Gospel and Spiritual Growth Series by Pastor
Message #45 –
YOU KNOW THE ANSWER
So much of Romans six involves the function of the mind. Knowledge is built around the mind and its use. Reckoning is a mental activity. Yielding is also a mental activity in which one recognizes the right of another and so presents something to one considered the rightful owner. Verse 16 is a pivotal verse in Romans six. "Don't you intuitively know that to whom you are presenting yourselves a quality of slaves for [unto] obedience, you continually are a quality of bondslaves to whom you are obeying whether of a quality of the sin nature unto a quality of physical death or of obedience unto a quality of righteousness (my translation)?" Obedience is directly connected with the idea of presenting or yielding in the verse. The believer is given a choice. One can present oneself either to the sin nature or to God unto righteousness. Each choice has a consequence. The presentation of one's self to the sin nature may end in physical death (i. e. physical separation of the soul and spirit from the body). The presentation of one's self to God will produce righteousness on the part of the believer by God's standards.
The verse is a question.
It begins with "Don't you know?" and then follows with
information that demands an easy answer.
They should know the answer. You
should know the answer. The verb here
involves intuitive knowledge or the mental accumulation of information. Many Greek scholars believe that oida ultimately comes from a root that means to
see. It usually involves that which is
easily seen and so is objective information.
This is the same verb found in verse 9 and not the forms of ginosko found in verse six. Ginosko
involves experiential knowledge. It is
knowledge that one has made one's own and applied in experience and so knows
from experience. In this sense, it is
subjective being within a person by experience.
This is a rhetorical question that is almost an insult to the Roman
readers. The answer is easy and
obvious. Don't you know? Of course, you know! It makes no sense otherwise. The answer is logical. The combination of the negative particle with
this form is found in questions 14 times in the New Testament. Carnality will place limits on what a person
can intuitively know. 10 of the 14 times
the combination is found, it is the first letter written to the Corinthian
church, a carnal church (1 Cor. 3:1). A
majority of the church was living in their sin natures (though a few were
spiritual). The Corinthian believers
should have known several things that were very much obvious yet Paul found it
necessary to address their need to know and use the information that they
should have in their heads and in their practice. We traced these in the service since they are
close together. They are in 1 Cor. 3:16;
5:6; 6:2, 3, 9, 15, 16, 19;
II. gives an overview of the five uses of the two forms of "yield" or "present" found in verses 13, 16, 19. Verse 13 says to stop presenting your members or body parts as implements of unrighteousness to the sin nature. The option is to present you body parts as implements of righteousness to God. In verse 16 the fact is stated that to whom you present yourselves as slaves to obey, you are slaves. Verse 19 describes the same concept in that the believer has the choice of presenting his members slaves to the sin nature to relate to works of the flesh and the accompanying lawlessness or to present his members as slaves to righteousness to sanctification. B. develops the concept or yielding of presenting. The presentation is a matter of personal perception. One acknowledges the right of either the sin nature or God to be obeyed and to use one's members. One voluntarily accepts the consequences of his presentation. There is an inherent perception that something given will be received by another because they own the thing given. It makes no sense to present oneself to the sin nature and voluntarily become its slave with a willingness to obey its lusts and dictates! It is interesting that "present" is a present tense verb indicating that this is a continuous action = be presenting. It is active indicating the personal involvement of the person. "Presenting" is encouraged in that Paul uses an imperative to pressure the Roman believers. The pronouns in the verse are important. There are two relative pronouns translated "to whom." In the first case its antecedent is the sin nature and in the second case the antecedent is obedience to God. Again the choice is emphasized. The reflexive pronoun "yourselves" is also found in verse 13. It is translated "yourselves" indicating one is doing it for himself or herself and in this context it involves one's voluntary subjugation of his or her person.
Who is your master?
Whose slave are you? The word "slaves" does not have a
definite article indicating a quality or a character. Literally this one becomes a slave into or
unto obedience. How do you know that you
are a slave? You are slaves to whom you
obey! The implication is that one is
accepting another as a master. Either
the sin nature is a believer's master or God is the believer's master. Jesus Christ becomes Lord of the life of the
believer only when He is set apart as Lord by the believer (1 Pe.
IV. involves the options that the
believer has in the matter of obedience.
Choice #1 is obedience to the sin nature. This involves a response to and acceptance of
a responsibility to the sin nature.
Obedience to the sin nature places the believer in jeopardy of physical
death. Remember that in 1 Cor. 11:30
many slept the sleep of death because of their carnality at
God expects the believer to see and know the facts. Whoever or whatever one obeys is his or her master. Obedience is a quality of slavery. The believer has two choices. It is an ongoing or continual thing for the Christian in the Christian life.
His grace is sufficient so look out for the options!
A dead one whose life is hidden together with Christ in God the Father (Col. 3:3),
DKS
#45 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth
Valley –
Romans 6:16
Proposition: To carefully analyze the use of "yield" or present in verse 16 and to evaluate what the believer should know about his voluntary presentation to the sin nature or to God for righteousness.
Introduction
A. The Core of the Explanation of "Presentation" or "Yield"
B. The Connection of Presentation to Obedience
C. The Choice of the Direction of Presentation
1. To the Sin Nature?
2. To God?
D. The Consequences of Each Kind of Presentation
1. Physical Death
2. Righteousness
TRANS: Paul begins verse 16 with a question that has an obvious answer. He knows that the Roman believers know and they know that they know. There is no question concerning the mutual involvement of Paul, Roman Christians and all grace believers in this information. This is very clear in the way that Paul addresses the issue.
I. THE QUESTION THAT HAS AN OBVIOUS ANSWER: DON'T YOU KNOW? -- THE POSSESSION OF COMMON
KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING THE MATTER OF PRESENTATION OR YIELDING -- AN ANSWER THAT
EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW -- DON'T YOU KNOW?
Of COURSE, YOU KNOW! -- Romans 6:16a
A. The Acquisition of Information or Intuitive Knowledge
B. The Approach Through the Negative -- "Do you not know?
C. The Assumption That All of the Roman Believers Would Know (cf. Vs. 3)
1. A Rhetorical Question
2. A Logical Answer
D. The
Accumulation of Information for a State of
E. The Affirmation That These Are Believers -- "you" (pl.)
1. The "You" and "Us" Relationships -- Vss. 3, 15
2. The Participation in the "We" and "Us" -- Vss. 1-8
3. The "I" and "You" and "Us or We" Link -- Vs. 19
TRANS: The key question in verse 16 involves the choice of the believer concerning to whom he or she yields. The saint is accountable for his or her choices and often chooses to yield to the sin nature over God. The second segment of the verse draws a bead on this issue.
II. THE PRESENTATION OF ONESELF TO A CHOSE OBJECT
-- THE PARTICIPATION IN MAKING A CLEAR, INTENTIONAL CHOICE -- CHOICES THAT
EVERY CHRISTIAN MAKES -- TO WHOM DO YOU PRESENT YOURSELF? -- Romans 6:16b
A. The Statements in the Context Concerning Presenting or Yielding
1. Stop
Presenting Your Members as Weapons/Implements of Unrighteousness to the Sin
Nature --
2. Present
Yourselves to God --
a. As Living Out from Among Dead Ones
b. Members as Weapons/Implements of Righteousness
3. To
Whom You Present Yourselves Slaves, You Are Slaves --
4. You
Have Presented Your Members Slaves --
a. To Uncleanness
b. To Lawlessness Unto Lawlessness
5. Present
Your Members as Slaves to Righteousness Unto
Sanctification (i. e. Holiness) --
B. The Sense of the Presentation or Yielding
1. The Concept of Presenting Something to One Who Has the Right to That Something
2. The Concept of Voluntary Acquiescence to Another
3. The Concept of Mentally Accepting the Consequences
4. The Concept of Having the Ability to Give Something in Reality
5. The Concept of Recognizing the Potential for the Reception of the Thing Presented on the Part of Another
C. The Significance of the Grammar
1. The
Verb -- Present or Yield -- parista,nete
a. A Continuing Action - present tense
b. A Personal Act -- active
c. An Encouraged Action -- imperative
2. The Pronouns
a. Relative Pronoun = "to whom" -- two times in verse 16
(1) Antecedent = Sin Nature
(2) Antecedent = Obedience to God
b. Reflexive Pronoun = yourselves -- in verses 13, 16
(1) Involves One's Person
(2) Involves Personal Subjugation Here
TRANS: Yielding or presenting is a voluntary which in this passage results in slavery. In other words, a Christian chooses to be a slave either to the sin nature or to God. As a result, he or she has a master that receives one's servitude. The voluntary presentation involves a voluntary subjection and willingness to follow the dictates of the master.
III. THE
SUBJUGATION OF ONE TO ANOTHER AS A BONDSLAVE -- THE PERSONAL PLACEMENT OF A
PERSON AT THE DISPOSAL OF ANOTHER AS A SLAVE -- SLAVARY THAT EVERY CHRISTIAN
CAN CHOOSE -- WHO IS YOUR MASTER? -- Romans 6:16c
A. The Quality of Being a Bondslave (anarthrous)
B. The Expectation of the Bondslave
1. Obedience in Recognition of a Right
2. Obedience in a Response to What Is Expected
C. The Implication of a Master Over a Bondslave
1. The Sin Nature
2. God
3. Jesus Christ -- cf. 1 Peter 3:15
D. The Fact That One Is a Slave to Whom One Is Obeying
TRANS: The question of verse 16 concludes by asking if the believer knows the choices and asking what choices he or she will make. The person who is saved has personal responsibility to make the right choice. The right choice is unnatural in that it is made opposing the appetite of the sin nature or the flesh.
IV. THE OPTIONS FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF THE GRACE BELIEVER -- THE PRESENTED POTENTIALS FOR THE CHOICE OF THE CHRISTIAN -- DIRECTIONS THAT ANY CHRISTIAN CAN GO -- WHAT IS YOU CHOICE? THE SIN NATURE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS? -- Romans 6:16d
A. Choice #1: Obedience to the Sin Nature?
1. Response and Responsibility to the Sin Nature
2. Result: Physical Death
B. Choice #2: Obedience to Righteousness
C. The Accountability of the Believer for His or Her Choices Because of What He or She Knows
TRANS: The believer can either choose to be a slave to the sin nature and obey it and its lusts or to God and enjoy the righteousness provided for saints in Christ. The choice is the believer's and he is accountable for the results. Presentation of oneself to God for righteousness gives the sin nature no room to become lord or king. This is all by the grace of God provided for the believer's present tense salvation.
Conclusion
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