As A Ch;dristian: Flip Wilson was wrong: The Devil Made Me Do It.

FLIP WILSON WAS WRONG: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT

Romans 6:15-17a Charles e Whisnant, #77 June 19 2011

James 1:13-14 . It is not the temptation; it is that which is a part of us that responds to the temptation that we have to contend with day by day. The word that James used there, "enticed," carries the same basic idea. The word "enticed" is the word which means "to be caught by the use of a decoy." He says he is enticed by his own lusts, not somebody else’s.

Look at Romans 6 verse 15: "What then?" he says. "Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?"

First of all, he reminds them of a universal truth. That whoever or whatever a person chooses to serve becomes that person’s master.

"Shall we sin”^{264 hamartano}

Webster's 1823 Dictionary has a "bibliocentric" definition of sin as...

· The voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude (righteousness) or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. Sin is either a positive act in which a known divine law is violated, or it is the voluntary neglect to obey a positive divine command, or a rule of duty clearly implied in such command. Sin comprehends not actions only, but neglect of known duty, all evil thoughts, purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God’s commands or law.

BECAUSE WE ARE NOT UNDER⁵²⁵⁹ THE LAW³⁵¹, but under grace? God forbid.

• · Means not simply to be beneath but to be totally under the power, authority and control of something or someone.

"DO YOU NOT KNOW?¹⁴⁹²?" Romans 6:16

• The word for know is agnoeo: a (without) and gnoeo (understanding). "Do you not know? Has it not dawned on you? Has it not come to your normal mind that when you were baptized into Christ you were also baptized into His death?" It’s in the present tense, so he’s saying, "You need to understand this."

THAT TO WHOM YE YIELD:” ^{paristemi from para = near, beside, histemi = place, set}

• · You place yourself alongside the proximity of that which causes your downfall when it looks at unrighteousness. He says, "Don’t you know? Don’t you remember how it used to be?"

· Means to present oneself for service or to put at the service of.

“YOURSELVES AS SERVANTS”^{1401 doulos} The word “servant” in this passage is literally “slaves” ^{(CBL 1989)}

· Means to bind. The word describes one who is in oppression or bound to another, in the state of being completely controlled by someone or something and a slave in the sense of being the property of the owner.

“TO OBEY” ^{5218 HUPAKOE}

• The point here is one of “compliance” i.e. conformity to another. There is the submission to a command of another.

• This principle was true before we were saved, and some people try to relegate it as only a lost person. But I want you to be very careful how you do this. When I study the text, I don’t get that. He’s referring to something you ought to know. You’ve got to understand that a Christian can also choose to be mastered by his flesh. You’ve got to understand that. We’ve got a choice on both sides of the cross.

“YOU ARE SLAVES OF THE ONE WHOM YOU OBEY.” Romans 6:16

Paul takes that principle and begins to show you the consequence of making the wrong choice of who it is you want to rule your life or what it is you want to rule your life.

There was a sign in front of a church that read:, "You are free to make any choice that you want, but you’re not free to choose its consequences." Good thought!

· There are consequences to whatever you choose to yield yourself to. Whatever you put yourself in the proximity of, that will control you and entice you, and it is going to have a consequence behind it.

“WHETHER OF SIN UNTO DEATH”^{2288 thanatos}

· SO PAUL IS SPEAKING TO THE BELIEVER IN THESE VERSES

• · "If you choose to let your flesh control you, if you make the conscious choice to do that, you’re going to have the result of a spiritual death, not eternal, but a realization of what the righteousness of God could have been doing in your life, and you have just invoked the chastening hand of the Father." Hebrews 12:6 says He chastens, He disciplines, and He scourges those whom He loves.

· As a believer, I can never say, "The devil made me do it." Flip Wilson was wrong.

· Whoever you foolishly choose (in marriage, in jobs, in life)—if it’s in a wrong way—if you foolishly choose to serve the lust of your flesh, you have chosen to do it. You’ve chosen the consequences, whatever they may be, and you are responsible for what you do.

·

• Don’t ever think you can cast blame on anybody other than yourself if you are a believer. You are responsible for sin, responsible for the consequences.

OR OF OBEDIENCE UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS” ^dikaiosune Romans 6:16

• · If you are obedient to the standard of Christ’s teaching…. Sanctification occurs.

• · When you choose to obey, all of a sudden you can love that person who has never loved you and treated you horribly because it’s the love of God in you loving that person. The righteous character of God is being produced by the Holy Spirit living in your heart.