October 27, 2024 – Romans 6:11-23

Lesson Date: October 27, 2024

Focal Scripture Passage: Romans 6:11-23

AIM: To lead students to discover the results of yielding to sin and yielding to God, and to encourage them to yield themselves to God.

Before class: Read the notes on Romans 6:11-23 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.  Write the words “Yield,” “Serve,” and “Result” on the board.

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Direct everyone’s attention to the word “Yield” written on the board.  Ask: “What does it mean to yield?” (to submit yourself or give control of yourself to another).  Tell the students that as we drive we sometimes come upon a road sign that says “Yield.”  Ask: “What do you do when you approach a “Yield” sign?” (give up the right of way to other traffic, submit to the other traffic, waiting for others to get out of the way before you can proceed).

Ask: “In addition to traffic laws, what are some other examples of yielding and submitting to someone else?” (children must yield or submit to their parents, students must yield to their teachers, employees must submit to their employers, and everyone must yield to and obey the laws of the land).  Tell the class that all of us yield to others who have authority over us.

Tell the students that in addition to earthly authorities, everyone on earth yields themselves to one of two very powerful forces: sin or God.  Tell them the title of today’s lesson is Who Are You Yielding To?  Tell them we will discover the very different results of yielding to sin and yielding to God.

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Remind the class that we are studying the New Testament book of Romans.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (Pictures of Salvation; we discovered three pictures or illustrations of salvation and discussed what those pictures teach us about how we should live for Jesus Christ).
   • Ask if any volunteer would recite last week’s memory verse (Romans 6:12).
   • Remind the students that last week we studied select verses from chapters 6 and 7, but this week we will focus on Romans 6:11-23.
2. To Whom Will You Yield?
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 6:11-12.
   • Explain that the word reckon in verse 1 means to consider, judge, or count.
   • Ask: “What are we supposed to reckon ourselves to be?” (dead to sin).
   • Ask: “What are we supposed to consider ourselves alive to” (God).
   • Ask: “According to verse 12, what must we not allow to reign in our mortal bodies?” (sin).
   • Explain the following:
     • This letter was written to believers.
     • Since verse 11 tells us to consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ, it must be possible for Christians to forget this fact.
     • Since verse 12 tells us not to allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies, it must be possible for Christians to let sin control their behavior.
   • Read Romans 6:13.
   • Explain that the word members refers to our bodies and body parts.
   • Ask: “What must we not yield our members as instruments of?” (unrighteousness, resulting in sin).
   • Ask: “Who are we told to yield ourselves to?” (God).
   • Ask: “Why should we do that?” (because we have received new life in Christ).
   • Ask: “What should we yield our bodies and body parts as instruments of?” (righteousness unto God).
   • Direct everyone’s attention once again to the word “Yield” written on the board.
   • Stress the fact that we must choose to whom or what we yield ourselves, and there are only two choices.
   • Ask: “What are those two choices?” (we either yield ourselves to unrighteousness and sin or to God and righteousness).
   • Tell the students that yielding is a moment-by-moment issue; we can be yielded to God one moment, and then yield to our sinful lusts the next.
   • Summarize: The Bible tells us that as believers, we must choose whether to yield ourselves as sinful instruments of unrighteousness or as godly instruments of righteousness.
3. Who Will You Serve?
   • Read Romans 6:14-15.
   • Explain that the word dominion means to rule over or be the master over someone.
   • Ask: “According to verse 14, what must we not allow to have dominion over us?” (sin).
   • Ask: “Why not?” (because we are no longer under law, but have been saved by grace).
   • Tell the class that some people mistakenly think that since they are under grace, they are free to live any way they choose.
   • Ask: “According to verse 15, does being under grace give us the freedom to sin?” (absolutely not).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 6:16.
   • Ask: “What happens when we yield ourselves to someone or something?” (we become the servants of that person or thing).
   • Explain the following:
     • Direct everyone’s attention to the word “Serve” written on the board.
     • Throughout this passage, the word servants literally means slaves.
     • When we yield ourselves to someone in earthly authority over us, we become their servants, obligated to do what they tell us to do.
   • Ask: “This verse says we have only two choices as to what we serve; what are those two choices?” (sin that leads to death, or obedience that leads to righteousness).
   • Read Romans 6:17-18.
   • Tell the students that a drastic transformation occurs when a person comes to faith in Christ.
   • Ask: “According to verse 17, what did we serve before we came to Christ?” (sin).
   • Stress the fact that every person in his or her natural (unsaved) state is a servant of sin.
   • Tell the class that Ephesians 2:1-3 explains it this way: “¹And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ²Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”
   • Ask: “According to verse 18, what changes when Jesus comes into our life?” (we are set free from the dominating power of sin so that we can serve [be a slave to] righteousness).
   • Explain the following:
     • We become the servants or slaves of whoever or whatever we yield ourselves to.
     • When we yield ourselves to unrighteousness, we become servants or slaves of sin.
     • When we yield ourselves to God, we become servants of righteousness.
   • Summarize: The Bible tells us we become the servants or slaves of whoever we yield ourselves to, so we must choose whether we will be a slave to sin or to righteousness.
4. What Will Be the Result?
   • Direct everyone’s attention to the words written on the board.
   • Explain the following:
     • We have already discovered that we must choose to whom we “Yield” ourselves.
     • That choice determines whom we “Serve.”
     • The remaining verses we will read reveal the “Result” of that choice.
   • Read Romans 6:19.
   • Tell the students Paul said he used simple terms and repetitive statements to help his readers understand what the Lord wanted them to know.
   • Ask: “We formerly yielded our bodies to serve uncleanness and iniquity (lawlessness); what results from doing that?” (more iniquity and lawlessness).
   • Ask: “This verse tells us we now should yield our bodies to serve righteousness; what results from doing that?” (holiness and sanctification).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 6:20-21.
   • Ask: “According to verse 21, what is the end or result of serving sin?” (death).
   • Read Romans 6:22-23.
   • Ask: “According to verse 22, what is the end or result of serving God?” (everlasting life).
   • Tell the class that verse 23 is a very familiar verse.
   • Ask: “What does verse 23 say is the result of yielding to and serving sin?” (death).
   • Ask: “What is the result of yielding to and serving the Lord Jesus?” (eternal life).
   • Summarize: The Bible tells us the result of yielding to and serving sin is death, but God gives the gift of eternal life to those who yield to and serve Jesus.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Direct everyone’s attention once again to the words “Yield,” “Serve,” and “Result” written on the board.  Briefly review the lesson, by telling the following:

• The title of today’s lesson is Who Are You Yielding To?
• As Christians, we must choose to either yield ourselves and our bodies to our fleshly, sinful nature, or yield ourselves and our bodies to God.
• Those who are not saved have never yielded themselves to God, so they continually yield themselves to sin.
• Whatever or whoever we yield ourselves to becomes our master whom we serve and obey.
• There are vastly different results that come from serving God or serving sin.
• Those who yield to and serve sin face a certain end, which is death.
• Those who yield to and serve God through faith in Jesus Christ also have a certain end, but it is eternal life.

Stress the fact that in either case, whoever we yield ourselves to is who we serve, and who we serve determines the end or result we can expect.

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.

Ask: “Have you ever yielded yourself to God through faith in Jesus Christ?  If not, please confess and turn from your sin and ask Christ to come into your life and make you His servant.”

Ask: “If you have already received Christ as your Savior, are you still yielding your body to sinful thoughts, attitudes, and actions?  If so, please confess your sin, yield control of yourself to God, and recommit yourself to serving Jesus and not your sinful flesh.”

Allow a moment for silent prayer, and then voice a prayer, committing to yield to and serve God.

CONCLUSION: Ask everyone to memorize Romans 6:23.  Tell them to make a conscious choice every day to yield their bodies as instruments of righteousness.  Offer to stay after class to speak with anyone who might have questions about salvation.