What You Live For

This powerful teaching from Romans 6:15-23 challenges us to examine what we're allowing to shape our lives. The central message is unmistakable: whatever we yield to will absolutely form us. Paul addresses a critical question that still resonates today—does God's grace give us permission to sin? His answer is emphatic: absolutely not. We discover the profound distinction between positional righteousness, which we receive the moment we trust in Christ, and practical righteousness, which is the ongoing sanctification process of becoming more like Him. The sermon uses the imagery of slavery—not to oppress, but to illustrate a spiritual truth: we are all slaves to something. Either we present ourselves as slaves to sin, which leads to death, or we present ourselves as slaves to righteousness, which leads to life. This isn't about earning our salvation through obedience; rather, obedience is the fruit of our new identity in Christ. The Word of God serves as a mold that shapes us, changing what we love, how we think, and how we see ourselves. We're reminded that spiritual maturity doesn't happen by accident—we don't drift into holiness or stumble into righteousness. It requires the deliberate, continual action of yielding ourselves to God daily. The question before us is simple yet profound: What are we presenting ourselves to? Our lives are the culmination of our past spiritual disciplines, and every act of surrender is an act of formation.