Introduction
In this session Romans 6: 15-23, we focus on slavery to sin, to self, to Satan, to the system of this world, and slavery to sound living. This session shows that we have always been a slave, either to sinful living or to right lining. In the OT, after a slave finished seven years he was allowed to choose either to go free or to become a slave for life to his master. Here we are encouraged to choose to become slaves to the right living that leads to eternal life. The prodigal son made up his mind to go back to his father, desiring to become like one of his slaves.
Objectives
By the end of this session, the learner will have:
- Understood the dynamics of slavery without your will and slavery by choice
- Reflected that the wages of sin is death and the gift of right living is eternal life
- Understood that living a Holy life is your choice and can’t blame God or others for your continuing living in sin
Outline
- Slavery by choice, Victor
- Slavery by chance, victim
- Wages of sins and
- Gifts of right living
Group Study Time
Romans 6: 15-23
Connecting
- Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
- Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
- Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
- Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.
Comprehending
- Who is a slave? How does one become a slave? What is the reward of slavery if any? How can one break away from slavery?
- Read Romans 6: 14-15. What is grace? What do you learn about God’s grace and sinning?
- Read Romans 6: 16-23. Write 3 things that these verses say about slavery. Who is a slave by choice and a slave by command, or by chance?
- How does choosing to obey God make you live a victorious life? Choosing to be a slave of Right living.
Committing
- Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
- List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
- Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
- Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
- Sin to confess
- Promise to claim
- Attitude to change
- Command to keep
- Error to change
- Prayer to make
- Example to copy
- Truth to obey and
- Something praiseworthy
Communicating
- Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
- Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
- Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.
Post Lesson Teaching Summary
Great job completing the study! Take a moment to listen to this summary to reinforce your group’s understanding of the text and ensure you’re all on the same page. We’re here to support your learning journey!
Become Slaves to righteous living
Romans 6: 15-23
Audio Summary
Romans 6:15-23
- Context:
- Guilt persists post-salvation (e.g., prodigal son, Luke 15:19, felt unworthy despite return); Romans 6 helps believers confront it fully.
- Positive guilt led the prodigal home, but ungodly guilt risked enslaving him—mirroring believers’ struggle.
- Four Steps to Confront Guilt (Romans 6:1-23):
- Reason (Know, v. 1-14): Reflect on Christ’s work—died, buried, raised—securing our debt’s payment, not our effort.
- Reckon (Accept, v. 11): Count ourselves dead to sin, alive in Christ—His death and victory are ours.
- Resist (v. 12-13): Reject slave mentality, refusing to let sin use our members, breaking old habits.
- Replace (v. 15-23): Choose allegiance to righteousness—offering ourselves as slaves to God, not sin, by heart-obedience.
- Choice Over Chance (Romans 6:15-18):
- Slavery by force (debt, sin) vs. choice (Jubilee freedom declined, Exodus 21:5-6); choosing God ends guilt, as it’s voluntary service.
- Prodigal could shift from slave-by-chance to son-by-choice, aligning with righteousness.
- Process and Power:
- Replacing sin’s mentality (v. 19) is hard, not instant—requires Holy Spirit (foreshadowing Romans 8), not self-effort (Romans 7 struggle).
- Application:
- Confront guilt by knowing Christ’s work, accepting it personally, resisting sin, and replacing it with chosen righteousness—yielding joyful service via Spirit’s power.