Romans 6: Sin and McDonalds

Romans 3:23 states "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." 

Jeremiah 17:9 states " the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?"

1 John 1:8 says "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 

We are all sinful. Jeremiah says that our hearts are desperately wicked. We do not label ourselves "desperately wicked", but that is the reality we must accept. Not only are we sinful but we enjoy sin and the gratification it provides, albeit temporary. Hebrews 11:25 states that people will "...enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season."

Romans 6:16 states: "16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?"

Romans 6 looks at the effect of putting your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. It states that for those who have not put their trust in Christ and had a renewal of mind, they are literally a slave to sin, addicted to its temporary high's that it provides. 

We have a choice as to whether to find our satisfaction in sin and things of the world, which is passing away and will one day come to an end, or to put our trust and find our fulfilment in Christ, who is eternal. 

Romans 6:17-18 states that through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross, we can move away from being enslaved to sin and instead become slaves to righteousness. ("But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.")

This concept of becoming a slave to righteousness is not liked by sinners. For man wants nothing more than to be free. Free of rules and laws and especially free from things that tell them what they can or cannot do. But these people are blinded by their addiction. They cannot see that we all must be slaves to something, either sin or to righteousness. You can either be a slave to sin which causes you to remain in your stupor and which leads nowhere, or become slaves to righteousness and have a renewal of your mind so that, instead of naturally swaying towards things that are not good, you will naturally want to do that which is good and righteous. What sinners cannot see is that whilst they believe they are free, they are in fact slaves to sin and the things which bind them; slaves to money, slaves to status, slaves to the ways of the world, slaves to physical gratification. Sinners don't like the idea of being 'slaves to righteousness' but they forget the fact that they are slaves themselves and being a slave to righteousness will make them really free in comparison to the oppression that exists through being slaves to sin.  

Romans 6:23 states "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

What we put our trust in and base our lives upon is what we are slaves to on this world. 

The slave to sin is like a man who eats McDonalds. The food is pleasurable to him and he enjoys eating there. He thinks it is very good, and for a time, it is good. It does taste nice. He would scoff at anyone who tells him that he is a slave to it or that he is not free, but pretty soon it starts to take its toll. In comparison the slave to righteousness is eating in a fine restaurant. He is being wined and dined and sits in a nice environment eating food that is good for him. But, the slave to sin cannot see that. He cannot see past his burger and would rather remain there instead of the fine restaurant. 

The film, "Supersize Me", which followed a man who ate nothing but Mcdonalds for 30 days showed the effect that it had. Before the end of the 30 days he had become depressed and doctors warned him that he would die if he continued. He received severe headaches if he did not get his Mcdonalds' fix as his sugar levels would drop rapidly, which he had become reliant on due to the high sugar content in the Mcdonalds buns. He was addicted to Mcdonalds. He would have enjoyed the taste of it at first. The gratification that it brings you, but soon it would have started to taste bitter in his stomach. In his mind he was free, but he was in fact a slave to it, even though it was killing him. His physical body demanded it in order to survive.   

So are the state of sinners in this world today. They think they are free and enjoy the taste of sin, but whilst they sit their enjoying their cheap thrills they are not aware that a table at a fine restaurant has been prepared for them. It is there waiting for them, but instead, they chose to remain in the fast food joint, for that is what they are slaves to.

If you are slaves to sin, then that sin, although may bring pleasure for a short while, will lead to death. Revelation 10:9 states “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

If you are a slave to righteousness you will be truly free. Psalm 119:103 "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Romans 12:2 states  "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Through putting our trust in Christ, our minds will be renewed so that we are no longer slaves to that which ultimately is worthless and instead we will hate those things that we once took joy in. 

Put your trust in something which you can rely upon. Sinners may think that being a Christian means that you are captive, but in fact it is the complete opposite. Those who put their trust in God are the ones who are free, whilst sinners remain slaves to the ways of the world, which ultimately lead to nothing.

By putting your trust in Christ you are going from death to light, from darkness to light and from slaves to sin to slaves to righteousness. We will all be held accountable one day, whether we like it or not, and on that day, what you have put your trust in is important.  1 Corinthians 3:12-15 tells us that what we have done during our time on earth will be tested in fire, those things of the world will be like hay and stubble and will be burnt up, whilst the things of God will stand the test of fire as gold and silver. (12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.")

Everything on this world is temporary. By putting your trust in things of the world, the things you have done will in no way stand the test of fire. Only by putting your trust in Jesus Christ, and the works that He has done, will you be able to withstand the test. Only by being slaves to righteousness will you withstand. 

Matthew 6:19-21 states, "19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Your time on this earth is temporary and may end today, therefore do not live it as a slave to things which are meaningless. Instead, store up treasures in heaven by putting your trust in Jesus Christ. Acknowledge your sin and ask Jesus to set you free from the slavery you are in so that you may go from being slaves to sin to slaves to righteousness.

Stop tasting the things which are sweet to your mouth but bitter in your stomach and instead fill your lives with that what is satisfying and true. Psalm 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" 

-BACChristian 

(For the record,  in reality I actually like Mcdonalds).