Romans Chapter 6

Yield as Instruments of Righteousness

Chapter 6, Verses 12-16

Rom. 6:12 "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" 

After having described to us the great motivation that God's elect should have to serve God as a result of God's covenant love manifest unto them, Paul now exhorts the people of God to yield themselves as instruments of righteousness unto God. 

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."  Please remember that Paul addressed this epistle to the people of God at Rome and that all the epistles and scriptures are given to the people of God.  It is therefore possible that sin can reign in the mortal body of a child of God and that they can obey sin in the lusts thereof.  Otherwise, there is no reason for Paul to exhort the people of God to not let sin reign in their mortal body or to obey it in the lusts thereof.  It completely destroys the notion that God predestinates all of our actions and that we are like puppets on a string.  The above statement also destroys the idea that all of God's people will persevere in good works unto glory.  It is possible that an elect child of God having been born of the Spirit of God can still serve sin and that sin can reign in his mortal body.   

We, the elect born again people of God, do have a choice as to whether we will serve sin or serve God in this life.  While there are consequences to our actions here in this life, it does not alter the surety that all the elect will live in heaven's glory world.  The covenant of redemption will be completely fulfilled just as God made it.  In addition, it is that covenant love of God that motivates us to serve the Lord and not to serve sin.  The word "therefore" points us to the motivation and reason we should not let sin reign in our mortal body.  That motivation and reason being God's covenant love.  Because of God's covenant love we should make the effort not to serve sin but to serve the Lord. 

"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."  The opposite of "yielding" is "to stand against."   

The members of our body are compared to instruments of service.  We can either yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin or we can yield our members as instruments of righteousness unto God.  In yielding, we will either serve sin or serve God.  We are exhorted to yield our members as instruments of righteousness unto God.  In doing this we have to stand against using our members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin.  The word "yield" indicates there is pressure being exerted against us.  On the one hand Satan is exerting pressure on us to serve sin.  On the other hand God is exerting pressure on us to serve righteousness.  The main pressure that God exerts on us is the motivating covenant love of God.  The main pressure Satan exerts upon us is the lustful nature of the flesh and the enticements of the world. 

An instrument is something that someone uses to accomplish a purpose.  If we yield our members unto the enticements of Satan and the lusts of the flesh we will serve sin.  If we yield our members unto the motivating covenant love of God, we will serve God unto doing the righteous works of God. 

Delivered from Bondage

"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."  Rom. 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."  We have been delivered from the law of sin and death by the grace of God through his covenant works.  We are no longer under the law of sin and death.  We have been delivered from the curse of the law of sin and death through the atoning blood of Christ.  Furthermore, we have been delivered from the bondage of the law of sin and death through the miracle of the New Birth.  In addition, we shall be delivered from the corruption of the law of sin and death through the power of God in the resurrection.  Christ death on the cross, the new or spiritual birth, and the resurrection are all actions of God accomplished according to the covenant of redemption. 

"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"  Is the fact that we are no longer under the law of sin and death an excuse for us to live sinful lives?  Paul answers with, "God forbid."  What a God dishonoring thought for a child of God to make the excuse that it is all right to live a sinful life because he is not under the law but under grace.  To serve sin, which had brought forth condemnation, bondage and corruption in our lives is to dishonor the God who has delivered us from the condemnation, bondage, and corruption of sin.  If we yield ourselves unto sin, we become the servants of sin, if we yield ourselves unto obeying God we become the servants of righteousness.  If we yield ourselves unto sin, we dishonor God.  If we yield ourselves unto righteousness, we honor God.