisite. information.

11. Because It Reforms Us • That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; • And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

12. Nothing Else Can • The issue is not being or becoming a better person. • The issue is not stopping the wrong you are doing. • You can stop vices and “reform” your life. • But the issue is you have sinned against God – how do you fix it? • Consider These Passages 1. Jeremiah 10:23 2. Job 9:1-2 3. Proverbs 20:9

13. Repentance Reforms For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it--though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. (2 Corinthians 7:8-11).

14. Because It Transforms Us • Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. • Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. • And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:25-32).

15. Nothing Else Can • Other things can offer temporal physical fixes. • Only God can offer permanent soul solutions. • God in Christ giving the word through the Holy Spirit • Informs, Reforms and Transforms us. • We are a new creation, old things are passed away behold all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).