In Order to Preach the Gospel, We Must Have Experienced it Personally

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, you have your fruit to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” Romans 6:22.

To be set free from sin is to have victory over conscious sin. In Galatians 5:19-21, we find a partial list of the works of the flesh, which are manifest. Everyone—saved and unsaved alike—knows that these and similar works are sin. You cannot be called a servant of God as long as you have not been set free from such sins. Paul says that such people shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Children are entitled to the inheritance. In other words, we do not become children of God by the forgiveness of sins unless we commit ourselves as disciples. Those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God. Romans 8:14-17. And those who are led by the Spirit do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Galatians 5:16. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its lusts and desires. (Verse 14.)

We see that those who walk in the Spirit come to a victorious life and are qualified to be servants of God. But their development does not stop there. They have this comfort that they have a good conscience. Jesus said that the Spirit of truth would guide us into all truth. When the Spirit leads us to the sin in our flesh, we must be a sacrifice, so that we put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit. This is the development we have as God’s servants. This is sanctification, by which we partake of divine nature. If we do not have this development, after we have begun to serve God, we will regress in our spiritual life. Such “servants” usually begin to lord it over the others. We read in the book of Revelation that it had gone badly with most of the angels of the churches.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23.

There are those who have obtained knowledge about salvation through the gospel, who are very enthusiastic about the message, and who begin to preach the gospel as though they were God’s servants. But, in so doing, they go too far and make themselves out to be what they are not. Then they can lose God’s grace over their lives. Many who have spiritual discernment suffer under the ministry of such people. Had these would-be servants of God loved the truth, they would instead have confessed their hope with boldness. They would have held fast their confession without wavering and would have acknowledged that they were not yet living a life of victory, as the gospel promises, but that by faith it would surely succeed for them. Then they would have been a comfort to many, and would have kept God’s grace over their lives. But if they stand up and preach as though they already have victory, they will lose the grace they once received. Hebrews 4:14-16; Romans 12:3.

There is no excuse for not coming to a life of victory, because where sin abounds, grace abounds much more. How can we who were baptized into Jesus’ death continue to live in sin? Likewise, how can we continue in sin, now that we are under grace and not under the law??? Romans 5:20; 6:1-3, and verse 14.