BOOK OF ROMANS (PART 13) – RIGHTEOUSNESS AND GRACE

Slaves of Righteousness

• Romans 6:18: Declare – “I am a slave of righteousness.”
• Romans 6:19: Present your body parts as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

Past is Past (PSP)

• Before: We were slaves of sin, but that’s in the past.
• Now: We are free from sin and slaves of righteousness.

Tip for New Believers: Sometimes, you might feel lazy about attending church or engaging in spiritual habits. Keep going, and eventually, it will become a natural decision and part of your lifestyle.

Eternal Life through Christ

• Romans 6:20-23 reminds us that eternal life can only be received through Jesus Christ our Lord.
• Now that we are in Christ, our fruit is holiness. Through grace, we experience patience, love, and tender mercies for others.

We are Married to Mr. Grace!

• We were once married to Mr. Law, but after believing in Christ, we died with Him, freeing us from the law and allowing us to marry Mr. Grace (Jesus Christ).
  • Mr. Law (the Old Covenant) demanded perfection and harshly pointed out every fault through 613 laws.
  • Mr. Grace (Jesus) is full of love, mercy, and grace, supplying us with all we need.
  • Mr. Grace has already done the work for us, finished redemption, and continues to sustain us. Everything credited to Jesus is now credited to us.

Dead to the Law, Alive in Grace

• Romans 7:4: We are no longer under the law but under grace.
  • As we walk in grace, we bear fruit to God, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The Role of the Law

• Romans 7:7-12:
  • The law is holy, but it wasn’t meant to make us clean—it simply showed us our weaknesses.
  • The law was too perfect for humans to obey on their own, and without a Savior, we couldn’t live up to it. This is why the law often led to more sin.
  • Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly, and by believing in Him, His righteousness is credited to us.
  • The law brings us to the end of ourselves and reveals our deep need for a Savior—Jesus Christ.

The Power of Grace

• Focus on Jesus, not yourself, because relying on your own strength will only lead to frustration. God calls us to rest in His love and trust in what Jesus has already done.

Example: Honoring your parents is a command that brings blessing (a longer life), but it’s not about strict adherence to rules—it’s a guiding principle born from grace.

The Law vs. Grace

• The law brings death to the flesh—the part of us that says, “I can do it without God!” Grace, on the other hand, gives us life and helps us realize that we need Jesus.
• Without God, no one can enter heaven based on justice or law alone—grace through faith is the only way.

The Focus on Grace

• When we focus on ourselves and our ability to follow rules, we fall short. But when we focus on Jesus and rest in His grace, we live in His love and goodness.
• Grace teaches us not by external pressure, but by transforming us from the inside out (Titus 2:11-12).

Dependence on God

• The grace of God is what empowers and enables us to live righteously. Grace does the work—we depend on God and trust in His power, not our own.

The Righteousness of God

• God’s righteousness is imputed to us through Jesus, making us righteous and empowering us to live out the Christian life.

Declare: “The grace of God is working in me. I am righteous in Christ, and His grace does the work in my life.”

Conclusion

We are no longer slaves to sin or bound by the law. We are slaves of righteousness, married to Mr. Grace, Jesus Christ, who supplies all we need. The law brings us to the end of ourselves, pointing us to our need for Jesus. Through grace, we are empowered to live a life that bears the fruit of the Spirit, as we rest in what Christ has done for us.