Free From the Wages of Sin Equals Being a Servant Unto Righteousness

I posted the following in a message forum thread about Christians reading Harry Potter:

"Christians are being strongly conditioned today to think that they can hold the gift of God (salvation) in rebellion to the Giver. They cannot and the Bible is very clear about that. The Bible says that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. It makes sense to me that those in rebellion to God are the same ones who tell Christians they may partake of witchcraft vicariously through reading occult-based novels.

Here is part of an administrator's response:

"Romans 8, Ephesians, John, etc., are very clear that we are saved by Grace through faith. We cannot lose our salvation by the poor decisions we make. What we do lose sadly is our fellowship with Almighty God."

Below is my response with some additional thoughts added:

We can serve sin unto death or righteousness unto eternal life. "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?" Rom. 6:16

Christians are made free from the dominion of sin and become servants of righteousness: "Being then made free from sin, ye become the servants of righteousness." Rom. 6:18 We do not have to serve sin the way the unregenerate do, but it is possible for us to serve sin if we do not sow to the Spirit and insist on sowing to our sinful, fleshy desires. We have the ability to yield ourselves servants unto righteousness. We have a choice and God expects us to make the right one.

The Bible does not teach that we merely lose our fellowship when we serve sin as Christians. It says we can serve sin unto death. 

The scripture says if we sow to the flesh we will reap corruption and if we sow to the Spirit we shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption: but he that soweth to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Gal. 6:7, 8 Paul wrote this serious warning to Christians, not unbelievers, who most certainly do not sow to the Spirit.

Paul said not to be deceived about this. There are many who are deceived about this. They are falsely taught that since salvation is a gift from God, then nothing they do can cause them to not inherit eternal life. The free gift can be forfeited if the Christian insists on doing that which will guarantee that he will not inherit eternal life. 

Here are some verses where Paul warns not to do these things or we (Christians) will not inherit eternal life: 

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Cor. 6:9-10

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal. 5:19-21


No, you do not work to be saved, but if you insist on sowing to the flesh and not the Spirit you can work your way back to where you will put yourself right back under the law and be judged for your works:

If you are led of the Spirit you are not under the law. (Gal. 5:18) Those under the true grace of God are led of the Spirit. Those under false grace are led of the flesh and deceived into thinking they will still reap eternal life. Much has been given us as Christians (the Holy Spirit) and much is required: walking in the Spirit which is dying to self and living unto Jesus Christ.

No works can ever provide salvation, but if you insist on serving sin, God says that is your master and you will reap the wages of this master: death. 

For the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 6:23 Is this a "stand alone" verse and you can then do "what ye would" as a Christian? No, look at the verse directly before this:

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end, everlasting life. Rom. 6:22

The new, falling away "gospel" is that we can serve sin and reap eternal life, and to say anything else is teaching a works salvation. This is such a straw man Satan's workers use to get Christians to serve sin. They know that if a Christian can be deceived into thinking he can serve sin (this is the path of least resistance in the world and is so tempting to believe this is acceptable as "under grace" Christians) he will eventually fall away from the faith of Jesus. The Bible plainly says that those under grace do not allow sin to have dominion over them: "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Rom. 6:14

Those under grace must not allow themselves to be fooled into sinning willfully and say to themselves, "It's a good thing I'm not under the law. That way I'm not accountable to God. I don't have to obey him." 

The Bible says we are accountable and that if we are led of the Spirit we are not under the law. How many Christians refuse to walk in the Spirit? Most of us have been deceived into thinking obedience is optional under grace. Obedience is not optional and grace is no less grace while we obey this Bible truth. 

The Bible does not say "And if the sinful Christians scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" The Bible does say, "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 1 Peter 4:18  The righteous are scarcely saved. They are saved by grace while living righteous lives! All true, overcoming Christians that Jesus will not blot out of the book of life are scarcely saved. They are all saved by grace and they all walk in the Spirit, die to self, and serve obedience unto righteousness. All of these are saved by grace (they know they do not deserve salvation) and all of these are led of the Spirit and therefore not under the law. Praise God for his precious word!

The Bible says if we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit. Many will wake up one day very surprised and devastated to find that God considers them not under grace but under the law and its condemnation (according to his own word) because they refused to walk in the new life Jesus shed his blood to provide for them. They refused to be led of the Holy Spirit and told themselves they were merely out of fellowship when God kindly warned them ahead of time that they will actually reap death and corruption.