Freedom of Righteousness

November 02, 2025

Pastor Mike

This episode explores Romans 6:15-23, examining the profound question of how Christians should live after being saved by grace. Paul uses the allegory of slavery to illustrate that believers face a fundamental choice: to remain enslaved to sin, which leads to death, or to choose obedience to God, which leads to righteousness and eternal life. The transformation in Christ is not passive but requires active, daily choices to submit to God's righteousness rather than our sinful desires. True freedom is found not merely in the absence of sin, but in choosing to live in God's presence and righteousness. The episode emphasizes that while sin is not dead, believers are called to consider themselves dead to sin and alive to God, making conscious choices daily to pursue sanctification with the same vigor they once pursued sin.

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Episode Notes

Day 1: The Power of Choice

Reading: Romans 6:15-17

Devotional: Every day we stand at a crossroads between sin and righteousness. Paul's question echoes through time: "Shall we sin because we're under grace?"

The answer is a resounding no. Grace doesn't give us permission to sin—it empowers us to choose differently. Like the early Christians in Rome, we live in a morally complex world where conformity to culture constantly beckons. But we have been given something extraordinary: the ability to choose obedience from the heart. This isn't about rule-following; it's about heart transformation.

Today, reflect on your choices. Are you presenting yourself as a slave to old patterns, or are you choosing the freedom found in obedience to Christ? Remember, every choice shapes your spiritual trajectory.

Day 2: Dead to Sin, Alive to God

Reading: Romans 6:1-14

Devotional: Paul never says sin is dead—he says we are to consider ourselves dead to sin. This distinction changes everything. Sin still exists, still tempts, still calls to us from our past.

But through Christ, we have died to its power over us. We're no longer obligated to respond to its demands. Like Paul's dramatic transformation from persecutor to apostle, our encounter with Christ changes our identity completely.

We move from death to life, from bondage to freedom. This doesn't mean the journey is easy or that temptation disappears. It means we have new power to resist.

Today, when old habits call, remember: you died to that life. You've been raised to walk in newness of life. Live from your new identity in Christ.

Day 3: The Fruit of Your Choices

Reading: Romans 6:21-23; Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Devotional: "What fruit were you getting?" Paul asks us to look back honestly at our lives before Christ. Those things we're now ashamed of—where did they lead? Only to death.

But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, we bear fruit that leads to sanctification and eternal life. Moses presented the same choice to Israel: life or death, blessing or curse.

Every decision we make is a seed planted. Bad choices yield bad consequences; righteous choices yield righteous results. Society wants freedom without responsibility, but that's not how God's kingdom works. The early martyrs like Polycarp understood this—they chose faithfulness over comfort, eternal life over temporary safety.

Today, examine the fruit your current choices are producing. Are you investing in dividends that last forever?

Day 4: True Freedom in Righteousness

Reading: Romans 6:18-20; John 8:31-36

Devotional: We often misunderstand freedom. The world defines freedom as doing whatever we want, but that path leads to slavery. Jesus said, "Everyone who sins is a slave to sin," but "if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

Paul echoes this: when we were slaves to sin, we were "free" from righteousness—but that freedom was actually bondage leading to death. True freedom comes through submission to God.

It sounds paradoxical, but becoming a "slave of righteousness" is where we find liberation. Present your members to righteousness with the same vigor you once pursued sin.

The more we submit to the Holy Spirit's leading, the less influence evil has over us. Will that influence disappear completely in this life? No—it remains a daily struggle. But take heart: Christ has overcome the world.

Day 5: The Wages We Earn

Reading: Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-10

Devotional: "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." This verse, though often quoted, deserves deep reflection. Wages are earned—they're what we deserve based on our work. Sin pays consistently: death, separation, emptiness.

But God offers something completely different: not wages, but a gift. Grace cannot be earned, only received. Yet this gift transforms how we live. We're saved by grace through faith, created in Christ Jesus for good works.

Paul challenges us to consider what wages we're earning with our daily choices. Are we devoted to service for God, investing in eternal dividends? Or are we living in rebellion, earning death's wages? The choice is ours, but the gift is His. Today, receive God's grace afresh, and let it transform your choices, your character, and your future.